The Chains of Fate

The Tale of The Bleeding Hearts

I owe my life, and my writings to that pony that saved my life that day, as well as a few favors and promises. Thanks to him, the truth of the past shall never die to those whom have the wit and want. But once more, I get ahead of myself. Haste drives me to write, and there is much more to write if others are to connect these complicated strings that we have sown. I awoke the next morning quite sluggishly, my vision coming into focus I saw three figures, a nurse, a nursemaid and a shadow in the back, reading a book, or to be exact, a journal. Included in these writings and this story of mine, is all of my thoughts, my notes, my drawings. Essentially, my life work, or at least a fourth of it. I leave this here where I have for many reasons. There are people after it, be it to exploit it or destroy it. If all goes south, and your heart is in the right place, I pray that you use these notes for good. Otherwise, if we fail and you may not, all the effort in the world will have gone to waste. You bear a burden with these words, one I'm afraid you can not step out of lightly. The knowledge of a second journal is unknown, even to my closest friends and companions.

I carry a version forever incomplete so that perhaps if these tales are forever gone, there will only be an ending to be known. But you will know the beginning, and you can hopefully connect through all of the segments. There are plenty of clues, you simply need to open your eyes. I took on these writings full aware of what may happen if they fell into the wrong hands, let us hope that I did not make a grave mistake. Back to the story at hand, upon waking up I felt an absence of two objects, my journal that I carry around with me, and the necklace around my neck. At this I lost all sense and in a fury of pain and sorrow, I cried out madly that my work was gone, the artifact lost, my life all for not. They came up to me with what I knew to be a sedative to calm me. I fell into darkness once more at this point, and awoke much calmer, and far more sensible.

The second time I came to, my vision came to be rather quickly, though still quite bad due to the lack of glasses. Over me was a worried Nurse, a nursemaid grasping another syringe betwixt her teeth. In the back was the same shadow as before, reading and silent. I cleared my throat and rubbed my eyes to clear my vision, this aided me little but at the least I wasn't seeing in doubles. I told them calmly that I wouldn't be needing a second one of those, but my voice still came out rather raw. The nursemaid put the syringe on a tray and sighed with relief, the nurse calmed considerably. In the corner of my eye, I still saw the looming shadow, reading my notes as I would later find. I paid him little heed at first. The nurse commented that I had suffered quite the beating and was lucky to be alive. Lucky didn't begin to explain what happened back that night. It seems that I had rested well into the afternoon and it the light was still shining strong.

The nurse asked a few questions like how I felt and what exactly happened to me. To be honest, I felt horrible and was noticing the fade of the medication they must have had me under. But I didn't say this, I simply said that I was alive, and that was the most important thing. I began to thank the mare and her staff for doing such a fine job on me and saving my life, but she quickly cut me off and directed me to the corner. To the shadow of a stallion. It was he who saved my life that night as you may know, and it was he who held my possessions at that time. I mustered the clearest and loudest voice I could and hollered to the back of the room "So, I have you to thank do I? I'm truly grateful, and I'd like to have a word with you if you would be so kind." The shadow remained still. I nudged the nurse and asked her if it wouldn't be too imposing of me if I could ask for something to eat and some privacy. It felt like I hadn't eaten for days, and that wouldn't be too far off if I said so. She nodded with understanding and headed off to get some slight paper work and food. In the meantime, I had someone to thank.

After the nurse had left the nursemaid had followed as well. It was now only him and I. Leaving a cheat and a shadow in their wake. I squinted to get a better look at him, but my vision was too poor. He was fairly gray, but lightly so. His mane a mass of pure shadows it seemed. He wore a coat and a hat, likely what he had donned last night, perhaps he had stayed here with me. But from all of these characteristics of him, I noticed something I could never mistake. My journal. Yes, he held the very journal that these notes and tales reside in. The cover bound with strange symbols and words, bound in a well woven casing, sealed by a buckle and strap. Loose pages torn from various texts poked out from the sides and main pages of the journal. But, you would already know this as you read this, so allow me to continue.

Upon noticing that it was my all familiar journal he was reading, I came to a few calm realizations. One: That if he wanted only my notes and such that he could have left me for dead that night. Two: He likely held an interest in something that he believed to be inside of it for such an act of intrusion. And three: I owed him my life, I could share with him a fragment of what I knew if he was so inclined. I cleared my throat and said dryly, "So, how much do you know?" He stood and sighed, walking over to me and placing the journal by my side. He told me that he didn't know a whole lot, quite a few of my notes where incomprehensible or simply gibberish. I tend to write like that after long nights, an unfortunate habit. He continued on and said that what he did know, is that whatever was in here, was enough to tick off some ponies in pretty high places. To say the very least, I had noticed firsthand this, but I calmly nodded. They obviously weren't common thugs, they were rather coordinated and precise. I'm sure that if it wasn't for the Pegasi being taken down quickly, things wouldn't have gone as well as they did. 'Well' being quite subjective here. Things could have gone far worse. I could be dead.

He noticed that I had spoke of an artifact in my crazed awakening, and also that I freaked him out with all of that. He pulled out the necklace from his coat pocket and asked if this was what I was screaming about. There it was, undamaged and pristine. I tried to keep my excitement in check, but I could do little to hide the  beginnings of a child-like smile escaping the edges of my mouth. My eyes glowed with hope and happiness, I reached out for it rather painfully and asked him if he would be so kind. He surprised me and came close to me, asked me to lean forward and helped me put it on. It was quite the pleasant surprise to say the least. It was quite clear at this point that he meant me no harm, and wanted to make that abundantly clear. He had succeeded. I told him rather outright that since I owed him my life, answering any questions he may have would be the least I could do to begin repaying him. And he had quite the few questions to ask.

His first question was short and to the point, he simply asked if I knew who it was who attacked me, or who they all were. I responded as he expected, I did not. To this day of writing, I still do not know their names, only what they are a part of, and even that is enveloped in many an enigma. The next question surprised me, he wondered if I knew who he was, and promptly told me his tale. You see, he knew his name, this was very certain. His name was Ultor, or at least that is what he could remember. He suffers from a powerful amnesia, not simply a knock to the head and you forget a nights happenings. He forgot his life, his family, or if he even had one. But he had a name to go by, given or not. He is very aware of the condition that plagues him, but this helps him very little. Flashes of memories fleet by him quicker than he can grasp them at the time. He suspects that he once had a family, what happened to them or what caused them him to forget, he never knew.

Things had been like this for Ultor since he was a child, always wandering, looking for scraps of his past self. He had grown into a rough stallion, and as expected lived a poor life. Nobody took him in, and the streets were his only home, living by what he could. From what little he could tell me, I unfortunately had little to tell him about himself. People went missing here and there and it didn't always make the news in this city, or at least not for too long. The Clubs are security and business ponies all in all, not search and rescue. His tale is sad, but there is little I found I could help him with. However, maybe at the end of this rainbow there would be answers for him as well as I. He would be fed, hunted, but fed. He claims that he worries little with food and is accustomed to travel, but he would like to hear how this tale ends nonetheless. If answers await him at the end of our chapter, then that is simply a bonus.

I agreed with this completely, and told him he could join me wherever this may take me. A corpse can return little favors, save to the earth around them. I made a dark chuckle at this, and quickly regretted it, my sides still felt raw and the medication was truly on its last legs of usefulness. I coughed up a tad bit of blood, and asked him if he could try to retrieve that kind nurse. He nodded and headed out the door, only to find the nurse right there, apparently listening in on us. I didn't blame her, I understand the burning fire of curiosity as well as anyone. It is what got me where I am after all. She stumbled over her words, scrambling clumsily over excuses. Ultor seemed to find humor in this, and smiled in reassurance and beckoned her in. I smiled pleasantly as well. Well, as pleasantly as a wounded Pegasus with blood trailing their mouth could anyways.

I calmly interrupted her in a string of her thoughts and explanations to ask her simply, how much did you hear. She went rather defensive at this and started to say that she hadn't heard much and that it was all in no harm. I kindly cut her off once more and told her that I asked because I intended to fill her in on what she had not heard. I trusted her, perhaps rather blindly, but still. If she wanted me dead I was laid out before her and her peers that night, nobody would blame a simple accident. It happens to us all, even the greatest. And, perhaps she would have something to add to it all. Needless to say, she was rather surprised by my words, it was certainly not what she was expecting. She asked if I was sure, to which I simply said that if she was willing to take the risk of it all, then yes. But first, introductions were in order.

I calmly asked her what her name was, and to come closer with the pills and water if she would be so kind. While she explained I took a few pain pills, less that I should have likely. Not much point in addling my wits right now. I had a story to tell, and a tale to hear. She explained that her name was Vita, and that she was one of the head nurses here. She explained what little she had heard and I filled her in on the rest of the tale and continued on with where I left off with Ultor. I then, with a slight bit of humor, asked if there was any pony had any questions. It turns out, Ultor did. He said that he understood the story, and why ponies or anything might be after me with that kind of info and that many questions being asked. What he didn't understand is where the necklace fits into this. It seems I left out the specifics of this. It was said from my mother that at the loss of her sister and being cut from the family, she cried a pool of tears. Through magic, the tears all coalesced into one single crystal tear. A gift from her sorrows.

It's not the happiest thing to wear around your neck, but I wear it with pride all the same. It's beautiful and its strange warmth comforts me on long nights. Even now, it calms and eases my pain, but I suppose that is paired with the pain medicine as well. There seemed to be little questions for now that they supposed I could answer for them, and it was my turn for questions. I asked miss Vita, with only a semi serious tone if she may have something that could help us. To my surprise, she did. Quite a lot as a matter of fact. It seems that she had a fine sum of ideas, some universities of old lore, a department or two, but when I shied them off, she had only one final suggestion. A travel to the town of Ponyville, and a meeting with Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle. I knew of her all too well.

Most of us have indeed heard of the tale of the elements, if not then most certainly of the return of Luna. And, as you know this was led by Twilight Sparkle, the element of magic. Their honor and loyalty and such to the royal family is quite commendable, they brought back in a way two sisters. I wondered just how well she would respond to my proposition. I surely couldn't just go up to her and simply say "Oh hail bearer of Magic! Thou art called upon once more for a quest for another princess." She might call me crazy. Then again, I don't talk like that, nor have I ever. But I hope you get my point, just walking up to her with a book and some notes might not be enough. But then again, it just might. It did with the tale of Nightmare Moon. I suppose I'll have to 'wing it'. Most unfortunately, minus the wings.

We all discussed options, and thought it was the best idea. There was three things though. Travel to Ponyville in my current state. My current state in general. And one final catch that was rather unexpected. Vita wanted to come with us. Now don't get me wrong, I was thankful that they took me in and that she pointed me in this direction, but I simply had to ask why. She explained simply that it had been quite some time since she last went to that town and that it would be fun to hear the end of this tale. She had some friends over there and was quite familiar with some faces, but not so much the buildings. She also jested that one could only take so much of this city, as I knew maybe more than anyone. She kindly noted that my friend Ultor hardly seemed the nursing type, and might not have the know-how in medicine she did. But there was something else, her tale had only begun.

You see, she did not come about me by mere coincidence. She asked, no, demanded that when she heard a Cheat was in need of care, she be put in lead of the team. She had the skills, she had the talent, and the right people knew her story and dared not say no to her. At one point in her life she grew deathly ill, her family was quite poor and hassled by the thugs for money. She was at the mercy of the city for her required treatment. And believe me when I tell you that this is not the city known for mercy or goodwill. But, it seems there was still plenty to be had. My mother apparently took it upon herself to convince my father to set aside enough money to help her. Not only did they treat her, but they lifted their family out of the mud. My mother and father were raising Blackjack and I at the time, so she knew the pain of watching your child suffer. Ever since that day, our families have been rather close, helping each other out when and where we can.

As it seems, that day inspired Vita to learn the medical trade, to be able to help out others in their time of need. And not only was this a time for helping one in need, but a repayment for an old favor. But this is not where her repayment would end it would seem. I had no intentions in stopping her from helping me and fulfilling her own goals, my only concern was how she would get me there in my current condition. She thought for a few moments on this, and came up with an inspired plan. Her name was in good standing, so she could say that I needed transferring to the far side of the Heart's hospitals, close by the train tracks. Still a walk, but close. She would use the excuse of saying that my bones weren't setting right and she couldn't see why, and the other place did in fact have newer equipment. She could walk me to the train station for a transfer to Ponyville for their advancements in magic healing or something of the like.

The plan might take some time to come to fruition, but that would be alright. We were safe here and they would be crazy and stupid to make an attempt on our lives now. I was alive, we had a plan, and I had friends to help and to be helped by. I was soon informed that my parents had gone to an out of city show as a large group, something that had been rehearsing. My father noted that I preferred the streets to the stage, and he was correct in assuming I couldn't be bothered for this with all of my works. I had a lot on my plate, and would soon be traveling the streets quite the sum. In my own element once more. It would be pleasant. But for now I was condemned to this bed, with little complaints for the time being. Before any plans where to get under way though, I would have Ultor retrieve some items for me, and take care of some things.

You could guess that by now, my house would be raided for information or any sign of me. Perhaps they knew where I was and could guess my movements, what little they could do about them for the time being though made me smile. I would need Ultor to check my home for certain items of importance. I jotted down sketches of what he would need, along with descriptions. That page likely dwells within this journal though, make sense of the items as you will. They were mainly necessities and a few good reads. Ultor would stop by a shop first, recommended especially by me. I told him to ask for Aunty Berry, she'd know who sent him then. She'd know why he was there, besides the food of course. I highly suggest that if you come across it in your travels, stop by. You won't regret it. After the shop he would go to my home to look for the items on his list, and anything else of importance. He didn't seem to mind my asking of such things from him, he seemed to need the air. He would return with a list half completed, and quite the tale to be told. But for now, I would be getting my lest days of remotely restful sleep. I enjoyed them for the time they lasted. You begin to truly miss it after some time...