The Element of Light

Fatigue was the primary feeling coursing through her body, along with dehydration and hunger. She focused on her flask and tilted it to release water to her muzzle, cracked and bloody. No water was present to quench her thirst. A sigh was all she could utter, even her tear ducts were depleted to show her agony. As she walked over the hill, she beheld a sight that made her think she was in the afterlife. Filled with apple trees that bared the delicious fruit, she wanted to just consume one to satisfy her hunger. Hundreds of apple trees were lined up as in rows from beyond the horizon, each looking a healthy as the other. From a far was a barn and farmhouse that wore a proud apple insignia. Thinking one apple would make her hunger go away temporarily, she thought it best to just take one and leave as fast as possible.

Yet her body would not comply, due to overworking itself to the point of exhaustion. She turned her head to see a vibrant town and she once again sighed, this time in remorse. She looked to herself, seeing how she was back then and how she is now. She was covered in dirt and robe smeared with mud. The only thing of value on her was a necklace she refused to part with. Inside was her promise, her hope and she would do anything to fulfill it.

“I guess this is the end of the line,”

Her eyelids began to close automatically, and her body submitted to the fatigue. She fell down and began to tumble and roll from the hill. Her body’s movement was stopped by hitting a tree, the full weight of it had the same impact as a powerful buck. Her sound and touch were the only senses still operating, if only for a moment. She heard the chirping of birds, the sound of the wind clashing with the leaves and the voice of a mare rushing to her side.

“Woah Nelly! Ya alright there?!”

A distant voice called to her. The chattering of her own mind and the horrid weather raging in her ears made it difficult for her to understand what the voice was saying, it immediately shook her from her silent contemplation; she had not expected to find anypony else out here. She couldn’t breath, she couldn’t think; her body started to long for oblivion as she laid in the grass. A jolt of pain shot through her as she felt something prodding her side. Through sheer determination and willpower she was able to open her eyes ever so slightly. The last thing that she saw was somepony looking down at her. She focused on the ponies eyes and saw something that she hadn't seen in a long, long time; compassion.

Words lingered on her tongue; words left unspoken, the very words that she came here for. She refused to give up before she had said them. She had never been the kind of pony that gave up that easily. She lifted her head to stare up at the mare that stood above her. It was now that she got a better look at the her. The pony’s orange coat appeared to be matted with sweat, her mane hung sluggishly over her head with a knot tied in it at the end. The words came to her again. They were words that she had never been able to say with ease. She doubted if she had ever said them at all. “I-I’m sorry...” She managed to release one last dusty, broken breath before her head sank down into the wet grass below and her world went black.

“This a very good muffin,”

“Never underestimate the wise words of a dragon, Light”

“The wise words of a baby dragon Spike,”

The two friends laughter could be heard from afar as they left Sugarcube Corner, having bought some treats for the day ahead. Spike was reclining on Light’s back, his arms crossed behind his head as he rested on Light’s back. The unicorn looked around him. The town appeared to be just as vibrant as he saw it a week ago with his mother at his side.

"I really like it here, it’s so... refreshing. Wonder where we should go next?"

“Hey Spike,” he turned his head around to meet the dragon’s gaze. “Where should we head to next?”

“Well,” Spike began to rub his chin in thought. “We could go to the boutique, but I hear Rarity’s awfully busy right now with an order,”

“Who’s she again?” Light asked innocently, not remembering every new pony he had met a week ago.

“She’s one of Twilight’s friends, she’s very pretty too,” Spike replied blushing in the progress.

“That doesn’t answer my question. What does she look like?”

“What she looks like!?” Spike sounded as if he couldn’t believe that he had to ask. A little smile appeared on his face as he continued. “She.. She’s  got the most beautiful mane and- and when she looks at you! When she looks at you you just lose track of everything else.” he sighed. Spike looked over at his friend who seemed to be wearing a devilish grin on his face.

“Oh that one...” Light said, thinking of the other friends of Twilight. “Doesn’t she have a little sister called Sweetie Belle?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?” he asked tentatively

“She’s pretty hard to forget.” he chuckled. “She and her two other friends came to visit when I was living at my mom’s a few months ago...” he replied, gulping at the memory of when he lost his temper with those little ‘angels’.

“Yeah those three are really something,”

Spike snickered for a moment, “Let me guess, they caused some trouble for you, right?”

“That obvious?”

“You’re too easy to read,”

"I Hope that’s not true for my sake and my mother’s"

Light frowned slightly, but he immediately displayed a grin when another thought came to mind. “I bet they have caused you some troubles too hey?”

“Yeah...” Spike answered, slumping back into his reclining position.

Light laughed lightly, “Wonder if one of them will cause something right now?”

“Unlikely, they’re still in school right now,” Spike stated to Light, who nodded his head. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if one of their sisters came running this way right now.”

“Though not Scootaloo,” Light said under his breath, thinking for a moment on what Scootaloo’s family is like. “What’s Applebloom’s sister’s name again?”

“Apple-”

Suddenly a force collided into Light making him fall backwards onto his back. Light groaned and lifted his head from the ground, shaking it to rid himself of the dizziness that was inflicted upon him. He heard a muffled sound coming from behind and saw Spike’s body lodged into the ground, with only his legs and tail sticking out.

“Hold on Spike,”

Light used his magic to engulf Spike in a white aura, pulling him from the ground. When his head came out, a sharp gasp left the dragon’s mouth and he began to cough out any dirt remaining. Light placed him onto the ground and turned his attention to the source that made contact with him.

“Applejack?”

Upon hearing her name, Applejack groaned slightly before lifting herself up from the ground and shaking off any remaining dirt off of her. She picked her hat up with her teeth and dusted it off before putting it back on her head and repositioning it. She blinked her eyes profoundly and saw a stallion before her, standing alongside a baby dragon.

“Ah’m sorry Spike, and to you too sugarcube-” Applejack froze in place and saw the same stallion that caused a freaky light show at Pinkie’s party before passing out. “It’s you!”

Light was puzzled by her sudden ‘claim’, “Excuse me?”

“Yer that stallion who Pinkie threw a party for and then did some weird hocus pocus before goin’ down. Ya’ll gave Zecora such a fright Ah’ve never seen the poor zebra so scared and in tears before,” Applejack told Light, who looked away from the mare’s gaze. Applejack placed a hoof on her chin and examined Light, “Ya’ll seem just fine now,”

“Yeah, a week long nap will do that to you,” Light answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes and Spike snickering at his side. Before Applejack could respond, a groan come from behind her and Applejack’s pupils shrank.

Her eyes shot wide open as if she had just realized that she had forgotten something. “Woah nelly! Ah Need to help this one real quick!”

As Applejack turned her back, Light and Spike took a glimpse at whatever was behind her. They both gasped loudly at the sight before them. A sky blue colored unicorn mare laid on the ground, she appeared to be beaten and broken. Her long white main sprawled across the ground. The grass rustled softly against her lifeless body. Light couldn’t escape the creeping feeling that he had seen her somewhere before... but where?

Spike grimaced at the sight before him, “Geez... what happened to her?” he asked Applejack who approached the unconscious mare. “Is she gonna be ok?”

“Ah dunno Spike, just hope to Sam Hill that it’s not too late to help her out,” Applejack said as she bowed her head and shook it, causing her rugged blond mane to sway slightly. She wore that same voice that she always spoke with when she didn’t want anypony to get worried.

She gasped as Light ran past her and grasped the helpless mare’s mane with his muzzle as he pulled her onto his back. He instantly seemed to struggle beneath her weight. A look of determination crossed his face.

“Lead the way to the hospital.” he said with nothing but determination in his piercing gaze.

Applejack just stared dully into the distance for a moment before shaking her head and running after him. Light looked at the mare he was carrying, with a myriad of thoughts crossing his mind. Though the most prominent thought stuck to the back of his mind, and he made a mental note to ask her if he ever got the chance

Who is she?

Blissful comfort became a myth to the mare who had not expected to ever open her eyes again. A bright light filled the entirety of her vision as a light zooming noise forced itself into her ears. The blissful feeling was soon torn from her as excruciating pain rippled across her body, she tried her best as to not make a sound. She felt the comforting warmth of a bed beneath her and the zooming noise was swiftly replaced by the beeping of monitors and machinery. Soon enough she gave up on fighting the pain.

Her bed seemed to be the only one in the room, large and comfortable. The entire room had a certain sense of tranquility about it. She followed her muzzle towards a steaming plate of hay that rested on her bedside, she could nearly feel the warmth as she looked at it. He instincts kicked in and she quickly consumed it, proper etiquette was the least of her worries now. Though it didn’t have much to offer her much in taste, it did fill her up more than anything did in the last week. As her mind settled in she realized how utterly weak she was, it felt as if she could barely lift a hoof. Despite the grimness of her life and her current situation, she still couldn’t help but smile softly as the warmth enveloped her. She soon noticed a tear trailing down her stained cheek. She shook her head in dislike. “Trixie does not cry.” she assured herself. But if that was true... then why was she?

As though to answer her questions, she heard hoof steps trampling on the other side of the door. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes and placed the bowl back on the table. The door creaked open and a white mare with a nurse cap and a red cross cutie mark covered with four hearts came rushing in. She appeared to be shocked to see that the unicorn was awake. The nurse immediately put her hoof to her patients head and gasped. “You’re burning up!” she exclaimed. Trixie merely stared at her with an questioning look on her face.

The unicorn opened her muzzle in an attempt to speak but all that she could manage to utter was a broken squeal. She whimpered as she coughed, it was then that the sporadic nurse noticed that she was in pain. “Nurse?” the mare began to speak in a broken voice, “Where am I?”

“Oh you're at the Ponyville Clinic dear and lucky too,” the nurse answered as she reached out a spoon and filled it with medicine from the tray. When she filled the spoon to the brink, she carefully moved it to the mare’s muzzle, “Open wide,”

She hesitantly complied and accepted the medicine, as a sour taste flooded her mouth and her throat. The nurse gave her a glass of water, which she gladly accepted but the sour aftertaste lingered. “The nastier the medicine is, the better the results,” the nurse told her with a wink and smile. “Just take this twice a day, drink lots of fluids and three whole meals a day... you’ll be good as new. Oh and by the way, my name is Nurse Redheart. What is your name dear?”

“My-my name is-”

The old wooden door slammed upon causing it to nearly break from it’s hinges. “Oh looky here! The Great and Powerful Trixie back for more! Couldn’t leave Ponyville alone could you?!” A cyan mare with a rainbow coloured mane hovered above the wounded unicorn with her hooves across her chest and glaring at the injured mare in bed. The mare’s eyes shrank in fear. As if on instinct she tried to bite back but she couldn't get a single word out of her muzzle, she didn't know whether this was due to her injuries or because of the fact that she knew that she deserved every little bit of venom in the pegasus´ words.

“What? You too full of yourself to make a comeback?”

“T-”

“Need an audience to say proper words?”

“Trixie-”

“Bet you faking those injuries huh?”

“Trixie is sor-”

“Oh you’ll be sore alright! Once I’m done with you, you won’t be able to show your tail in any-”

Rainbow soon found herself immobile as a white glow enveloped her. Just as she was about to complain, she was dragged to the ground and placed firmly where two figures overshadowed her. Nurse Redheart and Light glared daggers at her.

“What?” Rainbow asked naively at the two ponies before.

“Rainbow Dash! That is no way to handle anypony who is injured!” Redheart scolded her.

“What?!” Rainbow shouted out, clearly clueless as to why any of this was her fault. “Don’t you know who she is?! She’s-”

“Why does it matter?,” Light interrupted her, with his eyes still locked on Dash. “She’s hurt.” Light said sternly. “Would you stoop so low as the hurt a helpless pony?” he asked as he stared her down. The staredown between the two seemed to last forever until Rainbow sighed heavily.

“I guess.” she said stubbornly as she flew out the window.

Light just sighed and shook his head, closing his eyes in the process. “Is she always like that?” he asked Redheart, as he opened his eyes and looked to the nurse who was tending to the shocked mare.

Redheart smiled. “She can’t help it, it’s her stubborn pride,” Redheart replied, putting ice to the mare’s head. “I’ll come by later to change your bandages ok?” the mare did not answer. She seemed to be lost in thought. Redheart dismissed it and trotted out the door. Just as she left, Applejack and Spike entered the room and beheld the mare with pity and worry in their eyes.

“Ya alright there?” Applejack asked her as she approached the bed, “Ya look like ya went through Heck and back.”

“Trixie is always ‘alright’” The mare laughed weakly at this, but coughed violently as her throat was still parched from thirst. Applejack handed her a glass which she emptied in less then a second. Applejack noticed that the broken mare was avoiding eye-contact at all costs, she simply stared forward, looking through her sheets.

Applejack couldn’t help but feel concerned for her, “Something wrong?”

“Trixie is..,” she exclaimed. “Well...” she said softly.

Applejack simply stared and cleared her throat, “Ain’t no use in lying ta me,”

The mare turned her head to meet Applejack’s and was faced with eyes that she swore could gaze right into her. She gulped and grimaced at the stare, looking from left to right to divert the stare. But it was no use, something inclined her to speak the truth. Something that made her apologies to the cow mare earlier. Something deep inside her heart. “It’s just... Trixie thought you might be angry towards... Trixie.”

“Beg ya pardon?!” interrupted her and look shocked at what she was saying, “Now why in tarnation would Ah be mean to a pony who’s in a hospital?!”

Light stepped forward until he was at Applejack’s side, “Well you see, our rainbow maned friend wanted to give her a thorough beating for whatever reason,”

Applejack’s jawed dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of her skull, “She did?!” she asked the others in the room, with Nurse Redheart nodding solemnly and the mare nodding slightly before looking away again. “Yer name Light right?” she asked Light, who nodded his head to confirm her question. “Ok, I trust ya know what to do from here... if ya’ll excuse me,” she said, shifting her stetson right before heading to the door.

“Where you going Applejack?” Spike asked her when she passed him.

She turned to Spike, wearing only a frown on her freckled face, “Ah’m just going kick that filly’s flank!” she said to the baby dragon, leaving the hospital room and closing the door with a snap behind her.

Spike shivered slightly at the thought of Applejack and Rainbow Dash having an argument, thinking back to the Running of the Leaves and other occasions. Spike turned around and jumped onto Light’s back landing with a thud. Spike sensed the tension in the room and thought of ways to bring it down, “Well looks like you won’t have to worry about a grudge match any time soon,” Spike said in a joking tone, though the reception he was getting was not what he expected. The sound of a pin falling and landing on the floor could be heard. “What?”

“Timing Spike. Timing is key.” Light whispered to his ear, with Spike letting out an ‘oh’ before Light cleared his throat. “So...” he said awkwardly. “you're Trixie?” he asked the mare, hoping that she would shed some light on the situation.

The mare sat up right with her back against the bed railing, and Nurse Redheart placing a pillow behind her back to ease her. The mare beamed at the stallion before ridding herself of his gaze. She raised her chin and closed her eyes, “The Great and Powerful Trixie is Trixie’s name.”

Light blinked twice and his head turned sideways, looking at the mare in confusion. “What?” Light raised his eyebrow, “Did you just refer to yourself in the third pony?”

She nodded her head with her eyes still closed, “Trixie did- hey!” she suddenly heard Spike snicker and saw Light looking at her in confusion. “Why look at Trixie like that? Do you dare doubt Trixie?” The unicorn was clearly infuriated, her cheeks puffed in anger as she narrowed her eyes. Her angry stare soon turned into flinches as pain shot through her weakened body.

Light couldn’t help but feel compassion for her. “What happened to you? Why are you like this?”

Trixie looked down on her bandages and her brittle ribs, “Trixie...” she said as she looked away from Light’s gaze.  “Let’s just say-” The last thing that she wanted to do was tell the truth.  a sudden growl escaped from her stomach, startling her and causing her to blush out of embarrassment for the moment. “Trixie hungers.”

“I think you need to recover first before you answer anymore questions,” Light said, before turning to Nurse Redheart. “I’ll be staying at the library if something happens Nurse Redheart,” he told her as she nodded her head and bid them goodbye.

“Wait!”

Light turned to Trixie as she called out for him, “What do you hope to gain from helping Trixie?” she asked him as she was growing curious and suspicious at his behaviour.

“Nothing.” he answered her flatly as he walked out the door, leaving Trixie with her thoughts.

“So he is adopted?”

“That is correct Twilight, but he still my son, Light”

“Oh no! I didn’t mean to-” Twilight Sparkle was now flaying her front hooves in panic, nearly knocking over her tea which she had been served. Zecora chuckled softly and raised one hoof to sooth the unicorn. Twilight swiftly took another sip of the specially made Zebafrican tea. “This is delicious, Zecora.” Twilight commented, hoping to change the topic before further embarrassing herself.

Zecora savoured the taste of her brew for a few moments, “An old recipe.” she smiled. “Passed down in my family tree, my son has also learned this from me,”

Twilight’s curiosity flared up as she heard the last words being heard, “Are you saying he can also brew special potions? What is his special talent? Is he-”

“Calm your mind, I shall serve all that you may wish to find. He is indeed skilled in some potion mastery, yet his true skill lies in carpentry,” Zecora told Twilight as she was sipping on her tea. Zecora looked up to see Twilight’s eyes glittering with curiosity and smiled at this. “I see your curiosity shines with a mighty glow, and knowledge of him is what you wish to know,”

Twilight looked down on her teacup, trying to pick her next words carefully. “Well... he is certainly interesting, that magic he did a week ago, how we felt when he did it, how I felt when I he did that magic, how I feel everytime I look at hi- I mean how I-” Twilight felt her cheeks burn up in embarrassment as Zecora let out a chuckle at her antics.

“You’re interest in him shows not only within your study, but also in something you are new to entirely,” Zecora rhymed to her as she finished her tea and giggled at Twilight’s burning face.

“I have no idea what you are talking about Zecora,”

“The Element of Honesty I may not be, but please do not lie to me,”

“I mean, you see-”

Before Twilight could finish her excuse, the front door opened and Light and Spike walked into the library. Twilight stood up from the table and made her way to Spike, “Welcome home Spike,” she said in a motherly tone,nuzzling him.

“Hey Twilight,” Spike replied to Twilight as he hugged her in return. “Oh hey Zecora, how you doing?” he asked her after letting go of Twilight and walking past her.

Twilight was left alone with Light, “Hi there,” he said to her as he waved a hoof to greet her. Twilight was staring at him, looking into his azure eyes and becoming slightly nervous at his presence. There was only one word she could describe him, even in that moment... captivating.

"Twilight Sparkle! Stop looking like a foal and say something to him!"

“Um... good evening,” she said with a sheepish smile and looked away, with her cheeks burning slightly.

"Oh great! Now I’ve made a foal of myself again! Why does none of my books explain this to me?!"

Light’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her in confusion. “Are you alright?” he asked her, hoping she wasn’t getting sick or worse... getting scared of him.

“I’m fine! Really!” she replied with a sheepish grin and started laughing nervously, with a streak of sweat forming from her head. She looked around the room with her eyes darting everywhere, hoping for a sign of escape from this embarrassing moment. Her gaze fell on Spike, who was scratching his head and looking at Twilight as if she was having another panic attack. “Spike! Will you get supper ready for us please,”

Spike blinked and simply smiled with a sigh. “Ok, but Twilight... why are you sweating?” he asked her.

“It-It’s a bit humid here, that’s it!” Twilight told him, though he was rolling his eyes at her weak excuse. Spike walked to the kitchen mumbling ‘whatever’ under his breath and began making supper for four.

Zecora watched this whole scene from a distance, smiling and shaking her head at the skit. She approached Light and greeted him with a hug, with him doing the same.

“How was your day, my son? I hope you had lots of fun.” she asked him, noticing he had some dirt on his white coat.

“Interesting to say the least,” Light started as he recalled what happened to him and Spike. “Met an interesting pony today. Though I wish it was under other circumstances that we had met.” he noted with a frown forming.

Twilight’s ears perked at this and grew curious at his statement. “Sorry for intruding, but what do you mean by that exactly?” she asked him, though once he looked into her eyes she blinked and looked the other way.

“Well, Spike and I were just hanging about when Applejack tackled us,” he saw Twilight’s look turning to one of concern. “... accidentally, cause she was carrying a pony on her back who was close to death,”

Twilight and Zecora let out a gasp and both of them had their front hoof to their mouths, with their eyes widened in shock. “But she’s ok, we got her to the clinic in time. Though once she woke up, a certain rainbow maned mare thought it be wise to try and inflict damage onto her,” he said.

Twilight was shocked to hear this. “Rainbow would never do that!” she exclaimed to Light, defending her friend.

“Actually she did try Twilight,” Spike said, with his head popping out of the kitchen door. “She actually did try and hurt Trixie, cause she thought she was just acting to be in pain,”

Twilight let out a sigh of her own, “I’m going to have a word with Rainbow tomorrow,” she noted to herself out loud.

“No need,” Light said. “I already gave her a warning of my own and Applejack was going to give her a lecture, though a lesson via a beating by the words she used.” he finished and saw Twilight expression turn grim and shak

“Light... did you give her the look, the one that I did that she took?” Zecora asked Light, worried that he may have repeated another Cutie Mark Crusader incident.

“Yes, but it was controlled anger to say the least,” he whispered her, with her sighing in relief. “But her name is not Trixie... at least its not her real name,”

Zecora and Twilight were intrigued by this, with Twilight’s front hoof on her chin in thought. “Pray tell what is her name, cause Trixie sounds more like a game,” Zecora asked him.

Light looked up to the ceiling, “Well, I can’t say for sure,” Light said to Zecora, who starting humming in thought. “I’m not sure how to handle it but..” he leaned in closer to Zecora to whisper into her ear. “The dream I had, I swear I saw her in there mom,”

Zecora’s ears perked up and her pupils shrunk slightly, “You are absolutely sure, my boy? Could your mind not play you like a toy?”

“There’s no mistake, she’s got something to do with my dream, my element-”

“Um excuse me.”

Light and Zecora jumped slightly at the sudden interruption, caused by Twilight who stood behind them. Light turned to Twilight, who was chanting apologies for her interrupting. “It’s ok Twilight, something wrong?”

Twilight sighed in relief before smiling at Light, “Supper is ready you two,”

“Ah thanks,” Light answered her, with his stomach growling in hunger causing him to blush and Twilight to giggle at this.

“My timing is impeccable as always,”

Light chuckled softly as he made his way past Twilight, though his mind was drifting on an enigmatic mare who was now lying in a hospital bed recovering and remembered her wearing a pendant of some sorts around her neck.