The Trial of the Elements

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4.5 Interlude
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 1
Chapter 9

Chapter 2

Trials Of The Elements
Part 2

The carriage pulled up in front of a four story white stone building that was dotted with windows. The front doors were made of solid looking black oak, but seemed welcoming instead of imposing and ominous. There was not a pony in sight, save for Valiant, Dr. Mend and the carriage driver.

Valiant disembarked first,
"Thank you driver. Did the Princess give you any specifics on which room we were given?" he asked the older, brown coated unicorn stallion who was their driver.

"She sure did. Third floor, room 317. She also gave me two copies of the room keys for you boys." the driver said offering the two keys, "I'm afraid I can't stay and chat, got plenty more work to do."

Valiant took the offered keys and closed the carriage door behind Dr. Mend. The carriage departed swiftly into the night, leaving the two stallions to locate their dorm room. They entered the building and took a look around. Valiant noticed a staircase off to their left and held the door for Dr. Mend. They reached the third floor and found room 317 easily.
Dr. Mend set down his black bag on the bed against the right wall, next to him Valiant set down Mend's own suitcase. The dormitory was of a fair size. Mend judged the dimensions to be 20 paces x 20 paces, plus it had a bathroom and spacious closets for each of them not to mention writing desks with lamps and chairs.

Dr. Mend couldn't help but to voice his opinion,
"I remember these rooms being much smaller."

Valiant smiled and slipped off his saddlebags,
"We should try to get some sleep. The sun will be up soon and I want to get an early start."

Dr. Mend looked across the room to his companion,
"A wise idea. You go look for a job and I'll select our courses in the morning. Sound good?"

Valiant sprawled on his bed, against the left wall, it was soft and comfortable,
"Alright, I trust you. Just don't overload me with classes. I'm not used to this and it will take some time for me to get up to speed."

"I know a little secret that should help you out. Get a hold of the course books early and read them from cover to cover at least twice before the courses begin. That way you'll have a head start on the material. With a basic knowledge of the material, you can take on a larger course load and you'll do better than the other students." Dr. Mend said.

Valiant looked up at Dr. Mend from his bed,
"Ah, is that the voice of experience I hear? Do tell, oh wise one." he said playfully.

Dr. Mend pursed his lips together, but managed not to make a smart retort,
"Another hint for you Valiant. Don't go partying too much. You can get alcohol anywhere on campus. Avoid it like the plague. A hangover will addle your brain and you will miss questions you know by heart. Catch your meals as early as possible. The cafeterias run out of space quickly. Don't eat in the cafeterias either. Bring the food back here and eat while you study. It's called multitasking."

Valiant's eyebrows rose almost above his head,
"I take it you didn't do much partying when you were a student here did you?"

Dr. Mend shook his head,
"None at all. I was here to study, as I am now. We've been given a great opportunity here. A fully paid semester of courses, lodging, books, and food? You don't come across an offer like that every day?"

Valiant thought about Dr. Mend's words seriously,
"You're right, but I would like to take a look around tomorrow. I do plan to study hard, but I also want to have some fun. Didn't you ever go to one of Pinkie Pie's parties back in Ponyville?"

Dr. Mend shook his head,
"I never had the chance. I had a clinic to run. The clinic must stay open at all times so I let my nurses attend the parties. I've even delivered a foal solo. I've been a loner since I can remember. It doesn't bother me too much. I have a purpose and I will serve that purpose until I pass from this life."

Valiant blanched at the notion,
"But what about a family? What about fun? When was the last time you had fun? Why didn't you ever marry? I'm sure there were tons of fillies and mares who would have loved for you to take them to dinner. I'll bet there still are some."

Dr. Mend regarded Valiant seriously,
"My life is my business Valiant and I'll thank you to stay out of it." he said frostily.

"Hey now, I never meant to offend you. I'm just concerned. Everypony needs to have fun at least once in a while." Valiant said placatingly.

Dr. Mend laid down on his bed and sighed heavily,
"It's not that I'm offended Valiant. I didn't mean to come off like that. I'm just socially awkward. I was nearly a recluse back in Ponyville. I only really liked one pony in the whole town enough to talk to, and that was Pinkie Pie. She was the only one who could ever make me smile."

A mischievous smile crept over Valiant's features,
"Thinking of robbing the cradle, are we doc?" he teased.

Dr. Mend shot up out of his bed and was face to face with Valiant in a quarter of a second,
"Don't even let it into your HEAD that I feel that way about Pinkie!" he snarled, "Do you hear me? I have never harbored impure thoughts toward any pony, much less Pinkie Pie. I can tolerate her that's all."

Valiant's eyes were wide with shock,
"Alright doc. I hear you loud and clear. I was only joking."

Dr. Mend took a step back toward his own bed and shook his head violently as if to dislodge something,
"Sorry, I over reacted. But you hit on one of the only things that can make me violently angry. I do not and will never approve of that kind of thing, there's way too much of an age difference between us anyway. She's more like a daughter or niece."

Valiant wisely kept his mouth shut about Dr. Mend's last sentence,
"Would you be willing to tell me what the others are, so I don't accidentally offend you later on?"

Dr. Mend laid back down on his bed,
"I doubt they'll ever come up. God night Valiant."

Valiant snuggled down in his own blankets,
"Good night Dr. Mend."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Morning came early for Valiant and Dr. Mend. The two stallions had neglected to close the room's curtain, so Celestia's bright morning sun woke them. After only having slept for five hours, the two stallions were so bleary-eyed they actually stumbled into each other on their way to the bathroom. Valiant let Dr. Mend go first while he began unpacking his saddlebags.

Valiant opened the buckles and pulled open the bags, then dumped the contents out on his bed. He made a vague mental note of everything he had brought with him. He found his mortar and pestle, his digging trowel, his pruning shears, his canteen, his blanket . . . blanket?

Valiant was suddenly fully awake. He flopped the blanket onto his bed and looked at it astonished. It was decidedly not his own blanket, it was far too large, yet it looked familiar somehow. Valiant suddenly realized where he had seen it before. He held it close and sniffed the thick fabric remembering the scent and what it meant to him, 'Thanks Big Mac. I owe you one. You gave me a little piece of home.' he thought.

Valiant spread the blanket on his bed and continued to riffle through his belongings, astonished that his friends seemed to have sent him off prepared. He found a piece of cake in a plastic container, probably from Pinkie Pie. The cake was accompanied by an invitation for Valiant to return and they missed him already.

Next, Valiant found a bejeweled purse filled with paper that had his name on it. Valiant looked inside the purse and was surprised to find around 500 bits worth of bank notes, 'Who in Ponyville has that kind of money?' he wondered. The answer came to him almost immediately, 'Bless you Rarity.' he thought.

Valiant continued his search and found a sealed packet of pencils, quills, ink, and parchment, probably from Twilight. He set them down on his desk neatly and went back to his new belongings.

He looked again and found a worn but very sturdy brown, waterproof, hooded cloak, which smelled faintly of apples, 'Applejack, ever pragmatic.' he thought. Valiant tried the cloak on. It was snug but it fit and it was thin and not very heavy.

Continuing his search, Valiant discovered a faux rabbit's foot on a lanyard, 'Courtesy of Fluttershy and Angel I'll bet.' he said. When Valiant set it down on his desk, it clinked slightly. Curious, he examined it closer and found that the top screwed off, revealing a single dose of his very own healing potion. Valiant immediately hung it around his neck.

The final item Valiant found was a small pillow, filled with cyan colored down feathers. Valiant smiled hugely,
"Your gift was the most personal Rainbow Dash." he said.

Dr. Mend emerged from the bathroom looking pristine, refreshed, and recently showered,
"Your turn Val . . . " Dr. Mend trailed off at the sight of Valiant's new gifts, "Those girls really do like you a lot. Big Mac too. I've never seen him take such a liking to anypony before you. It's good they sent you off prepared, you really needed that stuff."

Valiant sat the pillow down at the head of his bed and sighed, stifling grateful tears,
"It feels so different to have ponies who care about you."

Dr. Mend turned his head away, his thoughts flashing back into his past for a brief moment. The jet black stallion shook his head to clear away the thoughts and headed for the door.

"Hey wait!" Valiant said, "I just realized, I don't know your full name."

"Yes you do. It's Mend." Dr. Mend said.

"Is that your first or your last?" Valiant asked.

"It's my only name. Like Fluttershy, or Rarity. Do you have a last name?" Dr. Mend asked.

"Good point. I don't." Valiant admitted.

Dr. Mend made to leave again but Valiant called after him,
"I'll see you tonight doc."

Dr. Mend peeked back into the room,
"Call me 'doc' again and I'll call you 'wingless'." he threatened, half playing.

Valiant smiled,
"Whatever you say . . . 'DOC'."

Dr. Mend sighed lightly as he closed the door,
"I'll see you tonight 'wingless'."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Valiant roamed the streets of Canterlot marveling at all the wondrous sights and searching for an apothecary in which to apply for a job. He had grabbed a bite of breakfast from the cafeteria and eaten it on his way out. He was in such a rush, he almost forgot his saddlebags. Valiant wondered how residents of Canterlot found their way around the city. The buildings were closely packed together, 'But they're made of stone so a fire wouldn't be nearly so bad here.' he thought.

Valiant wandered the city for what he judged to be several hours. He found the Tower Library where Twilight had lived, he found several Emergency Medical Clinics as well as some Non-Emergency Care Centers, he found several Pharmacies but was having a good deal of trouble locating an Apothecary. Valiant was becoming somewhat disheartened about finding one, and was wandering around, eyes upward, toward the signs of the various shops.

Valiant heard somepony shout and lowered his eyes just in time to come face to face with an older, lemon-yellow unicorn colt with bright-lime-green mane and tail,
"Hey! Watch out!"

The colt's warning came too late. Valiant and the unicorn both tumbled down to the ground, limbs sprawled in every direction. Valiant groaned and shook his head trying to figure out exactly why he saw stars.

The unicorn colt struggled, trying to disentangle himself from Valiant, all the while talking at the speed of sound,
"Ouch! Oh, hey are you O.K.? Sorry about that, I'm always running into things. Is this your hoof? Hehehehehehe. Oops, there we go. Eew, get your tail out of my face. Oh, that's my tail. Wow! You don't weigh much for an Earth pony, do you. Hey, where did you get those scars on your flank? Did it hurt? Huh, huh, huh?"

Valiant grabbed the unicorn and held him still, while he untangled the two of them. The unicorn never stopped speaking,
"Wow! You sure are strong. Are you a weight-lifter? Are you here for a competition? I didn't know there were any competitions in Canterlot. When is it due to begin? I'd love to come watch and I could cheer for you like, 'That's my friend down there! Woohoo! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!' Wouldn't that be cool? Don't you think? Are you here with a group, or are you here solo? If you're here with a group, I'd love to meet the rest of them. See I don't have many friends here in Canterlot. Everypony says I talk too much, but I don't think I talk too much. My name's Lemon Lime but my family just calls me Live-Wire cause it sounds like Lime-Wire and Lime is part of my name. Does that sound strange to you?"

Valiant stood up and shook himself off. Looking at the Live-Wire, Valiant judged him to be just a touch older than Pinkie Pie,
"I'm fine, and no, I'm not here for any kind of competition. I'm just a student at the Canterlot University." Valiant said slowly.

"Oh, cool! I went to the University, but I already graduated. I'm a Physical Therapist at the South-East Medical Care Center. What are you studying? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. What's your name?" the unicorn colt spewed out all five sentences in less than four seconds.

Valiant was a bit confused as to which question he should answer first,
"My name is Valiant, and I'm studying Pharmaceuticals and Alchemy. How did you become a Physical Therapist? You don't look old enough or strong enough?"

Live-Wire smiled hugely and launched into another explanation,
"I'm too intense to study just one thing at a time so I was taking courses at the University while I was still in school. As I already said, I don't have many friends so I had lots, and lots, and lots of spare time. I don't mean to brag, but I had my four-year degree by the time I finished school. I'm actually 19, I just look super duper young because I always eat healthy; it's one of my passions, I'm a health nut. Any way, I use magic to help with my work. I'm not very strong but, I can carry the full weight of an adult Earth pony for several hours at a time, while they learn to use their legs again. It's so, so, so, so, so satisfying to help somepony out like that. I mean everypony needs help once in a while and I'm there to do it. I know it may be hard to believe but I'm actually pretty patient, I just have a condition that makes my brain work about 4 times faster than the average pony's. So basically I just think and talk really, really, really fast. Oh yeah, I get migraines all the time too. It sucks, but meh, it's just who I am. The doctor's say that's also why I'm such a heavy sleeper and my appetite's so big, because I need the energy to keep my brain working. It really hurts my feelings when all the other ponies make fun of me or say I'm on a drug or something. I can't help it, I'm just always this talkative. What about you?"

Valiant shook his head, 'This guy reminds me of Pinkie Pie.' he thought,
"I'm here for at least one semester. I'll have to see if I can afford to stay after that. I'm looking for an Apothecary so I can get a job, but I can't seem to find one. You wouldn't happen to know where one is would you, Live-Wire?"

Live-Wire nodded his head at a normal speed, then started machine-gunning again,
"Well of course I know where one is. I do work in the Medical field after all, and patients and doctors are constantly asking me to make runs to all kinds of places to get things. I know of um, um, um, um, um, five different ones. Don't feel bad they were pretty hard for me to find at first too. The closest one is let's see eight blocks that way and three blocks that way, oh wait, there was construction going on that way... Why don't I just show you? Would that be O.K.?"

Valiant could only nod. Live-Wire trotted on down the streets chattering away happily, even if he did sound like an auctioneer, with Valiant in tow.

Live-Wire, true to his word, lead Valiant right to an Apothecary,
"Here it is." he said opening the door for Valiant.

It was the least Live-Wire had said in the 30 odd minutes it took for the two to reach the place. Valiant stepped inside and took in the various aromas of the store. He knew for certain, by smell alone, that this was the correct location. The walls were lined with an overabundance of herbs, roots, flowers, berries, and mushrooms in a variety of forms, from pastes to powders to fresh, whole pieces. Each shelf was meticulously labeled with the proper names of the corresponding variations of flora. The store itself was a square affair roughly fifteen paces by fifteen paces with a table in the center for mixing ingredients. In the rear of the store was a counter with a fuchsia coated, middle-aged unicorn mare behind it. The mare had a mane and tail of dark purple, with lilac colored highlights and her cutie-mark was that of a sprig of bright red leaves and berries.

The mare smiled when she saw Live-Wire,
"I would have thought you had to be at work by now Live-Wire."

"My appointments all got canceled today so I was trying to figure out what to do when I ran into Valiant here. He's a student at the University and he needs a job. I figured you could use the help Mrs. Soothe. I mean you're always saying you don't have enough time to organize anything and you have to stay here half the night restocking and your husband is always asleep when you get home. I thought Valiant might just solve your problem."

Mrs. Soothe turned her attention to Valiant,
"What are you studying?"

"I'm going to be taking courses for Pharmaceuticals and Alchemy. I already know a little bit about how to mix herbs and I also have several potions that can help with a variety of ailments. I need a job to keep studying at the University. I can start tomorrow if I need to. Do you have an application I could fill out?" Valiant asked politely.

Mrs. Soothe bent down, behind the counter and pulled out a piece of parchment,
"I'll need you to fill out as much as you can. I like to get a good idea of who I'm hiring. My last employee decided this line of work was not for him. He made a real effort but, in the end he just wasn't cut out for it. If you could bring this back tomorrow, I will take a look at it. The job will pay twenty-five bits per day, and I have a medical, dental and vision plan. Does that sound alright?" Mrs. Soothe asked.

Valiant nodded politely,
"That sounds fantastic. I'll be back tomorrow morning with the application. Will I need my own tools?"

"No, you can use the ones I have here in the store. If you have any recipes, bring them with you for me to analyze, so I can get a good idea about your skill, and how much I may have to teach you." Mrs. Soothe said.

Valiant took the application and carefully placed it into his saddlebags,
"Until tomorrow then, Mrs. Soothe." he said closing the door behind himself.

"So, what do you want to do now? I don't have anything to do today, but since I found you we can hang out, if you want. I can show you around the city. I know all about the landmarks. I can show you the Royal Palace, the Tower Library, the Canterlot Central Park, the Coliseum, the clubs, the best places to eat, the cleanest bars, although most of the bars are pretty clean . . . " Live-Wire continued chattering.

Valiant put a hoof to his face, 'I have to make sure Live-Wire never meets Dr. Mend.' he thought soberly, 'Mend wouldn't be able to handle half a minute of this.'

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Dr. Mend sat down on a stone bench and set his and Valiant's course schedules on the stone table in front of him,
"Hmm, six courses for Valiant and nine for me. That's a good start. He should be able to handle that no-problem. Let's see, at four hours each, twice a week. That's two courses per day and that adds up to eight hours per day for Valiant, plus his job. He should be able to pull that off. For me that's nine courses at 4 hours, twice a week, that's 72 hours per week and about 15 hours per day, plus I'll have to get a job at a hospital or clinic so I don't get rusty. That should be my next priority."

Dr. Mend's thoughts were at peace there, on the concourse of the University. There was a huge, white-marble fountain not forty paces from him. The fountain displayed statues of three ponies, a unicorn, a pegasus, and an Earth pony, each reared back onto their hind legs and spitting water from their mouths in three different directions with a center geyser fountain in the center which sprayed water up and over the statues.

The sound of cascading water, Mend remembered, always helped calm him when had been been at the University before. It was the only place in the entire land of Equestria that could calm him, and he was rarely, actually calm. He was constantly at war with himself and his internal turmoil was never-ending and emotionally violent, the results of which, spilled over into his less than cheerful demeanor. At only age 36, Mend was by no means old, but he looked to be in his mid fifties. Although he would never admit it, Mend fervently wished for somepony to talk to.

"Oh, to be fifteen again." he said, "The prodigal student returns. Only eleven years after graduating as Valedictorian and I'm out of touch." Mend's frustration grew very quickly, "I should have kept up to date!" he grunted, striking the table, "It was my responsibility! My responsibility to my patients and I failed at it! I won't let that happen again!" he snorted angrily.

"Are you alright professor?" asked a passing unicorn stallion.

Mend looked up, startled. The unicorn was turquoise in his coat, his mane and tail were dark orange with yellowish highlights and his cutie-mark was that of a note book with a pen inside it set on a sofa. The stallion looked to be almost exactly the same age as Valiant, but he had a wizened gleam to his eyes.

"I'm a student, thank you." Mend retorted sharply.

The unicorn looked taken aback,
"Oh, I had no idea." he said, "A pony can always learn something new, no matter how old they are. You can never know too much, but I'll bet you could teach the other students a thing or two."

Mend was distinctly NOT amused,
"I'll have you know I'm only 36 and I'm only here for a refresher of what I already know. So, you can take your opinion about my greatly advanced age elsewhere." he said sharply.

The unicorn looked concerned,
"I apologize. I suppose I assumed a bit too much. I didn't intend to offend you."

Mend took a deep breath and let the sound of the fountain soothe his nerves,
"You don't need to apologize. I overreacted. You were just stating your mind and I was already frustrated. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"That's very decent of you." the unicorn stallion said.

"No, decent would have been having enough self-control not to be offended. I'm the one who should apologize." Mend admitted trying his hardest to be humble.

"Very well, apology accepted." the unicorn said.

"I never said I WAS apologizing, only that I should." Mend said.

The unicorn stallion chuckled, hoof to his muzzle,
"Alright then, theoretical apology accepted."

Mend couldn't help but to smile,
"I'm glad your sense of humor is better developed than mine."

The unicorn continued smiling as he said,
"So am I. I'd hate to be a grumpy as you."

Mend raised an eyebrow, thinking,
"I suppose I am." he said after a moment's thought.

"So why not be more cheerful?" asked the unicorn.

"It's not my personality. I'm grumpy by nature." Mend said.

"Now don't take this the wrong way, but you just gave me an excuse. You control the way you act. You can change it if you really want to. The question is, why do you stay so grumpy?" the unicorn stallion asked.

"Are you a psyche student or something?" Mend asked.

The unicorn smiled,
"I'm a counselor, and you're changing the subject. That's normally a defensive mechanism."

"I'm happy with who I am." Mend said calmly.

"Then I'll leave you be." the unicorn said laying a card on the table in front of Mend, "If you ever change your mind, here is my card. My address is on it. Feel free to call on me any time day or night. Have a good day." the unicorn said walking away.

Mend grumbled to himself as the unicorn walked away. He picked up the card and looked at the name, 'Sea Blue'. The card also gave an address, presumably the counselor's home address.

Mend grunted,
"Huh, his parents must have been color-blind or something."

Mend stowed the card and put his head in his hooves. In his heart, Mend knew exactly why he always acted so cantankerous, 'It's safer,' he thought, 'You can't be hurt if you don't let anypony in.'

Mend sat and thought for a long while, trying to justify his excuse and find a flaw, any flaw in what Sea Blue had said. He thought, and thought, and then thought some more. Try as he might, Mend couldn't find a single crack in the counselor's argument. His thoughts drifted back to his earlier yearning for companionship. He wanted, so much, to have somepony there with him, he nearly broke down in tears, 'Why can't I do this? Why is it so hard for me? Am I that bad? Am I that unlovable?' he thought.

"Still self-centered as always, I see." said a female voice.

Mend tensed but didn't bother to look up, he already knew there was nopony around, 'Oh no! Not again! Oh please not again!' he thought. Mend knew exactly what was happening, it had happened before. The voice he heard was a voice he knew very well, and it was a voice he had hoped to never hear again, a voice he dreaded more than almost anything, a voice that terrified him by its implications.

"No pony is perfect, mother." Mend said out loud, still not daring to raise his head.

"You've become so lazy!" she shouted, "Your ignorance nearly killed Granny Smith! You should have thought of that procedure long ago! It's a good thing Valiant was there! You failed again, AGAIN!"

Mend put his hooves to his ears and closed his eyes tightly, trying, in vain, to block out the voice,
"Why did you come back?" he whimpered, "You've been gone for so long."

"You've forgotten Mend! You've forgotten what happened! You've forgotten your failure!" she yelled into his covered ears.

Mend's mind flashed back to when he was a young colt, only six years old. His father sat on the bed next to him where he had been crying.

He could hear his father's voice as he tried to comfort his son,
"She didn't mean it Mend. She just forgot to take her pills. She loves you son. She just wants what's best for you and she doesn't know how to show it."

It was an all too common occurrence. Mend remembered when his mother had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. His father would go to work and Mend would go to school while his mother would clean the house. She was very industrious. Mend and his father always came home to a pristinely clean house and a hot meal, but oftentimes she would get so caught up in her work that she would forget to take her pills. When she took her prescription, she was so sweet, so vivacious, so happy, so full of life, so much like Pinkie Pie. When she forgot to take her pills though, she was so mean.

Mend remembered bringing home his first report card and showing his mother excitedly. He had gotten four As, a B+ and a C-. His mother had gone ballistic. Mend remembered cowering in the corner of the kitchen as she ranted and raved about how much of a failure he was.

She stood screaming right in his face,
"I do not slave away every day in this damned house only to have my son fail! A C-? The B+ was bad enough, but a C-? What were you doing, sleeping? How could you do this? Don't you want to make your father and I proud? Or do you want to be a failure all your life? Because that is exactly where you're going, mister! If You don't turn these grades around I will throw your ass right out into the street! Maybe we should have another son, one who won't fail all the time! Go to your room!"

Mend had run to his room and locked the door. That night, he skipped dinner and stayed up all night studying, but it was all for naught. The paper he turned in was too tear stained to be legible. When he brought home his next report card he had five As and one B-. Mend thought his mother would be proud of him.

He had been wrong.

He had been very, very wrong.

The cycle had continued until Mend was in fifth grade. One day he came home from school and found his father waiting for him on the couch. Their house was a mess, which worried the young colt.

He remembered it clearly,
"Come sit down son." his father had said.

Mend remembered wondering why his father was crying as he took a seat next to the older pony,
"What's wrong Daddy? Why is the house messy? Where's Mommy? Did Mommy get mad at you too?"

His father had hugged him close. Mend remembered feeling his father's tears on the top of his head as he whispered,
"Mommy fell today Mend. She fell a long way and she got hurt very badly."

"How did Mommy fall? Did she trip?" Mend had asked.

"She jumped, son. She jumped from the city walls." his father had barely been able to get the words out.

Mend remembered being frightened at the statement,
"How badly did she get hurt? Will she be O.K.?"

"She got hurt too badly, son. She . . . she died." his father said.

Mend remembered the next part very well,
"NO! She's O.K.! She has to be!" he had stood up shouting at his father, "You're lying! She's fine! She just went away! She went away because I'm not good enough!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face, "I'll be good! I'll make her proud! I won't fail anymore, I promise! I won't fail! Tell her I won't fail! Tell her so she'll come back!" he threw his head back yelling to the different rooms in the house, just in case she was listening, "I'll be good Mommy! I'll make you proud! Please come home! I promise, I'll be good! I won't fail! Please! I'll do everything right! Mommy please come back! I'm sorry, Mommy! I'll do whatever you want, just please come back! I won't fail anymore! I WON'T FAIL YOU ANYMORE!"

Mend had run to his room and locked the door. He remembered his father pleading with him to open the door, to let him in,
"I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD!" he had cried, shouting over his shoulder at the locked door, "LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE! I HAVE TO DO BETTER! GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Mend was too busy studying, he had to do better so she would come back and he was afraid if he didn't do better his father might leave him too. Mend didn't come out of his room that night, he fell asleep studying.

When he awoke the next morning he heard his Mother's voice, she was angry but it was her. It didn't matter if she was mad, she had come back. Mend had rushed down stairs only to find an empty kitchen. His father was asleep on the couch. Mend looked and looked for his mother. She sounded so close, but he could never find her. She was saying that Mend was still failing, he had to do better, 'If I do better she'll come back. I know she's here, she's just hiding. I have to do better.' he thought.

Mend fixed his own lunch for the first time that day and went to school, just like normal. The other students and even the teachers kept asking about his mother all day. Mend ignored them and studied all through lunch. He had to do better.

That afternoon, he finally had enough,
"Leave me alone! I have to study! Just leave me alone!" he remembered throwing his uneaten lunch at his best friend, Edge.

Everypony had left him alone after that. His father tried talking to him that night, but Mend was too busy studying. He studied all the time, it became his life. He never had time for his friends after that, he didn't have time for anypony. He would go to school then come home and study. His father forced him to go to a Therapist, but Mend would just sit and complain that he had to study the whole time. After two months of going to the Therapist every day, his father just gave up and stopped taking him. Mend was happy with that, he could study. That evening, his father took Mend to stay with his grand parents. The next morning his grandfather had to tell Mend his father had jumped from the same place his Mother had. At that moment Mend's world stopped turning.

He realized he could hear both of his parents yelling at him,
"Failure!" they cried, "You failed again! You're worthless and lazy! It's because of you! Your shame! Your failure!"

Mend ran up to his new room and locked the door again, he had to study.

He realized his parents were never coming back, physically, but they were there to keep him from killing his grandparents with the shame of his perpetual failure. Mend loved his grandparents, he didn't want them to die too.

From when he woke up, till the time he fell asleep studying, the screaming voices of his parents drowned out almost all other sound.

Mend graduated three years early and received a full scholarship to Canterlot University. He didn't want a graduation ceremony, he just wanted his diploma. He remembered how proud his grandparents said they were, but Mend knew better.

He could see the shame in their eyes.

"No!" he had yelled, "You say it but, I know the truth! You're lying! I'm still not good enough!" he threw down his diploma and spat on it, "I took too long! It's too late for them, but I can do better! I can do better and I will, you'll see! I'll give you a real reason to be proud of me!" he remembered his grandfather reaching out a hoof toward him.

He had swatted it away angrily, tearfully,
"I have to study!" he said galloping up to his room.

Later that evening, Mend heard his grandparents crying and thinking to himself,
'NO! Now I'm failing them too! I'll make you proud! I'll make you proud, I swear!'

While at the University, Mend had literally memorized his text books. He broke every record, had a solid 4.0 grade average every semester, he never missed a single class or question. His internship was positively flawless, even if he had no friends. He became so wrapped up in his studies, he failed to notice that his parents had stopped yelling at him. They were gone. Mend could never remember being so happy, in his while life.

He had finally made them proud and his grandparents were safe. He was overjoyed, but he had pushed himself even harder after that, he had to make sure his loved ones would be safe from any future failures. Shortly thereafter, Mend had moved to Ponyville. That way if he did fail, his grandparents would be safe from his shame.

Mend's mind flashed back to the present,
"I . . . had forgotten." his eyes widened in abject horror as he realized why his mother had returned, "I've become lazy." he whispered.

He had thought his parents' spirits had gone to their rest. Their return could only mean that he was endangering his grandparents again.

Mend rose to his hooves and picked up his and Valiant's class schedules in his mouth, mumbling,
"It's not enough. I WILL make you proud."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Valiant trotted happily back toward the dormitory. His day had been good. He had a job application, and a new, if highly talkative, friend. Celestia's sun was setting and Luna's moon would be out soon. Valiant had learned his way around Canterlot and felt comfortable taking a few shortcuts back to the dorms. He cut down an alley way behind several shops that had already closed up for the night, 'It's so peaceful.' he thought.

As Valiant walked, he looked out onto the street at the many ponies going about their business, most probably heading on home from their jobs. Motion caught his eye and he turned his head toward it, just in time to see a dark colored cloak flutter around the side of a building and duck behind the alleyway across the street, 'Odd,' Valiant thought, 'Ponies don't usually wear clothing except for special occasions. I should go take a look.'

Valiant sprinted across the street and crept silently up to the corned of the building. He peeked around the corner and saw something that made his blood run cold. A shadowy unicorn in a long, black, hooded cloak stood, horn glowing, levitating a young Earth pony mare high off the ground. Valiant judged the Earth pony to be twenty-five or so paces up, too far for a safe landing.

"Give me your bits and I MIGHT set you down safely." the unicorn said.

The unicorn was obviously a young mare, but her voice had a slur to it, like she couldn't speak properly. The Earth pony was also a young mare. She had a mint-green coat and a mane and tail of cream, streaked with lavender, and she wore saddle bags which concealed her cutie-mark.

The Earth pony's expression was terrified,
"Please don't drop me!" she pleaded tearfully.

"Your whining just earned you another ten paces." the unicorn scoffed, "Drop your bits or I'll drop you. Do it!"

"Please! I don't have any bits. I'm a student, I'm broke." the Earth pony sobbed.

"You're lying!" the unicorn growled, "That's it . . ."

"Wait!" Valiant yelled, "Set her down, please." he said thinking to give the unicorn the bank notes Rarity had given him. Valiant realized he had left the purse in his dorm, 'Oh crud.' he thought.

The unicorn turned on Valiant,
"Stay out of this!" she commanded, "Mind your own business or you're next!"

Valiant had no bargaining chip to play, so he decided to use the one thing he did have,
"Set her down or you'll regret it." he said calmly.

The unicorn took a step toward Valiant, and thereby into the sunlight coming down the alley. Valiant took an involuntary step back at the sight of the unicorn. Her face was quite pretty, save for her eyes. It took Valiant a moment to realize her entire body and eyes were all the same color: muddy, sickly purple. The unicorn's eyes were solid purple, no pupil, no iris, no whites, just solid disgusting purple.

"What are you going to do eh?" the unicorn asked, "You don't have a horn, so you can't levitate her and you don't have wings to catch her. You have nothing!" the unicorn snarled.

Valiant felt his will strengthening,
"Wrong." he replied softly, "I have experience. I'm not just trying to help her, I'm trying to help you."

"I need that money." the unicorn growled.

"I'm not arguing that. But if she dies because of your actions, you will regret it. If her death is your doing, you will become a Vagabond." Valiant said taking a step forward and forcing the unicorn to take a step back, "You will become an outcast. Her spirit will haunt you and torment you until you die."

Step,
"If you kill her, you will be subject to an agony, the likes of which you have never imagined."

Step,
"Forget all your bravado, it would do you no good."

Step,
"No matter how powerful you say you are, at the end of the day you still have only your own thoughts to keep you company."

Step,
"Imagine not being able to trust your eyes, ears, or limbs for fear of your perception being manipulated by the very pony you murdered."

Valiant noticed out of the corner of his eye that the Earth pony was slowly descending, he continued his slow verbal onslaught, taking a step at the end of each sentence,
"I speak from experience. For five years of my life, all I knew was the pain of my deed."

Step,
"Through my actions, my best friend, the filly I loved, lost her life."

Step,
"All her dreams, her aspirations, her future, gone."

Step,
"No more sunrises or moon-rises, no more time with friends or family, no chance to have a family, no finding the love of your life, and no watching your foals grow up."

Step,
"Do you really want to take that away from her and in so doing, loose it yourself?"

Step,
"Are a few bits really worth all that?"

The unicorn took another step away from Valiant, the mist of tears in her eyes,
"Stay back!" she cried.

Valiant took another step forward,
"If you need help, I can help you, but I can't do anything until you set her down."

The unicorn backed up yet again, but could go no farther, she was against a wall,
"Don't come any closer!"

Valiant didn't want to scare her, but he had to take anther step so he could be right underneath the Earth pony,
"No matter how desperate your situation is, there is always hope. I can help you, miss." he said offering his hoof.

The unicorn closed her eyes cringing,
"It's too late! Leave me alone!" she cried.

Her horn glowed brightly, and she vanished.

Valiant lowered his hoof slowly,
"I know despair when I see it." he said quietly.

The Earth pony cried out as she fell the half a dozen or so paces down and directly on to Valiant. Valiant, expecting to have to break her fall, had bent his legs and flexed his muscles. The Earth pony hit Valiant's back and the two fell onto the dirt with a thump. Valiant grunted and gasped as his chest hit the ground. Fortunately, he felt nothing break or sprain. The Earth pony mare screamed, and struggled to rise. She gained her hooves and took off running like she was being chased by a monster.

Valiant picked himself up off the ground and watched her go sadly,
"I didn't mean to frighten you miss," he said to the empty alley, "But I'm glad you're safe."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Valiant was waiting for Mend when he returned t the dorm. The sun had long set and Luna's moon was bright in the sky when Dr. Mend returned to the dorm. He had spent the day retrieving text books and meeting professors, many of whom remembered him. Valiant had just come straight back to the dorm, the afternoon's encounter having disturbed him somewhat.

Valiant was sitting at his desk with a quill in the corner of his mouth when Mend opened the door.

Valiant set down the quill and looked at his friend,
"Where were you all day? I was worried."

Dr. Mend grunted under the oppressive weight of the text books and flopped his saddle bags down onto his bed,
"I gt our class schedules and text books. Then I met some professors and bought some supplies. Did you find a job?" he asked.

"It took me quite a while to find an Apothecary, but I brought back an application. I just finished filling it out." Valiant said proudly.

"Off you go then," Dr. Mend said, "You need to turn that thing in."

Valiant blinked,
"But the Apothecary is closed. I'd be wasting my time. I'll just turn it in tomorrow morning."

"Then you can get started studying." Dr. Mend said, "Here, come get your books."

Valiant retrieved the books and set them neatly onto his desk,
"Our classes don't start for several months, doc." Valiant said playfully, "I was hoping we could just hang out and talk, you know, get to know each other. Don't be a wet blanket."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Dr. Mend snapped, his voice became hoarse almost immediately, "Not everypony has years of their life to waste on pity-parties!" Dr. Mend slowly turned toward Valiant as he spoke, "Five years of worthlessness! Five years you could have been helping others! You should be ashamed of yourself! How many died because of your stupid, infantile, petty jealousy? You spent years moping while others died because you were too busy with your own problems! How many could have been saved by your potions during those five years? Your potions could have saved hundreds, maybe thousands, but NO, you were too busy with yourself to think about anypony else! Every single one of those deaths are on your head VAGABOND!" Dr. Mend bellowed.

Valiant was completely dumbstruck by Dr. Mend's harsh words.
"Good, you're quiet." Dr. Mend said, opening one of his text books, "Now, stay quiet while I study."

Chapter 3

Trials of the Elements

Part 3

Valiant was horrified by Mend's words. Everything he had worked so hard to overcome came crashing back onto him like a tsunami. Valiant shut his eyes tightly and began praying for help from the only source he knew he had with him, 'Arabesque help me. I'm not yet strong enough to handle this on my own.' he pleaded. The answer seemed to come from the recesses of his own mind, in his own voice, 'Answer with the truth you know. You are forgiven. There is nothing bound to your soul, no guilt, no shame, no sorrow, only hope. Declare what it is you know and be proud. You have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. Do not be cowed by untrue words. Do not be silent, speak and know the strength and power that is within you.'

Valiant calmed his mind and took a firm stance,
“Arabesque forgave me, Mend.” he said quietly.

Mend turned toward Valiant, eyes burning,
“That's one out of how many? Huh? How many?”

Valiant refused to be drawn into the type of shouting match Mend seemed to be trying to instigate, yet,
“Just one.” he said softly, “I cannot be held accountable for any death that may have occurred during my exile. I was incapable of doing anything and nopony is omnipresent, not even the Royal Sisters. I have no idea where all this anger came from, but it isn't healthy. What happened while we were gone?”

“I failed, that's what! I failed again!” Dr. Mend spat venomously.

“How did you fail, my friend?” Valiant asked softly.

“I was named, the most brilliant student ever to come out of Equestria! I failed because I should have figured out your procedure years ago; I just didn't realize that until today! I failed so many who now lay dead. I killed them.” Dr. Mend hashed through gritted teeth.

“Nopony is perfect Mend. Neither you nor I are to blame. Calm down and think about it. Even if one of us was to blame, there's nothing to do except live and learn. If you are so convinced you are at fault, then forgive yourself, and do something about it.” Valiant said calmly.

“I can't forgive myself!” Dr. Mend shouted, “It's my fault! They died because I failed! I'll never fail again! I'll never fail again! I'll never fail again!” Mend screamed himself hoarse and flung open one of his text books.

Mend began reading at a breakneck pace muttering to himself,
“No more deaths. I can't fail. Never again, never again. I can't fail. No more deaths.” Mend kept up the quiet chant as he seemed to disconnect himself from the idea that Valiant still occupied the same room.

Valiant grabbed his class schedule and saddle bags then slowly and silently inched toward the door, but his ears picked up on a clue as Dr. Mend muttered to himself,
“They killed themselves because I failed. I will make you proud.”

Valiant watched as Dr. Mend angrily wiped teardrops from the pages of the text book below him. Valiant slipped out of the dorm room quietly and closed the door behind him. He set down his saddle bags and blinked away the forming mist invading his vision.

He placed a gentle hoof on the door,
“What happened to you, my friend?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant trotted down the deserted streets of Canterlot. He knew something was wrong with Dr. Mend and he couldn't bear to watch his friend hurting like he was. Valiant figured that if he knew more about Dr. Mend he might be able to help him. Valiant needed information and what better place to look than the Tower Library.

“He said he had been named the most brilliant student ever to come out of Equestria. There must be a record of that somewhere.” Valiant voiced his thoughts aloud as he ascended the tiers of carved white stone steps up to the double doors of the Tower Library.

Valiant reached the top stairs and knocked politely on the ornate doors. As he waited, Valiant noticed the posted hours of operation were from sunrise to sunset. The hour was close upon midnight and Valiant suddenly wished he had read the posted hours of operation before knocking.

Never the less, the left door opened up revealing a very familiar mint green coated Earth pony mare, who looked like she had been roused from her bed,
“May I hel . . . “ she trailed off as she saw Valiant, eyes popping wide.

Valiant swallowed, trying not to look imposing,
“Is the Library still open?” he asked.

The mint coated Earth pony began closing the door as she said,
“Only University students may use the Library after sunset.”

“I'm a student!” Valiant said quickly whipping out his class schedule.

The Earth pony looked doubtful, and still scared of him,
“Who are your professors?”

Valiant scanned over his list quickly,
“Professor Aloe, for Introduction to Alchemy and Professor . . . it says Rx, but I assume it means Rex, for Introduction to Pharmaceuticals.”

The Earth pony mare shuffled her hooves, obviously nervous. Her ears were laid back and her posture was cautious as she let Valiant in. Valiant noticed an open balcony to his left as he entered the ancient repository of knowledge. Books were set in massive shelves, some only accessible by ladder. The only other pony still in the Library was a young, tan coated pegasus mare with sky blue mane and tail and a cutie-mark of a confusingly massive collection of stars set against a pitch black background. She was up on the second level of the Library and was laying down on a bright red, tasseled cushion, quietly reading a book that looked to be more old and worn than Granny Smith. She was situated next to a massive glass window that offered a spectacular view of Canterlot.

Valiant marveled at the huge gold and crystalline hourglass in the middle of the second level of the Library proper, after the foyer, but decided not to waste any time. Valiant began his search by section and eventually found himself pouring over older editions of the Canterlot news paper 'Equestria Daily' on film strips. His search lasted deep into the night but Valiant could not find any mention of Mend anywhere. After two hours of searching, Valiant decided to take a break. Thoughts of the strange unicorn with the frightening eyes kept interrupting his concentration, so he decided to try to find out about that.

Valiant figured the mint coated Earth pony mare might know something since she seemed to be the librarian. Valiant hesitated on searching her out, 'She is obviously scared of me. She probably heard what I said about being a former Vagabond. Heh, I might be scared of me too. It would probably be a good idea to leave her alone for now and not pester her too much, but who else could I ask?' he wondered.

Valiant looked around and noticed the tan pegasus was still in her same spot reading, 'Ooh, she looks like she's really into her book. I have to ask someone though. She's sure to know more about the Library than I do. It couldn't hurt to ask, I suppose.'

Valiant slowly walked over to her and was about to clear his throat, but she spoke first, without even looking up,
“Is there something you need?” her voice was tiny but crisp and it carried like a bell in the silent Library.

Valiant lowered his head to her level to show her proper respect,
“I'm sorry to disturb you miss, but . . . do you know where the librarian went?” Valiant hadn't originally intended to ask that particular question, but he felt bad for disturbing the tan pegasus.

The pegasus raised her head; her eyes were a pale yellow,
“She probably went to sleep, like most ponies with good sense. I might be able to help you though.” she said rising, “I'm Evening Star but you can just call me Star. What do you need help with?”

Valiant swallowed, he had never been particularly comfortable talking to mares, except ones he already knew,
“Um, do you know where I could find a list of diseases, specifically ones that change the color of one's eyes? I'm Valiant by the way.”

Star didn't even have to pause to think,
“Depending on the color. If the color is yellow or brown, it could be a case of Hemolytic Anemia.” she ventured.

Valiant's eyebrows shot up, and before he could check his mouth, he asked her,
“Are you a medical student or something?”

Star giggled,
“No, I just know some things. What color do the eyes change to?”

“Purple, muddy purple in the iris and the whites.” Valiant responded.

Star shook her head,
“There are no known diseases that cause purple eyes. Perhaps it's a type of infection, like Conjunctivitis or it could be due to a subconjunctival hemorrhage where the blood vessels in the eyes burst.” Star began pacing, talking to nopony in particular, “Nothing seems to fit. Unless . . . Wait!” Star said turning to Valiant suddenly, “Did you see this on a living pony?”

“Yes, I did.” Valiant said curiously.

“Was it a unicorn?” Star asked.

“Yes, she was. How did you know?” Valiant asked.

“I know what it is!” Star said excitedly.

Evening Star took to the air and began searching the books high up on tops of shelves. Within moments she landed in front of Valiant, holding an old book in her muzzle.

Star set the book down in front of Valiant on the floor,
“Magical & Metaphysical Disorders, page 113.” she said proudly.

Valiant opened the book to page 113 and began reading out loud,
“All unicorns practicing magic on a regular basis should be well aware of their limitations and not push to perform beyond their capabilities or they may suffer from Magical Strain. There are three types of Magical Strain a unicorn may suffer, depending on the amount of magic they use as compared to the amount of magic they use on a regular basis. The most common form of Magical Strain is Magical Fatigue. Magical Fatigue is caused by mild overuse of a unicorn's magic and can physically manifest as a type of Physical Fatigue with corresponding symptoms: panting, perspiring, ect. Once a unicorn begins experiencing Magical Fatigue the unicorn will have some difficulty continuing to use magic and should be encouraged to cease using magic until they are recovered.” Valiant stopped to take a breath before continuing, “The second type of Magical Strain is Magical Exhaustion. Magical Exhaustion is caused by moderate overuse of a unicorn's magic and can physically manifest as a type of Physical Exhaustion with corresponding symptoms: stomach pain, anger, chest pain, fever and insomnia as well as the previously listed symptoms for Magical Fatigue. Once a unicorn begins experiencing Magical Exhaustion the unicorn will have a great deal of difficulty continuing to use magic and should be stopped immediately.” Valiant paused for another breath, “The third type of Magical Strain is called Critical Magical Exhaustive Stress (also known as 'Caster's Stroke'). Critical Magical Exhaustive Stress or C.M.E.S. is caused by extreme overuse of a unicorn's magic. C.M.E.S. can manifest in many ways, such as: dizziness, nausea, migraine headache, and painful hypersensitivity, in mind cases. In more severe cases symptoms may vary widely, such as: projectile vomiting, bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth, cracks in the horn, ect. There are also longer lasting effects of C.M.E.S. as well: change in the pigmentation of the skin, eyes, mane, and-or tail. These effects can last for days. Once a unicorn begins experiencing C.M.E.S. the unicorn will find it nearly impossible to continue using magic. If the unicorn continues using magic their life is at risk.” Valiant ceased reading and looked up from the book, “She must have been suffering from Critical Magical Exhaustive Stress then. Why would she push herself so hard if it's dangerous?” he asked.

Star shrugged,
“Maybe if you put her into the context you encountered her in?” she ventured.

“She was in a back alley levitating the librarian and demanding her bits or the unicorn would drop her. She had the librarian some 30 paces up in the air.” Valiant explained.

Star's eyes bulged and she held her head out toward Valiant,
“I've never heard of such a thing!”

Valiant shook his head sadly,
“Nor I. The unicorn seemed desperate for the money. I think there was something else going on though. I interfered and talked the unicorn down, but while I was talking to her, I picked up on something else, something that I don't think anypony else would have picked up on. The unicorn was engulfed in the darkness of despair. It was so thick I could almost touch it.”

Evening Star took a small step toward Valiant, her face saddened,
“How did you come to know despair so well?” she asked.

Valiant remembered the librarian's reaction when she learned about his formerly outcast status,
“I would rather not say. The librarian found out and now she's scared of me.”

Evening Star inched forward, right up next to Valiant,
“I won't judge you Valiant. Please tell me.” she asked softly.

Valiant took a deep breath to steel his nerves,
“I was a Vagabond for five years.”

Star was silent for a moment before she said,
“Then you were alone for five years. I can understand the despair.”

Valiant looked sideways at Evening Star,
“I'm surprised you know what a Vagabond is.”

Evening Star couldn't help but to chuckle slightly,
“I spend all my free time in a library.” Star's face then changed back to serious, “I know a few things. I know about Vagabonds and their punishment. It must have been very lonely for you.”

Valiant shuddered,
“You don't know the half of it Star.” he said lowering his head.

At his side, Evening Star nuzzled him gently,
“Tell me.” she said, voice barely above a whisper.

“I don't want to scare you Star.” Valiant said.

“You won't. You have no idea any of the things I've seen in my own lifetime. I promise, Valiant, I won't judge you or be afraid of you. We all have our own demons to face.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The sun had only barely risen over the horizon in Ponyville when Spike belched loudly, a puff of green smoke issuing forth from his mouth and materializing into a scroll. The little purple and green baby dragon covered his mouth to try to keep from laughing. He and Twilight had been eating breakfast when the message arrived. Spike had been chewing a mouthful of his breakfast, a large stack of apple pancakes, and had spewed the contents of his mouth all over Twilight. Twilight, on the other hoof looked rather decidedly un-amused. Her entire face was speckled with bits of partially chewed pancake. She had the reflexes to close her eyes just in time and opened them, blinking away pieces of pancake. Her face was set into patient neutrality, as she levitated a napkin over and wiped her face clear of the offending particles.

“Spike,” Twilight addressed calmly, “Would you be so kind as to read the letter?”

Spike put his little hand into his mouth and bit it, trying not to laugh, and failing utterly. Twilight sighed through her nose and waited patiently until her reptilian assistant had finished laughing.

“Spike,” Twilight said once again, “Would you be so kind as to read the letter, please?”

Twilight's calm demeanor caused further bouts of merriment from her assistant. Spike laughed so hard he fell out of his chair and onto the floor, clutching his stomach with tears streaming down his face. Twilight couldn't help but to smile to herself, Spike's laughter was rather contagious. Twilight tried to maintain a straight face but as anypony knows, the harder you try, the funnier it becomes. She allowed herself a couple of audible giggles, before Spike managed to pull himself off the floor of the Library.

“Sorry Twilight.” Spike apologized picking up the scroll, “Ahem. Dear Twilight, Dr. Mend and I arrived in Canterlot safely. We were personally received by Princess Luna. I am sharing a dorm room with Dr. Mend, compliments of the Princess. Our classes begin next semester, but I'm deeply worried about Dr. Mend. Something in him changed, and not for the better. I'm worried he might be having a mental breakdown. Besides our doctor friend, there is another concern troubling me on a different level. I encountered a unicorn mare who was using magic to force ponies to give up their bits or she would drop them from great distance. Her eyes were solid purple, which leads me to believe she was suffering from C.M.E.S. I am at a loss concerning Dr. Mend and the unicorn, and would gladly welcome any advice from anypony (or dragon). Your friend, Valiant.” Spike lowered the letter, “That sounds pretty serious Twilight.”

Twilight began pacing back and forth in front of the table as she explained,
“It is, Spike. In the past, unicorns who pushed themselves too hard have inadvertently leveled entire towns. If any unicorn continues suffering from C.M.E.S. for an extended period of time, their magic becomes completely uncontrollable. This unicorn sounds like she could be a danger to herself and others. The only method I've ever heard of for stopping a unicorn like that is by another unicorn of greater power. The unicorn suffering from C.M.E.S. has to be held and cared for until the effect of Caster's Stroke wears off, which can take several days. I don't know of any unicorn except one of the Princesses or myself who could perform such a task. Valiant and Dr. Mend have no way to stop this rogue unicorn on their own. In ancient times, C.M.E.S. was more common and each town or city would have unicorns dedicated to subduing a rogue magic user, but that practice has been abandoned for hundreds of years because most unicorns with that much raw potential are sent to the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. The school teaches you iron clad rules for safely practicing magic and drills them into you. This unicorn must have been overlooked somehow. Valiant said she is capable of levitating other ponies, that takes a fair bit of magic and plenty of practice . . . “

“But you levitated that Ursa Minor like it was nothing.” Spike interrupted.

“It wasn't easy, Spike. Remember, how I had to spend a couple of days in bed afterwards? I didn't feel it immediately, except for the basic level of Magic Fatigue. I knew I had to be careful; the effects of C.M.E.S. can creep up on you. The school taught me that, so I was prepared. Imagine what would have happened if I had lost all control of my magic?” Twilight asked.

Spike shuddered,
“I see what you mean. It would be like what happened when you took your entry test for the school.”

Twilight nodded,
“Exactly, except it would be worse. My magic, right then was only being used for self defense because I was frightened. As a filly, I had no idea about death, so my magic took over and neutralized anything it perceived as a threat, but it can only use what the unicorn knows, so a little filly isn't as much of a threat. A unicorn in a panic won't be able to think clearly or make rational decisions; their magic will take over and identify any living thing as a potential threat. I wasn't suffering from C.M.E.S. I was in a panic, there is a big difference. Imagine all that power channeled only toward destruction. One of the things I learned in my research is that a unicorn suffering from Caster's Stroke becomes paranoid and sees everypony as an enemy trying to harm them. They basically self defense everything to death. Let me give you an example, if Rarity began suffering from C.M.E.S. even with her limited power, she could raise Ponyville to the ground in a matter of minutes.”

“But just seeing Princess Celestia brought you right out of the panic.” Spike observed.

“Princess Celestia radiates calm and magic just by proximity alone, Spike. It would have been impossible for me to stay in my state with her around. I'm certain Princess Celestia would have done something if she knew about the unicorn, and that worries me. The Princess knows about everything going on in Canterlot, so why hasn't she done something about it yet?” Twilight ceased pacing and turned, sharply, toward Spike, “Spike, take a letter . . . “ she began.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant woke up late in the afternoon. He stretched and yawned and then looked around the dorm room. Dr. Mend had been lying in his bed reading when Valiant had come back from the Courier's Office that morning. Dr. Mend still lay in the exact same position as he had been when Valiant had gone to sleep. Neither stallion had spoken to the other since Dr. Mend's verbal explosion the previous day. Valiant had spent the rest of the previous night talking to Evening Star. The memory made his smile. Valiant shook his head and cleared his thoughts. He pulled back Big Macintosh’s blanket and got out of bed.

Valiant decided to break the silence his roommate had silently imposed,
“Have you had anything to eat yet today?” he asked quietly.

Dr. Mend never looked up from his book,
“I'll eat when I have time.” he said emotionlessly.

“I'm just trying to look out for you.” Valiant said carefully.

“I'm a big colt. I can take care of myself.” Dr. Mend replied.

“Would you like me to bring you something from the cafeteria so you can keep reading?” Valiant asked concerned.

“I can take care of myself. Besides, you have plenty to do don't you?” Dr. Mend said testily.

“I'm never too busy to help a friend.” Valiant said softly.

“Then help one of the ponies in Equestria who actually needs it. I only need to study.” Dr. Mend replied.

Valiant bit back an honest retort,
“I don't want to start an argument, but don't you need to take a break?”

“I'll have plenty of free time when I'm in the ground. Until then, it's my responsibility to keep others from heading that direction prematurely. I can't do that unless I study.” Dr. Mend said raising his head from the book, “So let me study.” he said, voice edged with warning.

Valiant took the hint,
“I'll be at the Tower Library if you need me.”

“I'll remember that.” Dr. Mend said dismissively.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant walked into Mrs. Soothe's Apothecary holding his application in his muzzle,
“I'm sorry I'm late. I had a late night at the Tower Library.” he said plopping the application down on the counter.

The fuchsia coated, middle-aged unicorn mare, looked over the application carefully,
“You seem to have no job experience at all. How old are you?”

“I'm 25, Mrs. Soothe.” Valiant explained, cringing internally.

“Hmm. That doesn't bode particularly well for you here Valiant.” She said honestly, “I'm not exactly swamped with applications, but I don't want to hire somepony who might give a customer the wrong ingredients. If you can prove to me that you know your stuff, I'll consider more seriously.” she said looking up.

Valiant opened his saddle bag and removed his mortar and pestle,
“These are mine and I have a couple of recipes that I invented. The first one is written on here,” Valiant said laying down a piece of parchment on the counter, “It makes the whole body completely numb while allowing you to maintain total control over your motor skills.”

Mrs. Soothe read over the recipe carefully nodding to herself,
“This one is somewhat basic, but it would get the job done well enough. You said you have had no formal education in the field of alchemy, correct?”

Valiant nodded,
“That's right. I developed these on my own.”

Mrs. Soothe arched an eyebrow,
“These, plural? You've only given me one.”

Valiant hesitated,
“I do have another one, but I must ask that if I give it to you, you won't charge money for it.”

“You are here asking for a job, to make money, but you don't want one of your recipes to be sold for money?” Mrs. Soothe asked incredulously.

“Yes, ma'am. I do have a reason for it though.” Valiant responded.

“Alright, let's hear the reason.” Mrs. Soothe said.

“It's potent. So potent, in fact that it could easily be abused. It heals the body of injury at an accelerated rate and can even keep scars from forming. If used properly if can heal a broken bone, once set, in three days.” Valiant explained.

Mrs. Soothe looked highly dubious,
“I'm sure it's nice, but nothing I've ever heard of can do that. Let's see the recipe.”

Valiant took a deep breath and reached into his saddle bag,
“I'll do one better. I'll prove it.” he said laying the parchment on the counter.”

Mrs. Soothe began reading the recipe, ignoring Valiant, while she did so. Valiant took a breath and raised a hoof up in front of his mouth and bit down, on his leg, as hard as he could. Valiant felt the pain and took a breath, then bit harder, until he tasted blood. He let go of his leg and set it up on the counter in front of Mrs. Soothe.

Mrs. Soothe saw the bloodied appendage in front of her and reared back,
“What are you doing?” she asked mortified.

“You see this injury?” Valiant asked, Mrs. Soothe nodded, “By tomorrow I believe it will be gone.”

“If it isn't, I'll report you to the closest psychiatric hospital. If it is, I'll hire you under one condition. Don't EVER do that again.” Mrs. Soothe said emphatically.

Valiant removed a small jar from his saddle bag and set it on the counter,
“I'm going to drink this, then go to a clinic to have the injury documented. I'll come back tomorrow with the document as proof. I apologize for resorting to such drastic measures to prove my point, but this really is the real deal. I'm being completely honest with you.” Valiant said, then proceeded to chug the contents of the jar.

Once finished, Valiant screwed the top back onto the jar,
“I'll see you tomorrow, Mrs. Soothe.”

Mrs. Soothe didn't know if she should fear for her safety or if she should be hopeful, this pony was crazy,
“I'll be here.” she said nervously.

Valiant left the apothecary and went, limping, in search of the closest clinic, 'Sometimes you just have to make a point.' he thought. As he walked, he realized he was drawing a lot of attention to himself, because of his injured leg. He lowered his head and broke into a trot, he didn't want to draw too much attention. He tried to remember where the closest clinic was, but his leg was dulling his concentration.

“Hey Valiant, what's going on?” asked Live Wire trotting up next to Valiant, “Wow, what a coincidence running into you like this. I stopped by Mrs. Soothe's apothecary a couple of times today to see if you had turned in your application, but she kept saying she hadn't seen you. I was headed back there now to ask again.” He machine gunned off in less than 5 seconds, “Hey why are you limping? WOW! What happened to your leg? Oh my gosh! That looks like it really hurts! Are you going to be O.K.? Are you headed toward a clinic? Because if you are you're heading the wrong direction. The closest clinic is two blocks that way.” Live Wire indicated the direction with his hoof, “Here let me help you. You need to be careful. Did you get bit by a stray dog? If you did then you need a shot. It doesn't look like you're in any danger of dying from exsanguination, but all the same you need to get that all patched up. It doesn't look like the injury hit any of your tendons maybe a muscle, and wow do you have a lot of muscles. Did I tell you that before? You are seriously buffed up. Oh yeah, I did tell you that when we first met, remember I asked you if you were here for a body building competition. You know, not many ponies can stand all my talking. I’m really grateful that you’re willing to put up with me. Hey, you know you should try to make some more friends while you’re here in Canterlot. I’ll bet there are just tons, and tons, and tons, and tons, and tons, and tons of ponies who would like to be friends with you, because you’re all strong and smart and everything. Maybe you could help me work out like you do, then I could attract a mare. I’ll bet you have the girls falling all over you. I'm sorry if I'm talking too much right now, but I'm trying to keep you distracted so you don't feel the pain, plus it will make the trip seem a whole lot shorter. See, here we are. NURSE!” Live Wire bellowed.

To Valiant's surprise, Live Wire spoke at a normal speed, although it was obviously difficult for him, as he related the injury to one of the nurses. Live Wire stayed with Valiant while he had his self inflicted injury cleaned and bandaged, chattering the whole time of course. The nurses looked at Valiant really oddly when he asked for written documentation of his leg injury, but complied. Valiant and Live Wire left the clinic and headed for the Tower Library, 'I wonder what Evening Star will think of Live Wire?' Valiant wondered as the Tower Library came into view.

Chapter 4

Trials of the Elements

Part 4

Valiant led Live Wire toward the Tower Library, with Live Wire chattering the whole time about the history of the structure,
“You know, the Tower Library is one of the oldest structures in the whole of Equestria. It was formed straight out of the white marble that forms the bedrock foundation of Canterlot itself. Princess Luna was personally responsible for creating it. Princess Luna created the Tower Library and Princess Celestia created the University. Both structures were originally of the same white marble, seamless and perfect; raised straight out of the rock by magic, no artisans’ tool has ever touched the Tower Library. The original University was destroyed during the struggle between Celestia and Luna when Luna was overcome by Nightmare Moon. Nopony even knew that Princess Luna created the Tower Library until recently when Princess Luna returned. Princess Celestia couldn't bear to talk about its history because it brought back too many sad memories, but when Princess Luna returned, Princess Celestia was only too happy to tell everypony who was the founder of the Tower Library. Since her return, Princess Luna has been searching out ancient tomes that had been lost since her banishment and returning them to the Tower Library. She's been reportedly seen there a couple dozen times in the past few months. I wonder if we'll see her there? Oh, I hope we get to, I'd love to meet a Princess! Hmm, maybe that's not such a good idea. I get so nervous around mares I don't know, I just start rambling so much I wouldn't know what to do. When I'm nervous I can ramble on for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours. My mind is running in circles just thinking about it. Hey, speaking of thinking, why are we going to the Tower Library anyway? Do you need to do some studying for your classes? I used to go there all the time, but the old Librarian didn't like me too well, she said I talked too much. She was always real nice about it though, oh she was pretty and incredibly smart too! She was a purple unicorn, but I never caught her name. I was always too embarrassed to talk to her much. Now, I know that may be hard to believe, me not talking much, but I stutter so badly when I'm around pretty mares. Her assistant was nice enough. His name was Spike, he was a dragon. He used to show me where the books were that I needed. He used to say that I helped him memorize the cataloging system. I don't know if that's true or not but he had trouble finding books at first. After a couple of months, he automatically knew where every single book in the whole Library was . . . “ Live Wire stopped when Valiant interrupted him.

“You knew Spike?” he asked.

Live Wire nodded his head,
“Yep, I sure did. He . . . “

Valiant interrupted Live Wire again,
“If you'll wait for a second, I can tell you the former Librarian's name, if you still want to know it.”

Live Wire nodded his head again, staying quiet, so Valiant continued,
“Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She's Princess Celestia's star pupil, and supposedly one of the most, if not the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. She's really nice, but I don't get the impression she's particularly interested in romance right now. She seems too interested in her studies and besides, isn't she a bit young for you?”

“I don't know how old she is. I always thought she was close to my age. I figured she just aged well, because nopony I know could be that smart and know so much unless she was at least my age, probably a bit older. Aw shucks, I should have known she was too good to be true.” Live Wire lapsed into silence for the first time since Valiant had met him.

Valiant felt bad for his friend,
“Hey Lemon, don't put on a sour face . . . “ Valiant stopped speaking as what he had said sunk in.

Valiant tried not to laugh, he didn't want to make Lemon Lime feel worse, but he couldn't help himself. He stifled his laughter, biting his tongue and closing his eyes. He needn't have worried. Lemon Lime began laughing loudly in the most outlandish way imaginable, in hyper speed. The sound reverberated off the surrounding buildings and echoed through the street, making it sound like there was a whole chorus of ponies laughing. The sound was utterly beyond description and so hilarious, every pony on the street began laughing uncontrollably. Valiant couldn't hold his laughter back if his life depended on it. His laughter burst from his mouth, joining the chorus already in motion. The layers of laughter folded on themselves, perpetually increasing the hilarity until Valiant and Live Wire couldn't even continue walking. Both stallions sat down on the street, tears of mirth streaming down their faces.

Valiant was the first to recover,
“I, hehehe, I apologize. I never meant to say that, I was trying to encourage you, but it just came out all wrong.”

Live Wire held up a hoof,
“Stop making me think about it, or I'll get going again. No harm done.”

The two stallions rose to their hooves and began making their way toward the Tower Library again, still chuckling. They climbed the stairs up to the ornate double doors and pushed both open, Valiant on the left and Lemon Lime on the right. The Librarian was sitting behind her desk quietly, but looked up sharply at the sound of a snigger. Upon seeing Valiant, she ignored the sound and focused on the book in front of her.

Valiant was delighted to see Evening Star already in her spot near the window, except this time she wore saddle bags, which she still wore even lying down,
“Good afternoon Star.” he greeted quietly, “I hadn't expected to see you here so soon, I had hoped too though.”

Evening Star looked up from her book, the same old worn one from the previous night,
“I come to the Library every chance I get. I'm here every day. I love knowledge. What brings you back here so soon, and who’s your friend?” she asked quietly.

“This is Lemon Lime, but he likes to go by Live Wire. Live Wire, this is Evening Star, and she likes to go by just Star.” Valiant introduced his friends.

Live Wire extended his hoof and shook Star's offered one,
“H . . . hi. I . . . I'm pleased t. . . . to m . . . meet you.” Live Wire stuttered.

Evening Star put a hoof to her muzzle, giggling,
“You don't have to be nervous, Live Wire. I don't bite.”

“I . . . I'm s . . . sure you d . . . don't, but I c . . . can't help i . . . i . . . it. I g . . . get n . . . nervous when I t . . . talk t . . . to p . . . pretty mares.” Live Wire stuttered so badly, Evening Star could barely understand him.

“Well, thank you. You're very sweet. I do have a question though. Why are you called 'Live Wire' if you stutter so much?” Star asked.

Live Wire tried to answer but he couldn't get the words out, fortunately Valiant stepped in,
“He's normally a real chatter-box. He has some kind of condition where his mind and mouth apparently work about four times faster than other ponies. He generally talks so fast he's hard to understand.”

“Oh, he has Cerebral-Lingua Accelerari. That's a rare disorder, but it can be beneficial if controlled. Ponies with Cerebral-Lingua Accelerari tend to excel at anything they do, and make fantastic auctioneers.” Star informed the two stallions.

Valiant decided to get right to the point, Star had helped him the night before,
“The reason I'm here, Evening Star, is to try to learn about a friend of mine's history. That's what I was originally looking for last night.”

Star looked puzzled,
“Why? Won't she tell you?”

“He's a he, and no he won't.” Valiant replied.

“Then why don't you ask his parents?” Evening Star asked.

“I don't know their names, and I'm afraid to ask him.” Valiant said.

“Then why don't you check the Census records? You know his name right?” Star asked.

“Yes, but I have no idea when he was born.” Valiant said.

Evening Star shook her head,
“You don't need to. You can cross-reference names with birthdates, breed, coloring, and genealogy. Canterlot updates its Census every year. There's a new copy here in the Library. I'll show you where it is.”

Evening Star rose from her cushion, put her book in her saddle bags, and unfurled her wings. She took to the air and landed up on the second floor mezzanine. By the time Valiant and Live Wire climbed the stairs to the second floor, Star already had a thick book laid out on a reading podium.

She waited patiently until the two stallions reached her, so she wouldn't have to raise her voice,
“What's your friend's name?” she asked.

“Mend.” Valiant responded.

Star began flipping the pages of the Census book,
“Hmm, Mend . . . Mend . . . here it is. Earth pony, right?” she asked.

Valiant nodded,
“Yes, he has a black coat, white mane and tail.”

Evening Star nodded,
“Yup, that's him.” she said and began reading.

After a moment, Star looked up,
“Uh oh.” she said sadly.

“What is it?” valiant asked stepping up to the podium.

“His parents are listed as being deceased. It looks like they died when he was little, both suicides. It says like his grandparents raised him after that. His grandparents still seem to be living though.” Star said.

Valiant perked up, this was just what he had been looking for,
“Where could I find their address?” he asked.

“It's listed here.” Star said reading again, “Looks like they don't live too far away, just a couple of blocks from here.”

Valiant looked over the address, but couldn't figure it out,
“Live Wire, are you good at remembering things?” he asked.

Live Wire seemed to be alright, since Evening Star wasn't addressing him directly,
“Yes, of course. I can remember all kinds of things. Like for instance . . . “

Live Wire was cut off, as Valiant pulled him over to the podium and gently pushed his head toward the Census book,
“Can you memorize this address, and do you know where it is?” he asked pointing to an entry in the book.

“Yeah, I had the whole page memorized before you got done pushing my face toward it. I have a photographic memory. Why, I can even remember . . . “ Live Wire stopped as he realized he was rambling again, “Sorry, I tend to do that.”

Valiant patted his friend on the shoulder,
“That's alright Live Wire. I apologize for pushing you around like that, but I'm really worried about Mend. Come on, let's go talk to his grandparents. Maybe they can tell me why he went mental.”

Live Wire and Evening Star looked worriedly at each other, then at Valiant,
“How did he go mental?” they asked almost in unison.

Valiant was already heading down the stairs,
“Come on, I'll tell you on the way.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“We would be honored to have such a fantastic mind on staff here Dr. Mend.” said Dr. Avalon.

Dr. Avalon was a dark yellow, middle-aged, Earth pony mare who had a mane and tail of the lightest shades of blue, highlighted with streaks of shining silver. Her cutie-mark was that of a syringe filled with a glowing, golden liquid. Dr. Avalon's mane and tail were luxurious and long, but pulled back into a pair of tight buns. Her voice was smooth but unusually deep for a mare. Dr. Mend knew it was from long hours of yelling orders to interns and nurses. Dr. Mend had come in with his résumé and applied for a position as an on-call doctor. Dr. Avalon had taken him into her office to interview him. As the chief of the clinic, the responsibility fell to her to interview all potential candidates. She had heard about Mend when she had gone to the University. The two were close to the same age, but Mend had graduated first.

Dr. Mend bowed his head politely,
“I can start as soon as you need me to, Dr. Avalon.” he said.

Dr. Avalon smiled,
“Wonderful. I'll put you on the schedule for . . . “

Dr. Avalon was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream that made both ponies jump slightly. Dr. Mend and Dr. Avalon rose from their respective seats in preparation for an emergency call on the intercom. Instead of the intercom, a light gray unicorn mare with light purple mane and tail burst through the door. Her eyes were wide and she looked nervous.

Dr. Avalon took a step toward the unicorn,
“What's the matter?” she ordered in a commanding tone, there was no hint of a request.

The nurse looked over her shoulder, then back at Dr. Avalon,
“A pegasus just came in. It looks like all four of his legs are broken in several places.”

Dr. Avalon looked concerned,
“Immobilize him so he doesn't hurt himself further. I'll be right there.” she said, then turned to Dr. Mend, “Looks like I need you right now Mend. Follow me.” she ordered.

Dr. Mend quietly but quickly followed Dr. Avalon to the scrub basin down the hallway in the clinic. Dr. Avalon turned on the faucet and both ponies began scrubbing.

“Nopony since you, has even come close to matching your grades and skills Mend. You'll be a bit of a celebrity to all the interns.” Dr. Avalon said as she pushed down on the iodine dispenser.

Mend utilized a bolted down, dual-sided, scrub brush as he replied,
“I hope foalish hero worship won't hinder their performance. If I become a distraction, would you have a few words with them or should I?”

“I'll deal with it, if it becomes a problem.” Dr. Avalon said passing a towel to Dr. Mend.

Dr. Mend used the towel to wipe off his hooves,
“Let's go see what happened to this poor pegasus.”

The two doctors trotted out onto the highly sterilized Emergency Room floor to the sound of agonized wailing. Dr. Avalon assessed the pegasus' condition quickly as she approached the bed he was writhing on. He was royal blue in his coat and his mane and tail were light brown. His bright orange eyes were wide and his pupils were dilated from the pain. All four of his legs were obviously broken. Each limb was puffy and swollen in multiple places with correlating discoloration.

Dr. Avalon went right to work,
“He needs to be sedated.” she told Dr. Mend over her shoulder.

“Too soon. If he goes into shock, he could slip into a coma. Besides, we need him to tell us if he's allergic to anything.” Dr. Mend responded.

Dr. Avalon and Dr. Mend joined the nurses in holding down the agonized pegasus,
“Just had to be sure you weren't out of practice.” Dr. Avalon said to Mend.

Dr. Mend didn't respond to Dr. Avalon, instead he focused on the pegasus writhing in front of him,
“What's your name?” he asked using his hooves to hold the pegasus' head still.

The injured stallion grunted hoarsely, gasping for breath,
“Trooper.” he rasped.

Dr. Mend lowered his muzzle down, right next to Trooper's ear,
“O.K. Trooper, we're going to fix you up but we need to know if you have any allergies. Are you allergic to anything?”

“No.” Trooper grunted, “Please, make it stop!”

Dr. Mend looked up at Dr. Avalon,
“We need an Anesthesiologist to put him under, then get him X-Rays so we know what we're dealing with, then get him into surgery. Do you confirm?” he asked.

Dr. Avalon nodded,
“I confirm.” she said, then turned her head toward the light gray unicorn with the light purple mane and tail, “Page the Anesthesiologist and prep the X-Ray machine. Find us a clear surgery bay; we need to have him in surgery within half an hour.”

Dr. Mend thought fast and leaned down to Trooper again,
“How did you come by your injuries Trooper?”

“Unicorn tried to kill . . . Earth pony . . . saved her . . . unicorn bound my wings . . . magic . . . dropped me.” Trooper grunted.

Dr. Mend's head snapped up at Dr. Avalon, shock written all over his face,
“Has this ever happened before?” he asked.

Dr. Avalon shook her head vigorously,
“Not that I've ever heard. He may well be hallucinating from the pain.”

Dr. Mend took a step back as the Anesthesiologist arrived to administer to Trooper. It was only when Mend stood back that he noticed something odd. Trooper looked a great deal like Valiant, 'In fact,' Mend thought, 'The two are nearly identical. Their only differences are their eyes and . . . ,' Mend's vision shifted down to Trooper's flank looking for his cutie-mark. Mend's eyes widened, 'He has no cutie-mark! It wasn't removed, like Valiant's, it looks like it never developed! An adult pegasus with no cutie-mark?’

Dr. Mend couldn't peel his eyes away from Trooper's perfectly smooth and blank flank.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant, Evening Star and Lemon Lime looked up at the beautiful two-story house that matched the address Lemon Lime had memorized. The house was pure white with sky blue shutters and a covered front porch, upon which sat two well used brown, wooden rocking chairs. The front yard was a good 20 paces deep and roughly 60 paces wide, only 20 paces wider than the house itself. Small, but lush trees provided shade for the entire yard, blooming in colors of orange, white, and pink.

Valiant walked calmly up onto the porch and politely knocked on the front door, flanked by Evening Star and Lemon Lime. After a couple of minutes, the door opened, revealing an ancient Earth pony mare. She had a coat of chocolate brown and a mane and tail of almost pure gray with occasional streaks of light pink showing through.

The old mare adjusted a pair of spectacles on her face,
“Yes?” she asked, voice creaking with age.

“I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but do you have a grandson named Mend?” Valiant asked politely.

The old mare's features fell drastically,
“Oh no. What happened?” she asked, hoof to her chest.

“I'm worried about him. He's a friend of mine. We recently came to Canterlot to study at the University . . . “ Valiant began.

“And he changed, didn't he.” the old mare said, there was no question in her voice.

Valiant's fears were confirmed by her statement,
“This has happened before hasn't it.” he stated.

The old mare nodded sadly,
“And you are?” she asked.

Valiant, Evening Star, and Lemon Lime all lowered their heads respectfully,
“I'm Valiant, this is Evening Star, and Lemon Lime.” he introduced.

“My name's Goodie, my husband, Obsidian, is in the living room.” the old mare said, “If you're here to try to help Mend you'd better come in.” she said holding the door for the younger ponies, “This will take a while.”

Suddenly and without warning, a sealed letter formed itself into existence in front of Evening Star,
“Oh,” she said, surprised.

Valiant looked over to her,
“Where did that come from?” he asked, eyeing the letter oddly.

Star shrugged,
“Sorry Valiant. This happens to Couriers all the time. I have my duties, you know how it is.”

Lemon Lime looked toward the horizon,
“It's getting late. The Sun will be setting soon. You need to be careful Star.”

“I've been doing this for a long time, boys. I'll be fine.” Star said.

She picked up the letter in her mouth and took off, waving good bye to Valiant and Lemon Lime. The two stallions watched Evening Star disappear over the tops of the nearby buildings, and vanish from sight.

Turning to the living room, their attention was caught by Goodie as she yelled,
“Obie! There are some youngsters here about Mend. Put on a pot of tea. This may be what we've been hoping for.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Applejack was highly upset,
“You can't go, Big Macintosh! Ah know he's your friend, he's mine too, but you've got responsibilities 'round this here orchard. Ah can't do all your chores for long an' Applebloom's too young to help out much.” she scolded her older brother as he stoically continued packing his saddle bags.

“Ah've already asked Caramel to take care of mah chores while Ah'm gone. Give him mah pay while Ah'm away.” the immensely built, red Earth pony said softly.

Applejack blinked back tears of frustration,
“But why? You've never left before, why leave now?” she demanded.

“Ah can't explain it Applejack. All Ah know is Ah have to go. Valiant needs me. Ah've saved up plenty of money and Ah'll be real careful.” Big Mac said.

“You heard what Twilight said about some crazy unicorn up in Canterlot. You're an Earth pony. How are you goin' to protect yourself? What can an Earth pony do against unicorn magic?” Applejack asked pointedly.

“Ah don't rightly know, but you didn't let that stop you now did you little sis?” Big Mac asked, “Yall defeated Nightmare Moon just fine and two thirds of yall couldn't even use magic.”

“Don't you go usin' your fancy mathematics again!” Applejack roared, “Yall ain't facin' Nightmare Moon!”

Big Macintosh buckled his saddlebags and slid them on,
“No, we're just goin' to take care of a unicorn, not a diety. Ah'll be fine Applejack. Ah have to go, and you need to accept that.”

“What in tarnation am Ah supposed to tell Applebloom?” Applejack asked, nearly in tears.

“That she can't go with me.” Big Macintosh said, “She was listenin' 'till a minute ago. She, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle just ran to Applebloom's room. Ah think they're packin' to go too.”

Applejack sped out of Big Macintosh's room fast enough to make Rainbow Dash proud, had the cyan pegasus been present. Big Macintosh smiled admiringly at his protective younger sister. He walked over to his antique desk, which had miraculously survived the fire, and pulled open one of the mahogany drawers. Inside the drawer was a pair of envelopes, one was addressed to Granny Smith, Applejack, and Applebloom, the other was addressed to Caramel. He carefully removed the sealed envelopes and set them on his mattress, then quietly crept downstairs while Applejack was still arguing with Applebloom.

As Big Macintosh cleared the front door, he saw a cloth sack sitting on the porch with a paper tag on a thin wire tying the mouth closed. Big Mac peered at the tag and was surprised to find his name on the tag. Looking around, the huge Earth pony saw he was alone on the porch, so he picked up the sack and ran for it with the sack clanking faintly in his teeth.

Granny Smith poked her head out of the barn and smiled,
“Go on an' help out that nice young stallion.” she said, “Your grandpa's solid steel shoes should help if anything happens. He don't need 'em anymore anyhow.” her hip creaked as she made her way back to the front porch and into her rocking chair, “When Ah saw you go runnin' off earlier, Ah plum knowed what you were up to. You went to get Caramel so you wouldn't be leavin' your little sisters an' Granny all alone. You never been away before so Ah says to myself, Ah says 'Granny, your grandson's headin' for trouble. He's needin' some plum good help. As much as you can provide.' Make good use o' them shoes and your Daddy's lasso. You best come back safe now, you hear.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant and Lemon Lime sat quietly and listened as Goody and obsidian related the sad story of how Mend lost his parents,
“No matter what we said or did, we couldn't convince him of the truth. One day, just before he graduated from the University, we overheard him crying in his room. He spent his days in the University dorms but he kept his things here in our son's old room. He was talking like there was somepony else in the room. He said he was glad 'they' were silent and that he had made 'them' proud. The last thing he said was 'goodbye Mom and Dad'. We never realized he was hearing voices, before then. We told him it wasn't his fault that his mother and our son killed themselves, but he was convinced that he was. In any case, the voices stopped, so we left it alone in the hope that things would stay that way.”

Valiant spoke up,
“Why didn't you tell anypony?”

Obsidian replied to Valiant's query,
“Like Goody said, we didn't find out until the voices had already stopped. We kept an eye on him but to our knowledge, the voices never returned. Mend left for Ponyville to open his clinic after he graduated. We wrote him letters every week, but he never responded. We had no idea he was back in Canterlot.”

“He and I are students at the University. Princess Luna was kind enough to have every part of our first semester paid for by she and Celestia.” Valiant said.

“When you see him again, tell him we miss him. We have plenty of room here if you and he would like to stay here after your first semester is over.” Obsidian said.

“It's too early to say for sure, but I’m afraid Mend might be hearing the voices again. Do you have any advice on how to help him?” Valiant asked.

Goody and Obsidian looked at each other then at Valiant and Lemon Lime,
“No, but he needs help. Try bringing him here so we can talk to him. He has to deal with this. We may have to force him to deal with it. We've talked about this and it's for his own good. If he won't seek help he may not be stable enough to practice medicine. If you see what I mean. Please Valiant, bring him to us as soon as you can.” Goody said pleadingly.

Valiant rose from his seat, Lemon Lime followed suit,
“I'll do everything I can.”

“Thank you so much for talking to us.” Lemon Lime said, unusually somber and quiet.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend breathed a sigh of relief. Trooper's surgery had been successful, his bones had been set, with the help of some pins, but he would be months recovering. A thought suddenly struck him, 'Valiant's potions would be ideal for Trooper.' Dr. Mend exited the O.R. And decided to wait for Dr. Avalon.

Dr. Avalon left the O.R. As the nurse ponies wheeled Trooper into recovery,
“You're as good as rumors say Mend. Trooper's surgery couldn't have gone more smoothly. You've already been a great help.” she praised.

Dr. Mend turned his head away, blushing furiously; he was not used to compliments,
“I uh, have an idea about a way we might be able to speed along Trooper's recovery.” he ventured.

Dr. Avalon's ears perked up, highly intrigued,
“Oh, and what would that be?” she asked.

“I would, of course, need your permission to go ahead with the treatment, but I know a surefire way to have Trooper ambulatory inside a week.” Dr. Mend said.

Dr. Avalon's eyebrows shot upward and she took a step toward Dr. Mend,
“If you're right, this new treatment could save patients weeks of recovery time and hundreds of bits. Are you sure it will work?”

“I've seen it work to lengths you wouldn't imagine. I had a patient who suffered second and third degree burns to his entire body. Through the treatment, he has no scarring whatsoever.” Dr. Mend said.

“Why haven't I heard of this before now?” Dr. Avalon asked.

“It was only recently discovered.” Dr. Mend said.

Dr. Avalon absolutely beamed,
“We'll have to ask Trooper if he's willing to undergo the treatment. Is it expensive?”

“It won't cost him one bit. I've been sworn to provide it free of charge.” Mend said.

Dr. Avalon looked suspicious,
“How?”

“It's a simple formula using common herbs in the correct proportions. I'll bring in several doses tomorrow. It's late and I haven't eaten all day.” Mend's stomach growled as if on cue, even as the words left his mouth.

“You're free to go anytime you like. My shift ended several hours ago.” Dr. Avalon hinted, subtly.

Dr. Mend completely missed the hint, being about as subtle as a peel of thunder,
“Well then far be it for me to keep anypony from their dinner. I need to study tonight. I always eat while I study.”

Dr. Avalon's ears fell somewhat,
“Oh, alright. Be sure to bring the treatment medication when you come in. Good night Mend, I'll see you tomorrow.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You've been a huge help, Live Wire. You didn't have to get involved, you know. It's my own problem.” Valiant said.

Lemon Lime held out a hoof for Valiant to be quiet, before he began machine gunning again,
“You don't owe me a thing Valiant. Any problem you have, I do too. I already told you I don't have many friends, the truth is, I don't have but one, and that's you. Nopony can handle everything all by themselves. I'm glad to help. I help ponies every day, it's my job, and it’s what comes naturally to me. I like helping others do what they can't, in a way, I protect them. I hate very little, but what I do hate is seeing somepony who can't help themselves, go unnoticed and uncared for by others. I know that feeling. Nopony can help me with my disorder, so I give others what I can't have. It's taken me years of practice to be able to levitate a full grown Earth pony, but it's so worth it to see the looks on their faces when they take their first steps without my help. I give them back their lives. You have no idea how damaging it is to a pony, not being able to walk, or feed themselves, or do anything. It's depressing and in time it can destroy you. You may not believe it, but I'm actually very patient, I just talk a lot. You absolutely cannot be impatient with somepony who has to relearn to use their legs again. It can take years and if you try to rush them, you end up hurting them and they can end up even more damaged than before. I have to help. If not me then who? Who can do it? I have the ability to do something about it and I choose to. I don't generally care if I don't have many friends. If that's the price I have to pay to help others, then so be it. I absolutely refuse to watch anypony suffer needlessly.”

Valiant was surprised at the intensity his friend spoke with,
“I never knew you felt so strongly about it. Boy, if more ponies could hear that speech, the University would be overflowing with medical students.”

Lemon Lime shook his head,
“Nothing I say can make anypony do something. I might be inspiring to a small degree, but nothing can force a pony to do something they wouldn't normally do by themselves. It might be inspiring, sure, but they would have had to already been contemplating it on their own. Anyway, I'm starving. Come on, I know a great Bar where they serve the best hay fries in Equestria.”

“I'm sorry Live Wire, but I have to go back to the dorm. I need to try to get Mend to agree to visit his grandparents.” Valiant said.

Lemon Lime's ears fell, drooping down his head,
“Alright.” he said, then perked right back up, “Can we hang out tomorrow then?”

Valiant couldn't help but to laugh at his friend's antics,
“I'll do my level best, I promise.”

Valiant and Lemon Lime parted ways, Valiant heading back to the dorm, and Lemon Lime to the Bar he liked so much.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant trotted up the stairs toward the dorm room, dreading having to talk to Mend. Exiting the stairwell, he headed down the hallway until he reached 317. He halted at the door and took a deep breath before entering. Valiant opened the door and to his surprise, Mend was busy with a mortar and pestle, mixing up some roots, flowers, and berries that Valiant was intimately familiar with. Next to Mend, on his desk, was a large number of small, cork-topped vials.

Mend looked up, spotting Valiant,
“How much would an average adult pegasus with four broken legs need in order to be completely healed in a week or so?”

Valiant was only too happy to answer,
“Three doses. One every 2 ½ to 3 days. You already have enough there to last you for two months at the least. Are there any pending natural disasters I should know about?”

“No, but there is some unicorn levitating and dropping ponies in the streets.” Dr. Mend said humorlessly.

“Blast! I'd hoped I had talked her out of that. Is that how the pegasus was injured?” Valiant asked.

“You had a run it with her?” Dr. Mend inquired, he was obviously worried.

“I did. I believe she was suffering from C.M.E.S. Her eyes were solid purple, a muddy disgusting purple.” Valiant said.

“That means her eyes were naturally purple to begin with. I've treated 'Caster's Stroke' before. It happened to Twilight a few times. The unicorn's coat, mane, tail, and their entire eyes change color to match their iris color. Is that what you were researching at the Library?” Dr. Mend asked.

“That was part of it.” Valiant said neutrally.

“She needs to be treated immediately. I'll bet that book didn't tell you that unicorns suffering from C.M.E.S. also experience paranoid delusions did it?” Dr. Mend asked.

Valiant shrugged,
“It may have. I don't think I read the entire passage.”

“Well if it didn't, that book needs to be updated badly. Unicorns in the throes of C.M.E.S. don't know what they're doing and through that they can end up keeping themselves in a perpetual state of C.M.E.S. until it kills them. They become sporadic, random and dangerous. They will cycle through emotions and moods rapidly, laughing one minute and crying the next. Now, a unicorn's power grows steadily when they push themselves and they have to push themselves hard when they cast while suffering from C.M.E.S. so you do the math. If somepony doesn't stop her and soon, this is going to be a calamity of epic proportions.” Dr. Mend said worriedly.

“Somepony has to stop her.” Valiant said.

“Who?” Dr. Mend asked, “You? She'd swat either of us down like a bug. The combined muscle of four Earth ponies might be able to do it, but that would end poorly. In her confused state she would probably kill herself or somepony else or even level a couple of city blocks. I've heard of other unicorns overpowering one who was suffering from C.M.E.S. by cutting them off from their magic, but I've theorized that if the unicorn could be rendered unconscious, say by a drug, she could be subdued that way.”

“I'll see what I can do. Hey, um, there's something I wanted . . . “ Valiant began.

Dr. Mend interrupted him,
“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I'm planning to go to the apothecary to see if I got the job.” Valiant said.

“I'd like you to come to a nearby clinic, tomorrow morning. I'm going to present your fast-healing potion to the chief there and hopefully administer it to the injured pegasus. Oh, and Valiant?' Dr. Mend baited, ”He looks just like you.”

Valiant's train of thought vanished,
“What?” he asked softly.

“His coat, mane, and tail are exactly the same shade as yours; his face is nearly identical too. I only spotted a few differences. His eyes are bright orange, your legs are more defined with muscle, and he has no cutie-mark, as in he never developed one.” Dr. Mend explained.

“Is the clinic still open?” Valiant asked.

“He's not going anywhere tonight. He probably hasn't even woken up yet. We had to take him to surgery; he'll be there when we arrive tomorrow. Now, what was it you were going to say?” Dr. Mend asked, turning back to the desk.

Without thinking, Valiant blurted out,
“Does your family know you're here?”

Mend froze and stepped slowly back from the desk, he turned his head and looked at Valiant evenly,
“Why?” he asked sharply.

“I'll go with you tomorrow, if you come with me to visit your grandparents.” Valiant said.

Mend's face contorted in anger,
“How dare you go behind my back!” he bellowed, “How dare you meddle in my life! My life is my business, stay out of it!”

“I'm trying to help you.” Valiant said, trying to remain calm.

Mend continued with his raised voice,
“I don't need any help! Not from you or anypony else!”

'Time to play my trump card.' Valiant thought,
“You're hearing them again aren't you?”

Mend turned his head away, he couldn't lie to Valiant’s face,
“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Yes, you do. Whether or not you admit it, you have a serious issue and you have to deal with it. I would never have guessed you were only in your mid thirties. Mend, you look like you're in your fifties! This is killing you!” Valiant said emphatically.

“Leave me alone.” Mend said softly.

Valiant had enough,
“I can't Mend! I refuse to watch you do this to yourself! You're my friend! I've already lost one friend needlessly! You said it was your job to keep other ponies from an early grave, well that's exactly where you're headed! Like you, I believe it's my job to keep others from the clutches of death, and that includes you!”

Mend rounded on Valiant,
“Do you think I like being this way? The only time they ever stopped was when I was the best! I have to make them proud!”

“They're dead Mend . . . “ Valiant began.

Mend interrupted him,
“Because of me! I failed them! The shame of my failure was so great they killed themselves! Do you know what it's like living with that?”

“No! But I do know what it's like carrying the burden of death! It wasn't your fault Mend! Of any pony in all of Equestria, I should know about blame! I want to help you!” Valiant said pouring out his heart.

“You can't help me!” Mend yelled.

“You haven't even tried! I'd do anything to help you! You've already given up hope without even trying! There is always hope, Mend! I'm living proof of that! You've pushed away everypony who wants to help you, except me!”Valiant responded, finally letting his feelings out.

“Leave me alone!” Dr. Mend yelled hoarsely.

“It was NEVER your fault Mend!” Valiant yelled with driving passion, “I don't care whether or not you want to hear it, you need to hear it! You want to talk about failing? You're failing at life by staying like this! Do you honestly think your parents wanted you to work yourself to death before you're forty? Furthermore, what do you have to show for all your obsession? Your grades die with you Mend! You have no family, no wife, and no foals! You have a great talent for medicine which could be passed on! You want to know what failure is? LOOK AT YOUR LIFE! You're robbing untold millions of the benefit of your legacy, because you have none! And it's all because you won't let anypony help you!”

Valiant was out of breath and breathing heavily, but he continued on,
“Your grandparents love you Mend. Love has nothing to do with accomplishments or lack thereof. They're already proud of you, for just being you. You're failing them by not seeking help. You're breaking their hearts Mend. They already lost a son, don't make them loose you too.” he pleaded.

Mend didn't speak, didn't move a muscle. He stood in place, not moving, like a statue. His ears were empty. There were no voices, there was no yelling, and there was no blame. For a few blessed minutes, the voices had ceased, and Valiant's words had struck with power. Mend starred off into space, and saw it all again: his whole childhood flashed before his eyes, shaded in a new light with a new perspective. The pieces of his life began falling into place, reality began to sink in, but Mend hand no way of dealing with it all. As far as emotions went, he was still a foal. Silent tears slipped out of Mend's eyes and spilled down his prematurely-aged face. Mend shook with a grief he had never felt before in his life, it was one he had always been too busy for.

Valiant slowly walked up to his friend,
“You have to let us help you, Mend. We want to help you, but we can't if you don’t let us.” Valiant planted his forehead against Mend's and closed his eyes, “Please,” he whispered, “Please, let us help you.”

Mend put a heavy hoof around Valiant's shoulder, clinging to his friend like a life-preserver,
“They're dead Valiant.” he sobbed brokenly. Mend’s voice was chocked with sorrow, “Oh, Goddess, they're dead!”

Mend closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, he wanted the rare but radiant and gentle comfort of his mother, he wanted the strong, confident, and silent support of his father. Mend realized, for the first time really realized, he would never have that again. He lowered his head against Valiant's chest and began to cry out the first tiny part of the massive burden he had been carrying around for most of his tortured life. His grief came in uncontrollable waves of sobs and Mend found that he could no longer stand. He collapsed. His full weight suddenly too much for his own legs. Strangely, he didn’t fall, but the fact only dimly registered in his mind. Mend, almost subconsciously, realized something. Next to him, was a source of strength he had never known, had never acknowledged. Right there, next to him was a stallion who had torn down the walls of Mend's reality, but had stayed right there with him, supporting his full weight without complaint. Valiant gently lowered Dr. Mend down to the floor, but stayed right where he was, in front of his friend.

Valiant felt the hot tears burn their way down his shoulder as Mend sobbed again,
“They're dead.”

Valiant wrapped his left hoof around Mend's shoulder, his head followed suit,
“I know.” he said holding his friend tightly.

Mend seemed to simply fall apart. He clutched at Valiant like he was trying to absorb the other stallion,
“I can't do this anymore, Valiant!”

“Will you let us help you?” Valiant asked remaining still.

Against Valiant's shoulder, Mend nodded weakly, the nods becoming stronger by the moment,
“I don't know what to do! Please, help me! I don't want to be alone anymore! I don't want to be alone! Please Valiant! I don't want to be alone!” he cried, his voice becoming a whisper, “I don't want to be alone.”

Mend's cries turned to soft whimpers, as he held onto the only solid thing he knew he had, his friend.

Valiant hugged Mend close, holding onto the first precious signs of recovery, and whispered,
“You never were, my friend, and you'll never be again.”

Had either Stallion been inclined to raise their head and open their eyes, they would have noticed a beautiful pair of Celestia-sized golden wings resting on Valiant’s shoulders, precisely where his wing-stumps were. They didn’t stay very long, but they were there, just the same.

Reighniz Adonai:
I would sincerely like to know just what people think of Lemon Lime (Live Wire)?

Chapter 4.5 Interlude

Interlude

Princess Luna sat in Celestia's room, high in the upper levels of the Royal Palace, in the calm, cool of her beautiful night watching over all of Equestria through a huge window. She sat with her eyes closed, in absolute silence, remembering her experience a Nightmare Moon. She remembered back to when the initial change had come over her and shuddered at the memory.

Her vision shifted, back to that very night.

Princess Luna stood high on a cloud, overlooking Equestria, it was the same cloud she and Celestia met at, each and every dawn and dusk. She looked down at the ponies sleeping peacefully on the ground beneath her and had to put forth a conscious effort not to openly sneer.

Luna dug her hoof at the cloud, she was agitated, more than agitated,
“For hundreds of your lifetimes, I have provided you with a cool, clear night after each day. You relish and play in my sister’s day, but you shun and sleep through my beautiful night. You love Celestia and everything she brings, but what about me? Would any of you, even know me if I was to walk among you right now?” she asked the open air.

Princess Luna hung her head, she already knew the answer,
“I’ve heard it with my own ears now, for years. You ask each other and Celestia the same inane questions, ‘It sure must be a lot of work to raise both the Sun and Moon every day, when do you sleep?’ You don’t even remember me now do you?” Princess Luna stamped her hoof, tearing a large chunk out of the cloud, “Why do I continue on like this? What is the point, when nopony cares? Would an occasional ‘thank you’ be so much to ask? Without my night, you would never have any time to sleep, and I understand that, but the least you could do is acknowledge me!” the Moon Princess became frustrated, “If only one of you would just look up and see my night sky, even for a moment, it would be enough, some kind of acknowledgement, something. Give me a look, a nod, a simple comment, even if it’s just a whisper. Give me something!” she cried loudly.

Down on the Earth below, not a single pony stirred. They did not hear her. She had made her night too perfect and every pony slept right on through her cries. The Moon Princess lay down on the cloud and wept bitter tears, ‘They don’t love me anymore. They don’t even remember me now. I’ve become ‘the other one’, a waste, useless and unnecessary.’ The Moon Princess wept and wept all through her night. Her sorrow had long ago turned to jealousy, and that night it turned from jealousy into bitterness.

Princess Luna didn’t care enough, right then, to stop the emotion from filling her. She had enough, ‘I will MAKE them see my night. I will keep the Moon up until they see it.’ she thought, making her decision easily.

Princess Celestia called out to her little sister as she ascended toward their cloud,
“I’m coming Luna,” she laughed happily, “Make way for the dawn!”

Princess Celestia landed on the cloud smiling hugely, she pranced a merry little dance on the cloud top, extra happy that morning,
“Good morning little sister!” she beamed, “Are you ready to lower the Moon? I know you must be tired, I can take over now and you can go to sleep.”

Princess Luna despised her big sister’s perky morning attitude, it made her even more angry. Luna walked over to the side of the cloud and looked down on the still sleeping ponies below her.

She lowered her head and gritted her teeth, then turned toward Celestia with bitterness in her voice,
“No.” she whispered.

Celestia stopped prancing on the cloud as if she had been stabbed. She turned her head toward her sister slowly, eyes wide and mouth agape, ‘What? This must just be a misunderstanding.’ Celestia turned her whole body toward her younger sister and for the first time, noticed the hurt behind Luna’s eyes, ‘What’s going on?’

Celestia took a careful step toward her younger sister, concern in her eyes, voice, and posture,
“Luna, what’s wrong?” she asked. Luna turned her head away, but Celestia pursued her, “What happened? Luna, please tell me.”

Princess Luna raised her eyes and looked Celestia in the eyes,
“I’m not lowering the Moon.” she said, “They’ve forgotten me.” Luna said, eyes beginning to burn, “They’ve forgotten me but I will MAKE them remember! I’ll MAKE them appreciate my night for once! I will not lower the Moon until they love me again!”

Celestia was shocked, Luna sounded nothing like her normal self,
“Luna please, you can’t stop the cycle of night and day, it isn’t natural . . .”

Luna screamed,
“Is it natural for me to be unappreciated for all these years! Is it natural for a Princess to be ignored by her own subjects? To receive no respect or acknowledgement for what she does! I’m worthless to them now, Celestia! The only Princess they acknowledge is you! They don’t want me! This is going to end right now! I do just as much for them as you do! They will love me and they will love my night or they will never see the Sun again!” Luna didn’t actually mean her last statement, she was merely venting the bitterness in her soul.

Suddenly time seemed to stop.

The cloud vanished, Celestia vanished, everything vanished. Luna stood in a dark nowhere, there was a little light but no light source, she stood but there was no ground. A figure stood in front of her, one she couldn’t identify, but felt familiar all the same.

Princess Luna addressed the figure,
“Who are you?” she asked, “Speak! For I am in no mood for games!”

A deep husky voice addressed the Moon Princess,
“Temper, temper, little Princess. You’re not acting so royal right now. You have been forming me from the most denied, tortured part of your bitter little mind.”

“Who are you?” Luna asked.

“I am the embodiment of your pain and desire. I am the entity formed by your fevered dreams, your nightmare, if you will. I am Nightmare Moon and I have an offer for you. Indulge me for a time, allow me to grasp your power, all of it, and I shall give you what you most desire. I can see into your mind’s eye, for it is my prison. You are afraid to take any truly drastic steps to achieve what you yearn for, I however am under no such hindrance.” Nightmare Moon’s voice seemed to come from right behind Luna, “Think about it, my mistress.” she whispered seductively, “Everything you want, everything you’ve cried yourself to sleep over for the past several thousand years, can be yours. I am your humble servant and I shall do your bidding. I was born of your desire. Every dark urge that you fear to act upon I will do for you. My offer is only for you, my creator. You made me and to that, I am yours and yours alone.”

“You can do it? You can get them to love me?” Princess Luna asked hopefully, desperation tinting her voice.

Nightmare Moon laughed,
“One way or another, they will bow to you.” she assured.

“Do it then.” Princess Luna knew it was a mistake as soon as the words left her lips.

Nightmare Moon appeared on the cloud, clad in dark shimmering armor, thin and unhealthy, yet with a morbid and vivacious macabre malignancy. Princess Celestia was utterly shocked at the appearance of the mare that manifested where her little sister had been only moments before. From her cloud-top vantage point the dark mare spotted the white stone city beneath her. Nightmare Moon drew a deep breath and exhaled, breathing thick fog down into the city below. Its inhabitants ran out into the streets, drawn by the foggy darkness which heralded the dark one's manifestation. The fog in the continual darkness frightened them, one and all, 'Where is Princess Celestia's day? Where is the Sun? I can't see!'

The evil mare laughed harshly at their plight,
“I will keep them in darkness for a time and then pull the fog away. They will embrace the night. They will love the night for it will be the only light they have! The night will last forever!” inside her, Princess Luna screamed.

The Princess could see through Nightmare Moon's eyes but she was helpless to act. She called out to her captor,
“No! This isn't what I wanted! Nightmare Moon, you lied to me! They can't live without the Sun! Their crops will die and their skin will pale! They take nourishment from what the Sun provides! I didn't want this! I just wanted t be appreciated as an equal, not as a superior to Celestia! I wanted a longer night, not an eternal one! I just wanted them to see the night, not become prisoners of it! Stop this, please!”

The Princess' words fell on uncaring ears. Nightmare Moon had been born of Princess Luna's bitterness. The Princess had fueled the emotions for years beyond count, giving Nightmare Moon more potency with each passing moment. Nightmare Moon not only took control of Princess Luna's power but her body as well, she needed a physical form. From the deepest depths of her new power she had magically manifested into a creature which represented the truest form of what she was and what she desired. Nightmare Moon chose a form loosely based on that of Princess Luna, but of an equal size to Princess Celestia, whom Luna envied so terribly.

“Luna?” Celestia cried, “Luna, what happened to you?” she took a step toward the new and fearsome mare who now stood in front of her.

“Silence foal!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, “Your pathetic sister has given her power to me now! I am Nightmare Moon, and I will give your sister what she desires! You have ignored her, just like the rest of your subjects, and now you will pay! She would have never been bold enough to confront you like this, so she gave her power to me instead! Now I shall rule Equestria and you will rule nothing! This land is mine now! Be gone!” with her final words, Nightmare Moon lowered her head and issued forth a bolt of magic which struck a shocked Celestia.

The Princess of the Sun was not a creature of violence, nor was Princess Luna. The notion of violence went against their natures. Nightmare Moon had no such restraint. Princess Celestia vanished from sight and Nightmare Moon thought she had won. She laughed long and loud, her victory simple and quick.

Centuries before Nightmare Moon had entered the picture, the two Alicorn sisters had born witness to the types of violence perpetrated upon the ponies by the various creatures which inhabited Equestria. Families were slaughtered, crops were destroyed, and homes were raised to the ground. The land of Equestria, in those days, was a place which bore little resemblance to the Equestria most knew, and the same was applied to its inhabitants. The ponies struggled to survive on a daily basis, and had become ruthless and selfish. The monsters had dominated the ponies and had obtained complete control over them. They forced the ponies to build them a great fortress high up in the mountains with a small city at its base to house their slaves. Within this city, the ponies were subjected to torture, starvation, and death at the whims of their masters.

The prominent characteristics which governed the ponies’ actions were based on what they knew at the time:
Lying, to conceal their true motives and keep themselves safe,
Cruelty, to any creature weaker than themselves and make others fear them,
Sorrow, for their lot in life as forced slaves and the torments that it brought,
Greed, to keep anything they had because they had so little,
Betrayal, they would turn any rebellious ponies over to their masters for safety or food,
Banality, the ponies had lost their identities, they simply existed in a state of perpetual existence without meaning, there was no magic and no wonder in them only an empty lack of everything,
Despair, for the ponies had lost the desire to strive for something better and saw no possible good in their future,
Impatience, for their needs were great and constant,
Ignorance, for they grasped at any chance to obtain what they needed without thought to feasibility or likelihood of success,
Denial, for they refused to believe there was anything better for them despite their strengths and abilities,
Laziness, for they refused to try to better themselves believing it would be useless, and finally,
Hate, for the ponies had lost the urge to forgive any misdeed or infraction no matter how minor or accidental.

Neither sister had it within themselves to take up violent action against the marauding creatures, but their subjects, like Nightmare Moon, had no such innate restraints. A small group of ponies, six mares and six stallions, four of each type of pony, banded together to combat the aggressors. The small group used cunning and strategy, might and main to out-wit the monsters and try to force them out of the ponies’ land, but they simply didn't have the power necessary to do so. The small group fought valiantly, but to no effective end. They could use violence, but none of them had the power to make their will widely known and respected. As soon as one ravaging group was dealt with, another simply sprung up to take its place. The ponies fought an unending battle that they knew they would ultimately loose, but still they fought.

The two sisters, seeing the bravery of the twelve ponies, entrusted them with magical gifts, each of which gave them power. To the mares, they gave the Elements of Harmony, to bring back to Equestria what had been taken by their enemies: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic.

To the stallions, they gave the Elements of Peace, to return to Equestria what had led to their inability to free themselves from their oppressors and work together: Hope, Patience, Discernment, Acceptance, Perseverance, and Forgiveness.

The physical forms of the Elements of Harmony were jewelry for the mares, so that other ponies could look upon them and know the beauty of such traits. The mares had been the inspiration and were the true might behind the group. The Elements of Harmony were given the combined power of both Princesses to combat their enemies offensively, each Element represented by a powerful jewel. With their power, the mares could destroy any enemy which threatened Equestria or its citizens.

The physical forms of the Elements of Peace were suits of armor for the stallions, so that other ponies would feel protected and know their safety was not an idea but a physical thing which could be touched and felt. The Elements of Peace were given the strength and resilience of Equestria itself to protect the Elements of Harmony and all of the ponies who needed such protection. They were the defensive line against whose combined might, no force could break through.

The ponies, once free of their captors, had all gathered in one forest for safety. Within this forest was the original home of the Elements of Peace and Harmony who had named it The Everfree Forrest in honor of their crusade against their oppressors. The ponies built a great city within the deepest reaches of The Everfree Forrest. They also built the Palace of the Pony Sisters for Celestia and Luna, whom they named Princesses, and their rulers. As the years passed, the population of the city grew and overflowed its walls. The ponies knew they could not stay in their beloved forest but remembered the massive fortress their oppressors had built and journeyed, en-masse to rebuild the fortress and make their new city there where they could expand as needed. Celestia and Luna joined them and helped to raise the city walls and formed a new Royal Palace, both right out of the white marble that was the foundation of the original fortress. The two Princesses abandoned their old home and joined their subjects in their new home which they named Canterlot.

Throughout the ages of Equestria, each Element was given back to the Princesses once its bearer passed on. The Elements of Harmony were given back to Princess Celestia and the Elements of Peace were given back to Princess Luna. The Princesses had designed the Elements of Peace and Harmony to metamorphose into small stone spheres so the Princesses could utilize them in a time of need if violence was not called for. If violence was required, the Elements would, invariably be taken up by the descendants of the original twelve ponies, and their true power could be used in full.

Nightmare Moon laughed long and loud, her victory seemingly simple and quick. Her armor was beautiful and dark. Using Princess Luna's knowledge of the Elements, Nightmare Moon had summoned to her and subsequently absorbed the Elements of Peace, forming them into her own armor. Through Luna's knowledge of the Elements of Peace Nightmare Moon knew there was only one thing which could destroy her armor and threaten her, the Elements of Harmony. The previous bearers of the Elements of Harmony had passed away years before and there had been no need of them since, so they remained unused. Nightmare Moon wanted that power.

She launched herself off the cloud and landed down on the ground, right in the center of Canterlot,
“Bow before me my peasants! I am Nightmare Moon and I am your ruler now!” she laughed.

One tiny Earth pony filly trotted right up to Nightmare Moon, indignantly,
“We don't bow to anypony except Celestia!” she said punctuating the statement with a kick against Nightmare Moon's armored foreleg.

Nightmare Moon looked down at the brave filly and smiled an evil smile,
“Well, it looks like my new subjects need an example of what happens to those who defy me.”

Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow. She telekinetically forced the little unicorn filly's face into the dirt on the ground, beginning to smother her,
“I said bow to me, foal!”

The filly struggled against the power being used against her but could not break free. Nightmare Moon pushed her down harder and heard the telltale snap as the bones in the filly's muzzle broke. She screamed and gasped for air, but Nightmare Moon held her tight, laughing maniacally. A sudden gust of wind broke Nightmare Moon's concentration and nudged her to the side. It was a minor annoyance at most, but the filly was free. Nightmare Moon turned to face the pony who dared to assault her and was faced with a very upset, slightly charred, Princess Celestia.

Nightmare Moon turned to face the Princess,
“I thought I had destroyed you. No matter, the Elements of Harmony will see to that soon enough.” Nightmare Moon took wing and launched herself into the sky, heading right toward The Palace of the Pony Sisters where the Elements of Harmony were hidden.

Celestia, in her weakened state, could not summon up the magic to summon the Elements of Harmony to her as Nightmare Moon had with the Elements of Peace. Never the less, Celestia took to the sky, not to give chase, but to stall Nightmare Moon until her own power had returned to its full strength.

Nightmare Moon reflexively pulled back as Celestia soared directly in front of her,
“Return Luna!” she cried, “Return to me, my sister!” Celestia commended.

Nightmare Moon only laughed,
“Or what?” she asked, “What can you do? I know everything Luna knows. I know you cannot attack me even if it’s to save your own life!” the evil mare punctuated the statement with another blast of her power aimed at Celestia.

The Sun Princess dodged nimbly out of the way. The blast of destructive magical power flew downward and struck the heart of Celestia's prized University. The University buildings began to crumble, the cries of its inhabitants, rising into the air around Nightmare Moon and Celestia. The Princess of the Sun turned in mid air and focused her power, trying desperately to hold the buildings up long enough for the occupants to escape safely. Nightmare Moon took the chance and flew off in the direction of the Elements of Harmony once again.

For the second time, Nightmare Moon had to pull back, mid-flight, as a team of pegasi intercepted her, pummeling her with their hooves. They attacked from every direction in groups of three and four. They did little but harass the evil mare, but it was something, and it was all they could do. They kept up the attack without abating for several minutes. Nightmare Moon aimed blasts of her power at the ponies barring her way, but the pegasi were too quick and the blasts landed within the city destroying large chunks of it with each explosive impact. She snared one pegasus with telekinesis and threw her into another one, like a battering ram. Using this method, Nightmare Moon broke the attack of the pegasi down to nothing. She flung the bodies down toward the ground, smiling. Her smile faltered, as unicorns on the ground began catching the pegasi with their magic and landing them safely, while Earth ponies kicked rocks at her like little missiles. Nightmare Moon turned toward where Celestia had been. The Princess of the Sun was nowhere to be seen, and the University had collapsed.

Nightmare Moon smiled then and laughed as she winged away toward the Elements of Harmony once more. She flew as fast as she could, allowing Luna's memory to guide her to the ancient Palace of the Pony Sisters. She arrived and landed in the old Throne Room, there on a series of pedestals rested the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon laughed haughtily to herself and casually trotted toward her new weapon. Suddenly six pegasi erupted from within the circle of pedestals, each grabbing a sphere, and flew off in a V-formation.

Nightmare Moon reared back and bellowed,
“NO!” as she took to the air again.

The pegasi flew in a tight pattern, but Nightmare Moon was faster. She reached the pegasus who was the closest to her and struck the poor stallion's back with her hooves. The stallion fell from the air dazed, injured and dropping the sphere he had been carrying. Nightmare Moon seized the sphere and let the stallion fall, choosing to continue the chase. It had been a mistake. The stallion's rainbow colored mane and tail flared out behind him as he fell, unconscious, toward the hard, unforgiving ground below. He regained consciousness and pulled up swiftly. He looked toward his fellow pegasi and the sight of Nightmare Moon gaining on another pegasus. He felt a surge of strength flow through him and flew with all his might, directly on an intercept course with the space between the dangerous Alicorn and the other pegasi.

He flew as fast and hard as he could, pouring every ounce of speed he had at his disposal into his wing motion. Nightmare Moon reached out her hoof to strike-down another pegasus. The stallion burst between the two and a brilliant flare of rainbow colors exploded out in every direction with a thunderous crack, stunning and blinding Nightmare Moon momentarily. The stallion hit the evil Alicorn and took back the sphere. The six pegasi flew with all their might back toward the Palace of the Pony Sisters where Celestia waited.

Celestia had taken advantage of Nightmare Moon's distraction back in Canterlot and had the six pegasi follow her back to the ruins to provide a distraction while Celestia's power regenerated. The six pegasi carried only round boulders. Celestia had cast an illusion spell on them and hidden the real Elements of Harmony.

Nightmare Moon shook off the effect of the Sonic Rainboom and scouted around for the six pegasi. She spotted them flying back toward the ruins and sped after them, gaining quickly. She may have been evil, but she was no idiot, she had a new weapon in her arsenal, her own version of the Sonic Rainboom. The pegasi, seeing Nightmare Moon gaining on them, dropped down into the Everfree Forrest flying between the trees with much more agility than the evil Alicorn could muster. Nightmare Moon flew down to the forest floor and focused her magic. Instead of using speed to do it, Nightmare Moon simply used all her magic to cast her own version of the Sonic Rainboom: the Dark Nova.

Malignant darkness spread out around her in every direction, mutating the very fabric of The Everfree Forrest, changing it and warping it. The very dirt changed, every animal, every tree. Nightmare Moon hung her head gasping for breath, the spell had taken almost everything she had, but the Everfree Forrest was her domain now. The heard the cries of the pegasi as the Dark Nova overtook them. Nightmare Moon felt satisfied, they could not escape her power now. She trotted along toward the cries of the fallen pegasi as quickly as she could.

She spotted them laying on the far side of the old bridge, which the ancient ponies had used for defense instead of a wall. Nightmare Moon trotted triumphantly over the bridge and up to the fallen pegasi,
“The Elements of Harmony are mine!” she laughed.

A crystal clear voice called out to her from the darkness,
“Be bound!”

Nightmare Moon turned just in time to see Celestia standing at the base of the ancient Palace, with the Elements of Harmony floating in the air around her. The evil mare's legs, wings, muzzle, and horn were bound in place by immovable magic.

Celestia gracefully walked up to Nightmare Moon,
“You were correct, Nightmare Moon, I cannot destroy you, but I can bind you and I can banish you.” Celestia planted her head against the evil mare's face, “Luna, I know you're in there, little sister. I'll find a way to bring you back, I promise.” Celestia stepped back, “Nightmare Moon you are hereby banished to the Moon, until the stars align exactly as they are right now, in a thousand years.”

A ribbon of rainbow colored light swirled all around Nightmare Moon, enveloping her completely. The light ribbon shot up to the Moon, depositing her there to be imprisoned there for a thousand years. As a reminder of the kind of evil entombed therein, Celestia placed a shadow on the Moon in the shape of a mare's head.

Princess Luna returned to the present.

She shook her head, clearing away the memories. Since her emancipation from Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna had poured herself into all the history of Equestria she could. A thousand years was a lot to catch up on. Celestia eventually decided to form a Royal guard and fashioned their armor after the original armor of the Elements of Peace, since the originals were bound to Nightmare Moon for a thousand years.

Luna smiled to herself remembering when she had asked Celestia about why Nightmare Moon hadn't been able to use the Elements of Harmony against her when she returned,
“I had no way of permanently defeating Nightmare Moon, but I knew that she had a way to eliminate me for good. I kept a close watch on the descendants of the original Elements of Harmony and I determined which fillies displayed the appropriate traits and just made sure they all wound up together. They could destroy Nightmare Moon where I could only imprison her. I hid myself and the Element of Magic with me, so Nightmare Moon couldn't find it. I hid on the Moon after she escaped, it was the one place she would have never looked, and the one place where I could watch and make sure everything went according to plan. I erased all knowledge of the Element of Magic from history books and put the rest of the Elements of Harmony back in the ruins to ensure the battle took place there, away from our subjects. As for the Elements of Peace, that is your domain and I didn’t have the heart to subvert you, especially in your absence.”

Celestia hung her head sadly,
“I had no idea you felt so abandoned, Luna. I have no excuse for my oversight. I’m your sister, I should have known. I'm so sorry you had to endure for so long alone my sister. I wish there had been another way, but I didn't have time to come up with an alternative.” Celestia had lowered her head, nuzzling her little sister, “I love you Luna, I missed you so much.”

Princess Luna smiled at the memory, then glanced down at Celestia's sleeping form next to her,
“Don't you worry, big sister. You raised the Moon for me for a thousand years, now I'll raise the Sun for you. Keep your strength and take a well-deserved rest. It’s my turn to work now. Sleep tight, Celestia.”

Chapter 5

Trials of the Elements

Part 5

Big Macintosh finally reached the gates of Canterlot, late in the evening. He had never been to visit a big city before and was thusly awestruck by the sight. He slowly walked up to the gates marveling at them. The gates were massive. The walls flanking the gates were, Big Macintosh judged, thirty paces tall, with the gates themselves close on to twenty paces. The walls were ivory colored, seamless, and gleamed even in the dim light of Luna's Moon. The gates themselves seemed to glow in the pale moonlight, each intricately carved door reflecting golden colored light in every visible direction.

Big Macintosh entered the city and gazed, fixedly at the enormous white-wash colored buildings as he strode past, each one a marvel unto itself. Big Mac's ears picked up the sound of some pony's hooves striking the street in front of him and he quickly sidestepped to avoid running into them. He almost succeeded.

The other pony, a lime green unicorn with a yellow mane and tail flopped back onto his haunches,
“Ouch!” he said, “Did I run into a brick wall? I don't usually run . . . “ the unicorn spoke quickly, but stopped mid-sentence when he looked up and saw Big Macintosh starring down at him, “Oh uh, I'm sorry.” he said eyes wide, “Are you O.K.?”

“Ayup.” Big Macintosh responded with his usual comment.

Big Mac reached down and picked up the unicorn by the scruff of the neck with his muzzle, and set him down in a standing position.

“Wow, you sure are big. I don't think I've ever seen a pony as big as you. You're solid too, but then again I know a couple of other ponies like that.” the unicorn said, glancing at the red Earth pony's saddle bags.

Big Macintosh shrugged,
“Ayup.”

The unicorn looked up, his attention drawn away from the saddle bags,
“You don't say much do you?”

“Not unless Ah have somethin' to say.” Big Mac responded.

“Hey, I just noticed your saddle bags, are you new to Canterlot? I've never seen you before. Then again Canterlot is a big place and I can't be expected to know every pony now can I? That would be so cool if I did though, then I could go anywhere and . . . “ the unicorn stopped when he noticed, Big Macintosh was looking around, “I'm rambling aren't I?” he asked.

“Ayup.”

“Are you hungry? You look like you've been on the road for a while. I know a really, really, really, really, really nice bar where they serve the best hay fries. It's funny I bumped into you, I was just headed there myself. I wanted a friend of mine to join me but he had other things to do, so I just decided to go by myself, unless you want to come with me. Would you like to come with me? Oh duh, where are my manners? I'm Lemon Lime but everypony just calls me Live Wire. I never understood why. Oh well, so what's your name? ” the unicorn asked.

“Mah name's Big Macintosh.” the red pony introduced, extending his hoof.

Lemon Lime took it to shake, but ended up being lifted and lowered several times,
“ . . . “ Lemon Lime's eyes were the size of saucers, “ . . . so would like to join me? . . . could use the company.” he said voice cracking.

“Ah am a mite peckish. Ah guess Ah'll join you.” Big Macintosh said smoothly.

“Alright then, follow me. Uh, you don't mind if I talk do you?” Lemon Lime asked.

“Nope.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Big Macintosh followed Lemon Lime to an unassuming place with a sign above the door that simply said 'BAR'. Big Macintosh had heard of bars but he had never had a chance to go to one; there were no bars in Ponyville. Lemon Lime opened the door and Big Macintosh stepped inside. The place was dimly lit but Big Mac could see that it was packed with ponies, more than half were mares and the vast majority were unicorns. Most sat at tables, drinking from mugs, others were watching a pretty unicorn filly in a fancy dress, dance up on a small stage. To his right, he saw a long counter with stools in front of it, and a slightly plump unicorn mare behind the counter cleaning glasses. Her coat was the color of red clay and her mane and tail were a shining silver color. She spoke freely with the ponies seated at the counter, laughing occasionally at some joke or other. The place seemed nice enough and Big Mac had emptied his canteen long before reaching Canterlot so he was both hungry and thirsty, 'It kind of resembles the juice bars Pinkie Pie has at some of her parties.'

Lemon Lime hopped up onto one of the bar stools and patted one right next to him,
“Come on over.”

Big Macintosh walked up to the counter and slid his saddle bags over the seat of the stool, then sat down atop the straps. Lemon Lime held up his hoof and waved the clay colored mare over. She looked up and smiled at seeing him.

She walked over briskly,
“What can I get you Live Wire?” she asked.

“Give me an order of hay fries and a tall mug of your house special. I'm paying for me friend here. So get him whatever he wants.” Lemon Lime said.

The mare looked at Big Macintosh,
“What can I get for you big fella?” she asked casually.

“You got any sasaparilla, ma'am?” Big Mac asked

“I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that one. You look like you can handle your stuff, so how about a Colt's Island Iced Tea?” she offered.

“Ayup.” Big Mac replied. He didn't know what the Colt's Island part was about, but iced tea sounded good to him.

“Do you want anything from the menu?” the mare asked.

“Ah'll have the same as my friend here.” Big Mac replied.

The unicorn mare walked over to the rows of bottles and poured small amounts of liquid from several fancy looking bottles into a tall glass then added some tea, a straw, and ice cubes. Big Macintosh thought it was a strange way to make tea, 'Different strokes for different folks, Ah guess.' he thought. The mare then took a thick looking mug and pulled on a lever under the counter, filling the mug with a golden colored liquid, then levitated the two over to Big Mac and Lemon Lime.

The mare turned and yelled through a window,
“Hey Al, we need two orders of hay fries, nice and crispy.”

A disembodied, husky stallion's voice answered her from the back,
“What?”

Lemon Lime levitated his mug up to his mouth and began chugging its contents, draining the mug in less than twenty seconds. Big Macintosh took a sip of his 'Tea' and managed not to gag, 'Boy howdy!' he thought, 'They sure do like their tea strong 'round here.'

Somepony tapped Big Mac on the shoulder, none too gently,
“Hey! That's my seat! Move it!” the speaker was a tall, muscular, unicorn stallion.

Big Macintosh turned his head and looked the unicorn up and down. He had a coat of creamy beige and his mane and tail were rusty red, cut short and straight.

Big Mac opened his muzzle to reply, but the bartender beat him to it,
“Leave him alone, Cantankerous. He was there first. I don't need you starting any fights in here tonight.”

Cantankerous refused to heed the bartender's warning and shoved Big Macintosh hard on the shoulder with his hoof,
“Hey, did you hear me? I said move it!”

Lemon Lime turned around,
“Hey, come on 'Tank', he's new around here, don't give him a hard time. There's plenty of stools . . . “

“Was I talking to you Lame Ware?” Cantankerous asked.

“Tank!” the bartender said loudly, “I said cut it out and leave them alone!”

“Ah, don't want no trouble. Ah'll move.” Big Macintosh said hoping to avoid a fight.

As Big Macintosh began to shift, so as to dismount the stool, Cantankerous' horn began glowing and he pulled the stool out from under the peaceful Earth pony. Big Macintosh tried to catch himself but he wasn't quite fast enough. His muzzle hit the counter-top of the bar, nose first. Big Mac's head snapped back, leaving a small trail of blood. He landed on the floor in a sitting position, with a heavy thump.

Lemon Lime slid off his stool as fast a greased lightning,
“Hold still, Big Macintosh!” he said levitating a cluster of napkins down to his friend's face.

Cantankerous laughed,
“That'll teach you to move faster, stupid! Come on, hurry up!”

Big Macintosh slowly rose to his hooves and looked over his shoulder at Cantankerous.

The unicorn took it as a challenge,
“What?” he asked, “You want to fight?”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said evenly, “But that was rude, and Ah can't abide rudeness.”

“Tank! You're drunk, leave him alone! Just go home and sleep it off!” the bartender yelled, laying down a towel for Big Macintosh.

“Mind your own business fatty!” Cantankerous retorted.

Big Macintosh, calm as always, simply said,
“You're goin' to apologize to the lady, right now.”

“Or what? You going to make me?” Cantankerous asked.

“Ah'd rather not. Ah'd rather you had the character to do that yourself.” Big Macintosh could have been discussing the weather for all the emotion he put into the statement.

“Buck you.” Cantankerous spouted.

“If yall insist.” Big Mac said.

The puzzled look on Cantankerous' face turned to surprise. Big Macintosh bucked lightly, one hoof on either side of the unicorn's horn. The movement was lightening quick but gentle . . . for Big Macintosh, for Cantankerous it felt anything but gentle. The unicorn flew, in the air, backwards almost ten paces and landed on his back, dazed. The bar went completely silent as all eyes turned to the stunned stallion. Big Macintosh turned around slowly and walked over to the fallen unicorn. Using his mouth, the massive Earth pony bit Cantankerous' tail and dragged him up to the bar.

Big Mac let the unicorn's tail go and lifted his head up onto the counter,
“Ah think he needs some ice.”

The bartender put some ice into a cloth and tied the top. She brought it over and set it on the counter.

Big Mac picked it up with his muzzle and placed it gently on the rising bumps on Cantankerous' head,
“Now what do you say?” Big Mac urged politely.

“Thank you.” Cantankerous croaked.

“And?” Lemon Lime asked.

“I'm sorry.” Cantankerous groaned.

“Can Ah get him some water?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Sure thing, sweetie.” the bartender said winking at Big Macintosh.

The other bar patrons turned back to what they had been doing, now that the action was over. Lemon Lime sat back onto his stool and smiled at the heaping platter of hay fries that had appeared like magic. Big Macintosh wrapped his lips around the 'Iced Tea' straw and slurped down the whole thing. He felt better as soon as he was done and ordered another one.

The bartender returned and pushed a pair of glasses over to Big Macintosh and Cantankerous,
“I tried to warn you 'Tank'. You should have noticed his cutie-mark. He's an apple farmer. They're as strong as they come.” she turned to the red Earth pony, “Let me guess, you're part of the Apple family, right?”

“Ayup.” Big Mac confirmed.

The bartender sighed, shaking her head,
“You got off easy 'Tank'. This big guy could have knocked you clear through a wall. You're lucky the Apple family is a really nice bunch, and more importantly, almost impossible to irritate, well the stallions anyway. Be double glad it wasn't one one of the Apple family mares, they have some pretty bad tempers.” she noticed Big Mac's raised eyebrow and said, “I buy all the expired cider from Sweet Apple Acres to use in my drinks.”

Big Macintosh smiled and looked down at Cantankerous,
“Can you stand?”

“Yeah, I think so.” the unicorn said rising to his hooves shakily, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Ah already told you, Ah can't abide rudeness.” Big Mac said simply.

“I uh, didn't actually mean to bust up your nose.” Cantankerous admitted.

“Ayup.” Big Mac replied.

“So you're not mad?” 'Tank' asked.

“I don't think that's his style, 'Tank', and you have to admit that kick was pretty stylish. I mean BAM right on the head! You should have seen yourself 'Tank'. You looked like a pegasus flying upside down and backwards. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I'm not trying to be mean and I'm sure you're sorry for picking on him, but you really kind of deserved that. The barkeeper already told you to leave him alone, but you didn't listen, so you kind of got what was coming to you. I'm glad you're not injured or anything though, because that would be awful, but maybe you should think about not drinking so much. Why did you pull his stool out from under him though? I've never seen you go that far and I've been coming here for years. Why did you pull the stool out from under him?” Lemon Lime asked, speedy as always.

“I don't know.” Cantankerous said quietly, “I guess I went too far huh?”

The bartender, Lemon Lime, and Big Macintosh all said in unison,
“Ayup.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant awoke to the sound of Mend talking. Valiant turned his head to the right, quietly. The older stallion lay on his chest, on his bed, with his eyes fixed on a book in front of him, reading out loud.

“Bones have multiple layers . . . “

“Mend, are you alright?” Valiant asked quietly.

Dr. Mend never looked up,
“They woke me up Valiant.” he sighed shakily, “I'm trying to drown them out. The outer layer is composed primarily of calcium . . . “ he continued reading out loud.

Valiant was concerned about his friend,
“Do you remember last night?”

“Quite clearly, Valiant. I agreed to let you help me, and I will. The marrow produces blood . . . “ Dr. Mend continued reading.

Valiant sighed with relief and began thinking, 'I had hoped the voices would stop, but I don't know much about this kind of thing. A psychologist would be ideal, but they might have to report Mend and he could lose his license. He's not a danger to himself or others. He hears voices, but it doesn't affect his work. His work . . . ' Valiant looked up,
“Mend, do you have anypony you can trust who is a psychologist? Doctors have connections like that right?”

“Different fields Valiant. I don't know a single . . . “ Dr. Mend stopped short and looked up sharply, “My saddle bags.” he said rising swiftly.

Dr. Mend practically jumped out of his bed. He raced over to his saddle bags which were hung over the back of his desk chair. He opened the left bag and reached in with his muzzle. He withdrew a small card and set it down on his desk next to the vials containing the fast-healing potion.

Valiant walked up next to Dr. Mend and peered at the card,
“Do you know him?” Valiant asked.

“Not really. We spoke on the concourse briefly and he gave me his card. He said if I ever changed my mind to call on him.” Dr. Mend turned his head toward Valiant, “I suppose I should take him up on his offer huh?”

Valiant put a hoof over Dr. Mend's shoulder,
“That sounds like a fantastic idea, my friend. I'll go with you.” Valiant offered.

“To the clinic too?” Dr. Mend asked.

“If you agree to visit your grandparents.” Valiant countered.

Dr. Mend hung his head,
“I don't know if I'm ready to face them yet, Valiant. I was terrible to them.”

“They don't care. They love you. Mend you've been denying yourself love for years. It's time to embrace it.” Valiant encouraged.

“It's just too fast, Valiant. Let me get better first.” Dr. Mend said, “Please, give me some time. I'll go to this counselor and everything, but don't rush me. How hard would it be for you to face Arabesque right now?”

Valiant's eyebrows rose,
“How do you know about her? I never told you. I should have, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet.”

“Rarity told me when you were in your coma. Speaking of which, I'm sorry for what I said the other day, Valiant. I don't hold you responsible for any deaths and it was completely uncalled for. Will you forgive me?” Dr. Mend asked.

“Of course. But you also need to realize there are things that are completely beyond our control. Do you understand what I mean?” Valiant asked quietly.

“I think so. It's going to take me some time to forgive myself though. I know it doesn't make any sense, but you have to trust me. I've blamed myself for my parents' deaths for more than two decades. That doesn't just go away.” Dr. Mend said.

“That ,” Valiant said straightening up, “Is something I do understand. I'm still not completely over what happened between Arabesque and I, but I'm trying to move on. I know it's hard, but at least we have each other. If you ever need help or just a shoulder to cry on . . . again, just tell me, O.K.?”

Dr. Mend stuck out his hoof,
“The same goes for you though. I'm not the only imperfect soul here. We're both damaged goods. I think fate brought us together and I, for one, am grateful for it. We'll be each other's strength, deal?”

Valiant Shook Dr. Mend's hoof firmly,
“Deal. Now let's go see this Sea Blue guy.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend looked both nervous and preoccupied as Valiant knocked on Sea Blue's door,
“What do I say, Valiant? I don't even know this stallion.”

“I'll help you don't worry.” Valiant said supportively.

The white, windowless door in front of Valiant opened, revealing Sea Blue,
“Good day, may I help you?” he asked cheerfully.

Valiant expected Sea Blue to be . . . well . . . sea blue not turquoise. Sea Blue had bright orange mane and tail with yellow highlights and his eyes were, of all things, neon green. Valiant had also expected Sea Blue to be older, maybe in his thirties or forties. As it was the unicorn stallion looked to be Valiant's age, if not a hair younger.

“Are you Sea Blue?” Valiant asked, thinking he might have the wrong house.

The unicorn stallion chuckled heartily,
“Not an inch of me, but it is my name. Would you like to set an appointment? I'm free right now actually.” he said cheerfully.

“Not for me,” Valiant said stepping aside, revealing Dr. Mend, “For my friend here.”

Sea Blue's eyes lit up,
“Ah yes, I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name last time. Was it Grumpy Guts or Mr. Testy? Bellicose, perhaps?”

Dr. Mend turned to Valiant, eyes dark,
“I'm going to kill him.”

Sea Blue didn't seem even remotely phased by the comment,
“Now I remember. It was Psychopath.”

Valiant had to strain not to smile at the obnoxious unicorn's antics,
“May we come in?”

Sea Blue held the door for the two stallions, seemingly suddenly aware of Dr. Mend's serious expression,
“I apologize if I was offensive. I'm very playful by nature. By all means, come in and have a seat.”

The inside of Sea Blue's house was decorated in calming pastel colors. To Dr. Mend's left was a comfortable room with two couches and one chair facing them. A coffee table of light brown wood stood interposed between the couches and chair. The backs of the couches were situated just beneath the sills of a trio of windows which spread vast amounts of light around the room. Directly in front of the front door, a mere six paces back, was a set of stairs.

A tiny voice called out from upstairs,
“Who is it Daddy?” the voice was followed by a lively unicorn filly.

The filly was eraser pink in her coat and her mane and tail looked like spun gold. She appeared to be around the same age as the Cutie-Mark Crusaders. The aspect of her which stood out the most was that her right eye was missing. Her left eye was a pretty, sparkling, cobalt blue. In the place of where her right eye should have been was a blank, unmarred, patch of smooth skin.

The little filly stopped at the bottom of the stairs,
“Oh, hello!” she said brightly, “Daddy, has Glamour come by yet? We were supposed to go to the park.”

Sea Blue turned all his attention straight to her,
“I'm sorry Patch, she hasn't. Why don't you go next door and play with Clover and Lucky? I'll come by and pick you up in a little while, then we can go get some ice cream. Does that sound alright?”

“Alright Daddy, see you later.” Patch said running past Valiant and Dr. Mend out the door.

Sea Blue watched her go, smiling broadly,
“That's my girl.” he whispered.

Valiant and Dr. Mend sat down on the first couch they came to while Sea Blue closed the door. Looking around, Valiant could see straight ahead of him, into the kitchen where the refrigerator door was covered with perfectly drawn pictures in crayon. To his left was a doorway leading to another room, presumably the living room.

Sea Blue walked over and sat in the chair across from the two stallions, now all business,
“What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Valiant took the lead,
“My very good friend here, Mend, is having trouble coping with the loss of his parents and I have no real idea how to help him.”

Sea Blue turned toward Dr. Mend,
“Is that the case?”

Dr. Mend nodded,
“I think that about sums it up.”

Sea Blue leaned back in his chair and put his hooves together,
“Let me tell you a few things, then let you decide if you want to continue. First, I won't be telling you what to do. I ask questions and make recommendations based on what I know of you and what I studied. Second, I can't help you if you don't want me to. If you don't want help then I won't waste your time. Third, I am not only a counselor, but both a psychologist and a psychiatrist as well. I am certified to provide a clinical diagnosis of all known mental disorders. I do not report any disorders unless you seen unstable and/or dangerous. I occasionally prescribe medication for some disorders, but I tend to do that only in the most extreme cases. How does that strike you?”

“It sounds honest and straight-forward.” Dr. Mend said, slightly surprised by Sea Blue's sudden professionalism.

“Do you wish to continue, Mend?” Sea Blue asked.

“I don't want to, but I think I need to.” Dr. Mend said.

Sea Blue smiled,
“That sounds honest and straight-forward. Mend, do you feel comfortable talking to me alone?”

“I'm going t have to. Valiant here, has things to do.” Dr. Mend said turning to his friend, “I'll catch up with you later at Avalon Medical Care Clinic.”

Valiant rose from the couch and headed for the door,
“I'll be there at 3:00 p.m.”

Valiant left Dr. Mend and Sea Blue to talk.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant ran back to the dorm and grabbed his saddle bags, grateful that Sea Blue's house was close to the University campus, and made his way toward Mrs. Soothe's Apothecary.

Valiant arrived out of breath and opened the door, Mrs. Soothe stood behind the counter,
“Hello Mrs. Soothe, I'm back, like I said.”

Mrs. Soothe visibly paled at the sight of Valiant,
“Yes, so I see. Did your potion work, or do we need to take a trip to an asylum?”

Valiant smirked as he unwrapped his leg,
“See for yourself.” he said proudly walking up to the counter.

Mrs. Soothe's eyes bulged,
“Sweet Celestia,” she breathed, “You really weren't kidding were you.”

Valiant smiled at his completely healed leg,
“I'm not playing around if I'm willing to do something crazy like that.”

Mrs. Soothe couldn't argue,
“And it was crazy, make no mistake about that. However, I'll admit you certainly know how to make a point. I'm as good as my word, you've got the job. Can you start today?”

“I’m yours till 2:30, boss.” Valiant said smiling. Finally things were starting to go right.

(Author’s note: Challenge, can anyone name the reference I made, when the Big Macintosh and Lemon Lime were in the bar? First one to name the reference gets a prize.)

Chapter 6

Trials of the Elements

Part 6

Big Macintosh stirred on the couch he had slept on. He cracked open his eyes and peered around the room he was in. The room looked to be made out of purple everything. He lay on a purple couch, draped in a purple blanket, with a purple pillow. The coffee table next to him was painted purple, the flowers on the table were purple, even the carpet was purple. Big Macintosh noticed the ceiling and walls were purple, the door leading out of the room was purple, the dang ceiling fan was painted purple, with purple light-bulbs. Big Macintosh closed his eyes and still saw purple.

The massive Earth pony stood up from the couch and wondered where he was. He was unsettled by the room and quickly made his way to the door. Opening the door, the smell of biscuits assailed his nose. Big Macintosh strained his memory as to why he was in somepony's house, 'Ah remember meetin' Live Wire and havin’ to whack that 'Tank' feller, then . . . ' Big Macintosh drew a blank on the rest of the night, 'Ah sure hope Ah didn't impose on nopony.' he thought.

The huge Earth pony walked quietly down the hallway on the other side of the door, toward the smell of food. He could hear somepony talking to themselves rapidly and the sound of splashing water. Big Macintosh reached the end of the hallway and looked around, 'Ayup. This is Live Wire's house all right.' he thought. The room was decorated with pairs of pictures of Lemon Lime standing next to various ponies. The pictures on the left side of the pair were always of ponies in wheel chairs and various other means of transportation indicating the occupant was lame. The pictures on the right were of Lemon Lime standing next to the same ponies, now able to stand on their own.

Big Macintosh stood in the middle of the room surrounded by Lemon Lime's success stories, 'This is his whole life. So that's why his cutie-mark is a wheelchair.' He walked up to one set of pictures depicting Lemon Lime standing next to a little egg-shell colored Earth pony filly lying on a stretcher. The picture to the right was of Lemon Lime and the filly jumping in the air and giving each other a high-hoof. The picture on the left was dated three years prior to the one on the right. Big Macintosh just stood there looking at success story after success story, each one dated and hung with care.

“I see you found my wall, huh?” Lemon Lime said standing at the doorway leading to the kitchen.

Lemon Lime pointed to the picture of him next to the filly in the stretcher,
“This is Sky Seeker. She was climbing a tree when she fell right onto a big old rock. The impact shattered her pelvis and Dr. Avalon had to perform three surgeries just to make sure she could have foals when she grew up. She couldn't even move her legs when her parents brought her to me the first time. Two years, ten months, and thirteen days later, she was released; able to walk, run, and as you can see, jump. Her parents moved to Manehattan soon after that and I haven't seen or heard from her since. If you look to the ones right above those, that's old . . . “

“Yall never heard from her again?” Big Macintosh asked incredulously, “Ah woulda' thought that after you helped her walk again, she'd be a friend for life.”

Lemon Lime hung his head and flattened his ears; he spoke slowly and quietly,
“That's just the way it is though. They come in lame, I help them, they leave, ambulatory at least, and I never hear from them again.” Lemon Lime said with a sigh, “They go on living their lives and forget all about me. That's my job though, and I love doing it. What makes me so sad is that there are always more and more ponies who need my help. I'm just one unicorn; I can't get to every one of them. I wish, so badly, that there was a way for me to keep them from getting hurt in the first place.” Lemon Lime blinked rapidly, like he was holding back something as he spoke, “I mean, there's so much pain, they have to endure it every day. Some ponies never even get to me. They give up on life and just stop trying. I want to help them. I want to help them all, but I can't. I can't get to everypony in time and it kills me.” Lemon Lime said raising his head, “I'm powerful, Big Macintosh. I have so much magical power but it's not enough to even make a difference. Look at the table in the middle of the room.” Lemon Lime said levitating a thin bundle of papers in front of Big Macintosh's face, “These are the names of everypony from around Equestria who needs physical therapy. There are hundreds; seven-hundred and forty-one to be exact. I read this list every morning, I practically have it memorized. Each of these isn’t just a name, each one is an individual pony who is suffering and needs my help. I'd be doing more, but I have to keep my number of patients down to only a few so I don't suffer from 'burn out', but I could do more.” Lemon Lime shook his head and his face hardened somewhat, “It's not like I have much else to do with my time.” Lemon Lime looked Big Macintosh straight in the eyes, “Aside from you, I have a total of two ponies who can stand me, and I can only see one of you three staying around for longer than the next semester or two, then its back to doing nothing whenever I'm not working.” Lemon Lime stomped his hoof on the ground aggravated, “Damn it.” he whispered, “If only they would let me take on a higher work-load . . . “

“It ain’t your responsibility, Live Wire.” Big Mac said calmly, “You can’t be expected to help the whole world. You need to accept that you’re goin’ to do the best you can, but you can’t ever get to them all. You said so yourself, you’re only one unicorn and you can’t get to every one of them. Just think about all the ponies you have helped and think about what their lives would be like without you.”

Lemon Lime half-smiled and levitated the papers back onto his table,
“Yeah, but the little trip from your head to your heart can be a long one. Thanks for the encouragement though, Big Macintosh. Breakfast is ready, come on.”

Big Macintosh followed Lemon Lime back through the doorway into his kitchen. It was cozy but a type of cozy that also felt spacious somehow. Walking through the doorway, Big Macintosh looked to his left. The refrigerator, stove range, and sink were all lined up in a neat little row with counter space on the far side, near what looked like a row of glass doors leading out to a balcony. The far side of the room was taken up by an adjoining dining room and a large eight-pony table which looked to be made of mahogany. The right wall had a row of cabinets at the top, a long-flat counter in the middle, and a row of cupboards along the bottom. The space between the right wall and the left wall, Big Macintosh judged, couldn’t have been more than six paces, rather cramped but workable.

The big table in the dining room had a tray of steaming biscuits surrounded by a tub of butter and jars of preserves. A large bowl of chopped fruit sat on either end of the table and a tall glass of dark golden colored liquid was set next to each place setting.

Lemon Lime strode toward the table and sat down,
“Come on, before it gets cold. I have to get to work soon.”

Big Macintosh sat down in the wooden chair at the opposite end as Lemon Lime, the chair creaking under his weight. The huge work pony was surprised by just how much food Lemon Lime seemed to be able to pack away. The smaller unicorn wolfed down amounts that would have made the larger Earth pony sick.

The two stallions ate quietly for a few minutes before Lemon Lime spoke up,
“You never did tell me why you came to Canterlot, although you don’t have to if you don’t want to . . . “ Lemon Lime cut himself off when his guest opened his muzzle.

“Ah’m here to help out a friend of mine.” Big Mac explained, “He seems to be havin’ some trouble with a unicorn who’s been levitatin’ Earth ponies and demandin’ their bits. Ah figure he means to do somethin’ about it and Ah aim to help him out.”

Lemon Lime looked up from his bowl of fruit, face worried,
“I haven’t heard anything about that. This unicorn sounds dangerous. If your friend aims to do something I sure do hope he’s a powerful unicorn. A rogue unicorn can be real trouble, and generally only another, more powerful unicorn can best them. If your friend needs help, tell him I’m willing to lend a hoof.”

“Ah’m sure Valiant would be right grateful for that.” Big Mac said.

Lemon Lime stopped eating and looked at his guest in utter disbelief,
“Would your friend ‘Valiant’ be a royal blue Earth pony with light brown mane and tail and a cutie-mark of a mortar and pestle?”

“That’s him, but he ain’t no Earth pony. He’s a pegasus who lost his wings.” Big Mac said, refusing to show his own surprise.

“What are the odds of that? I met him just a couple of days ago. I’m going to see him later today after I finish my work. Oh, just wait, he’ll be so sur . . . “ Lemon Lime trailed off as Big Mac’s words struck home, “Lost his wings?” he asked eyes huge, “You said he lost his wings?”

“Ayup.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend sat quietly staring at Sea Blue for several minutes after Valiant departed. The older Earth pony had no idea where or how to begin. Sea Blue levitated a pad and pencil up off the coffee table and set the pad down on his lap, the pencil hovering over the pad and just waited.

After several full minutes, Dr. Mend had to say something,
“So, uh where should we begin?”

Sea Blue raised an eyebrow,
“Where would you like to begin?”

“I have no clue. I've never done this before. Do I just talk and you respond?” Dr. Mend asked.

“Just say whatever it is you're thinking and we'll go from there.” Sea Blue responded.

Dr. Mend shifted uncomfortably in his seat,
“I . . . I . . . I have a problem.”

“Yes?” Sea Blue asked.

“I have an obsession with studying all the time. If anypony tries to get me to stop, I get kind of snappy with them.” Dr. Mend admitted honestly.

“So what I'm hearing is that you have an obsession with studying and you become easily irritated when somepony interrupts your studying.” Sea Blue said.

“Yes, I feel like I have to be the best all the time and if I'm not the best then I feel like I'm failing.” Dr. Mend continued.

“So you're saying that you are not so much obsessed with studying but you are more obsessed with being the best and the studying is only the symptom not the root of the problem?” Sea Blue asked.

“Yes. That's it exactly. I'm afraid that if I fail, somepony I love will commit suicide, like my parents did.” Dr. Mend said.

“So, you believe your parents killed themselves because you weren’t the best, and you feel like it's your fault they died?” Sea Blue asked.

“I know that's why my mother did and I think that's why my father did too.” Dr. Mend explained.

“Is there a history of emotional or mental instability in your family?”Sea Blue asked.

Dr. Mend averted his eyes,
“Yes, my mother was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. She rarely remembered to take her medication and she would become angry at anything.”

Sea Blue wrote some notes in his pad,
“Was your father diagnosed with anything, or was there any indication of instability from him?”

“Nothing particularly comes to mind.” Dr. Mend responded.

Sea Blue wrote some more notes in his pad,
“So why are you convinced that your mother killed herself because of you?”

“She would rant and rave about how much of a disgrace I was and that maybe she should have another foal, one who wouldn't be a constant disappointment. She was so mean whenever I did anything wrong. I couldn't be like the other colts; I had to act grown up all the time.” Dr. Mend said.

“So in a way, she denied you your foalhood and tried to make you into a stallion before you were ready. Would you say she was a perfectionist?” Sea Blue asked.

“Oh yeah,” Dr. Mend agreed, “She would have the house in perfect condition when father and I came home. We couldn't do anything without being yelled at. Then after she died, I missed her clean nature even if it was over the top.”

“Did you go to her funeral?” Sea Blue asked.

“I don't honestly remember. I think I did but I was not quite right at the time.” Dr. Mend admitted.

“What do you mean you 'weren't quite right at the time'?” Sea Blue asked.

Dr. Mend had trouble vocalizing what had happened,
“I . . . She . . . There was . . . Ugh! I don't know how to say it!”

“I have an idea, if you're open to it. I'm going to go get a pillow and put it here in my chair. I want you to talk to the pillow like you would talk to your mother if she were here. How does that sound?” Sea Blue asked.

“That sounds really silly to me.” Dr. Mend said frowning.

Sea Blue rose to his hooves and levitated a couch cushion over into his chair and stepped back,
“Alright come on, up on your hooves. I want you to face your mother and pretend I'm not here.”

Dr. Mend stood slowly, rolling his eyes, and faced the cushion,
“Hi mom . . . oh this is silly. You can't hear me, you're not really here and I'm just talking to a couch cushion. I'm talking to a couch cushion because it's supposed to represent you. How can a cushion represent you? You were much livelier, even if you were mean. You weren't just mean you were cruel. You never told me I did a good job, you never paid any attention to me. The house was more important or dinner was more important. Dad was always at work so you were supposed to take care of me. Did you? No. All you did was tell me how worthless I was because I didn't have good grades. As soon as I got home it was off to my room to study. That was my life. Study, study, study all the time. Huh, a whole lot of good that did. You killed yourself anyway. No matter how good I was it was never enough. I was never worth your time. I tried so hard to make you happy so you would love me, but it was all for nothing. You never loved me. I was just another chore to you.” Mend didn't realize it but his voice was beginning to crack, “That's all I was, another chore for you to deal with. I'm sorry I never made you happy. I'm sorry I failed you. I didn't want you to die. Why did you do it? Why? I could have done better! You didn't have to go! Why did you do it! Don't you know what it did to me and dad? You didn't have to go that far! I could have done better! I'm sorry I wasn't better! Why don't you say something! Say you forgive me, say you love me!” Mend was sobbing pitifully by this point, “I need to know! I need to know you love me! Stop telling me how worthless I am and just FUCKING SAY YOU LOVE ME! SAY SOMETHING! SAY SOMETHING! . . . “ Dr. Mend began shaking the couch cushion violently, “SAY IT! SAY YOU LOVE ME! SAY IT! FUCKING SAY IT! I'VE BEEN PUTTING MYSELF THROUGH HELL FOR YOU ALL MY LIFE! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SAY IT! SAY IT! TELL ME I HAVEN'T WASTED MY WHOLE LIFE TRYING TO PLEASE THE VOICES IN MY HEAD! TELL ME! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! LOVE ME! SAY IT!” Mend screamed so loud, he had to break off in a fit of coughing that sent him down to the floor.

Sea Blue had been taking notes furiously during the episode and was beginning to draw a mental picture of Mend's emotional state. It wasn't pretty. The unicorn offered Mend a hoof, but the doctor refused it. Sea Blue levitated the, now throttled, cushion back onto the couch and waited for Dr. Mend to stand again. Sea Blue had easily determined that Mend needed closure with his parents. Apparently he had underestimated how much was needed. Something Mend had said stayed in his head, replaying over and over, 'He said, 'the voices in my head'. We need to talk about that. If he's hearing voices that could mean trouble.'

Dr. Mend slowly crawled back to the couch and sat back down, still tearful,
“Did you know that was going to happen?”

“I had an idea, but I didn't know the extent.” Sea Blue said calmly, “I think there is something we need to talk about, if you feel up to it.”

“I'm coherent.” Dr. Mend said, still breathing heavily.

Sea Blue nodded,
“Alright, you said you heard voices in your head. Tell me about that.”

Dr. Mend looked ashamed,
“I don't like talking about that.”

“I think we need to talk about it. If you want to get better, you need to tell me about this.” Sea Blue pushed gently.

Dr. Mend hung his head,
“I started hearing my mother the day after she died, then I started hearing my father after he died. They stop once in a while, but for the most part, I hear them all the time.”

Sea Blue took some notes,
“Can you hear them right now?”

“Yes.” Dr. Mend admitted.

“And what are the voices saying?” Sea Blue asked.

Dr. Mend closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath,
“Why are you wasting your time with this idiot!? You have work to do! Lives depend on you and you are failing again! There is somepony who you could be helping right now and instead you are here sniveling at the feet of some colt whose barely half your age!”

“That's enough.” Sea Blue said gently.

Sea Blue sat back and thought for a long while, before speaking again,
“Do you like having these voices talk to you all the time?”

“No . . . yes . . . I don't know.” Dr. Mend said confused.

“What do you mean, Mend? Take your time.” Sea Blue encouraged.

“I . . . I love them, because it feels like mom and dad never left. I've heard them almost since I can remember. It's like my family is still with me. I hate being yelled at all the time, but it's what I know. I . . . I'm afraid to lose them. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have them around.” Dr. Mend said with great difficulty.

“Do they distract you? Do they keep you from doing the things you like?” Sea Blue asked.

“That's just it. I don't know what I like, besides practicing medicine. I've devoted my life to doing what they say.” Dr. Mend replied.

Sea Blue's eyebrows shot up,
“You practice medicine? Your cutie-mark indicated something like that.”

“Yes. I'm a doctor. In a way, the voices help me with that. When I'm attending to a patient, they are quiet. It's like a motivation to work harder.” Dr. Mend said.

“Hmm,” Sea Blue grunted softly, “You previously said you liked having them around, now you said you like it when they are quiet. Which is it?”

“Both. They hound at me when I'm not working, but they shut up when I am.” Dr. Mend was a little puzzled himself.

“Have you tried telling them to be quiet?” Sea Blue asked.

Dr. Mend was taken aback by the notion,
“I can't tell my parents to be quiet.”

“Mend, the voices you hear are not your parents. The voices are your own mind. You are still blaming yourself for what happened. You need to realize that what happened was never your fault.” Sea Blue said.

“Yes it was.” Dr. Mend said darkly.

“How did your parents die?” Sea Blue asked.

“They both jumped from buildings, from the same one actually.” Dr. Mend said.

“Did you push them with your own hooves?” Sea Blue asked.

“No, of course not.” Dr. Mend said testily.

“You don't control the actions of others. The fault is not yours to bear Mend. Stop punishing yourself for something that was beyond your control. The first step to your recovery, I think, is to work beyond the belief that you were responsible for your parent's deaths. I want you to repeat after me: I can only control myself.” Sea Blue encouraged.

“This seems silly to me, but alright. I can only control myself.” Dr. Mend parroted.

Sea Blue smiled and sat back in his chair,
“Good. Say that to yourself every chance you get, I mean it. It will help. Now, for those voices. I want you to try telling them to be silent. Every time you hear them talking, tell them to be silent, and be forceful about it. Try this for two days then come back and see me again. If the voices will not go away, I may have to perform some tests to see if you might have a mental illness. I don't like to try things like that right off the bat and I don't like to drug up my patients unnecessarily, but there is some good to be had in a limited form of medication.” Sea Blue said rising from his chair.

The unicorn made his way over to the front door of his house and extended his hoof to Dr. Mend,
“I truly hope that my insights prove productive.”

“How much do I owe you?” Dr. Mend asked reaching for his saddle bags.

“Twenty bits, each session. I am more than willing to work with those of a limited income.” Sea Blue said motioning toward a heavy looking metal box built into the door with a slot on the outside, “Pay what you can, when you can. If I'm not at home just place the bits in an envelope and slide it through the door-slot with a note inside detailing how much you are paying. I like to keep it simple.”

Dr. Mend counted out twenty bits and passed them to Sea Blue,
“You're almost as expensive per hour, as I am.”

Sea Blue smiled and inclined his head toward Dr. Mend,
“How much is a series of booster shots, say for a seven year old unicorn filly?”

“About thirty-five bits.” Dr. Mend said.

“How about I let you have the next two sessions in exchange for those booster shots?” Sea Blue asked.

Dr. Mend nodded,
“That sounds more than fair. How about I bring the inoculations next session?”

Sea Blue's face lit up,
“A house call! How could I ever turn that down?”

Dr. Mend and Sea Blue shook hooves to seal the deal. Dr. Mend left Sea Blue's house, heading for the dorm room to collect the vials of the fast-healing potion.

********************

Big Macintosh carefully examined the map that Lemon Lime had given him. He cross-referenced streets on the map with streets around him trying to locate the Tower Library, where his yellow colored unicorn friend told him he could find a tan pegasus named Evening Star, 'Live Wire said she was right nice.' The massive Earth pony had nothing better to do so he figured he should meet her, 'You can't have too many friends in a big city.' he mused.

Big Macintosh followed the directions and eventually saw the tell-tale sign of the Tower Library. The hulking white building was rather difficult to miss as it loomed high above the other buildings, dwarfing them easily. Big Macintosh followed the streets and easily found the steps leading up to the Library entrance. He clomped his way up the stairs and opened the right-side door.

Inside, the Library was eerily quiet. Big Macintosh closed the door behind himself so as not to disturb anypony within. The massive Earth pony looked around, but didn't see a single soul, even at the help desk. He decided to wander around and see if he could spot anypony who matched Lemon Lime's description. He saw a small flight of stairs leading up to the second floor where he could just make out a huge glass window. He climbed the stairs and took a look around.

There was an immense golden hourglass in the center of the floor which looked to be able to rotate in several directions. He stopped to admire the relic with a bit of fascination. A soft sound caught his attention and he whipped his head toward the sound. It was coming from behind a row of book cases. Big Macintosh slowly walked in the direction of the sound, not sure why he felt the need to be quiet. The sound became clearer as he approached; it was somepony having a quiet conversation.

Big Macintosh strained his ears to hear the whispers,
“I am very proud of you for doing so much. You have surpassed every expectation I had.” one voice said. The voice belonged to a mare, it was sweet and rich like flowing honey.

A second voice answered,
“It's the least I could do after what happened.” the second voice belonged to a filly; it was soft and smooth, like the air after a rainstorm.

“I happen to know there are several new books here in the library. Books that had been lost for centuries. Am I correct in assuming that was your doing?” The first voice asked.

“Knowledge is one of the few things that outlives us all. These books are needed, all knowledge is needed. There are very few things which are more valuable.” the second voice said.

“I am troubled though. This unicorn going about the city threatening ponies must be stopped.” the first voice said.

“I agree, but we must wait. There are things in the works that must come to completion.” the second voice answered.

“This is a very slippery slope, you walk on. I will stay my hoof for now, but if things deteriorate to violence I will intercede. I understand your position but I do not like this risk. This problem could be solved in one swift motion. Be sure you do not needlessly play with the lives of the citizens.” the first voice said in a warning tone.

“I would not be doing this if I saw another way, but you know what is coming. They will be needed and swiftly. There is no time for coddling them, they must learn and learn fast. I am not cruel, you know that, but if we do not let this run its course we may have a great deal more than the lives of a single city on the line. You have come to the same conclusion yourself. You are simply playing the opposition to see if there is a crack in my motives. I appreciate that; I would do the same for you . . . “the conversation cut off abruptly.

Big Macintosh tried sneaking away quietly, but he wasn't quick enough,
“Why hello there.” said the first voice, directly behind him.

Big Macintosh was ashamed at having been caught spying,
“Ah'm awful sorry about th . . . “ he cut himself off as he beheld the oldest alicorn in Equestria.

Big Mac knelt swiftly before Princess Celestia, his saddle bags clinking on the floor loudly. The regal alicorn looked down at one of the few ponies in the entire kingdom who stood nearly half her height instead of a third. She smiled warmly down at the hard-working Earth pony. Big Macintosh heard hoofstepps coming up from behind him, from the direction of the stairs.

“Rise, stallion.” Princess Celestia said.

Big Macintosh rose to his hooves and looked the Sun Princess in the eyes,
“Ah apologize for listenin' in on your conversation, your majesty.” he said earnestly.

From behind him, he heard the other pony call to him,
“Hey. I saw you on the floor, are you alright?”

Big Macintosh turned toward the new voice and saw a tan pegasus mare come around the corner of the hour glass. The pegasus stopped in her tracks and knelt down at the sight of Princess Celestia.

“Rise, Evening Star. I would have thought you knew I was here.” Princess Celestia said warmly.

“I'm sorry Princess. Do you have a task for me?” Evening Star asked.

“None, enjoy a day off from your duties. I believe this stallion was looking for something, maybe you could help him first.” Princess Celestia hinted.

“I will do as you command, Princess.” Evening Star said.

“It is not a command. It is simply an observation, nothing more.” Celestia answered.

Hearing Evening Star being so informal with the Sun Princess, emboldened Big Macintosh,
“Ah know it ain't none of mah business, but who was that you were talking to your majesty?”

Princess Celestia looked over her shoulder and her face fell slightly,
“It was my sister, Luna, but she seems to have gone now. Did you have a concern you wanted to voice?”

Big Macintosh remembered the topic of the conversation,
“Ah was wonderin' what you plan to do about that rogue unicorn, if it ain't too much to ask?”

“Of course not. I believe a solution is in the works as we speak. In the past, powerful ponies used to be charged with apprehending unicorns suffering from 'Caster's Stroke' and seal them from their power until they recovered. That ministry needs to be reborn, for Luna and I should not be charged with taking care of problems when citizens are capable of taking care of it themselves. Luna and I may not always be available for every problem, like when Nightmare Moon rose to power briefly. The Elements of Harmony handled the situation very well.” Princess Celestia said.

“Beggin' your majesty's pardon, but Ah'm not one of the Elements of Harmony. Should Ah go and get them?” Big Macintosh asked.

Princess Celestia tilted her head ever so slightly,
“Are you on speaking terms with them?”

“One of them just so happens to be mah sister. The Element of Honesty.” Big Mac replied.

“You seem to have an interest in stopping this unicorn. Why don't you work toward that goal without involving your sister?” Celestia looked out the window, “I'm afraid I have to be going. Duty calls.” and with that, Princess Celestia vanished in a wispy puff of mist, completely silent.

“You must be something else!” Evening Star said, walking up beside Big Macintosh, “I've never heard the Princess basically throw a job at anypony she wasn't intimately familiar with.”

The huge Earth pony blushed as his mind went several directions at once, not all of them useful for polite conversation,
“Ah was plannin' to do somethin' about it anyway.”

Evening Star looked puzzled,
“How do you even know about it? I only found out a little while ago.”

“Mah friend Valiant sent out a letter detainin' it and Ah caught wind of it, so Ah figured Ah'd come on out and see if Ah could help out.” Big Macintosh shrugged, “Ain't no real puzzle to it.”

“Wait, wait,” Evening Star said backing up a few feet, “You know Valiant?”

“Ayup.”

“With that statement, you could only be Big Macintosh!” she nearly squealed, “Oh, I'm so happy to meet you! Valiant's told me so much about you!” she said reaching out both of her hooves to shake his.

Big Mac extended his hoof and shook hers,
“Ma'am.” he said giving her a slight nod.

Evening Star seemed to regain her composure after a moment,
“I'm sorry about that.” she said sheepishly, “I'm usually more reserved.”

“S' alright, don't bother me none. Live Wire said you were right nice and all, so Ah just came with an open mind.” Big Macintosh said evenly.

Evening Star smiled hugely,
“You've already met Live Wire?”

“Ayup.”

“Did Valiant introduce you?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah met him last night and he let me sleep at his place. Ah haven't seen Valiant yet.” Big Mac said simply.

“So Valiant doesn't know you're here?” Evening Star asked.

“Nope.”

“We should surprise him.” Evening Star said eagerly.

“Ah don't know where his dorm is.” Big Macintosh replied.

“Nor I, but he mentioned getting a job at an apothecary. I'll bet Live Wire knows where that is.” Evening Star said.

“Live Wire's at work. He'll be off in four hours. 'Till then Ah've got nothin' to do so Ah figured Ah'd hang out with you, if'n you don't mind, miss Evening Star.” Big Macintosh said.

“Do you like to read?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah've been known to pick up a book now and again. Anythin' in particular you had in mind?” Big Mac asked.

Evening Star's eyes lit up,
“The Librarian just finished cataloging a new book! It's positively ancient!” she spun in place to show her delight, “The Princess just brought it in.”

Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow inquisitively,
“Ah thought you didn't know Princess Celestia was here.”

Evening Star just laughed,
“Silly, it's Princess Luna whose been bringing in ancient books.”

“So you knew Princess Luna was here, and you didn't think Princess Celestia would be here too?” Big Mac asked.

“What average pony can claim to know the mindset of an alicorn?” Evening Star asked.

Big Macintosh pondered the statement for a moment,
“Ah can't argue that.” he said, turning toward the much smaller pegasus, “So what's in this book that has you so worked up?”

“It's an ancient tome about the Elements! You said your sister was one of the Elements of Harmony, right?” Evening Star asked.

“Ayup.”

“Don't you want to know more about them? Maybe there are hidden facts about them that have been lost or forgotten. They are the most powerful magic in all of Equestria. Don't you think you should know as much as you can in case they're ever needed again? You could tell your sister.” Evening Star hinted without a trace of subtlety.

Big Macintosh didn't need to ponder his answer in the least,
“Ayup.”

Chapter 7

Trials of the Elements

Part 7

Evening Star and Big Macintosh lay side by side in the Tower Library, reading the ancient book labeled The Elements of Equestria. The book was a reference guide for the Elements and detailed their workings. The two ponies sat in awe of the original bearers of the Elements. Their deeds were astonishing and their sacrifices and suffering even more so. They would periodically take a break and discuss what they had discovered. Evening Star finished the part they were on and raised her head, silently waiting for Big Macintosh to finish as well.

Big Mac finished a few minutes later and raised his head, looking straight at Evening Star,
“Ah just can't believe all this.”

“I know! It's amazing! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna made the Elements, and not just that, from what this book says, they sacrificed a permanent part of their own power to make them. From what I've gathered, it looks like your sister can wield a small part of a Goddess' power.” Evening Star said.

Big Macintosh shrugged,
“Ah was referrin' to the Elements of Peace.”

“Yeah,” Evening Star said eye wide, “I can't believe nopony's ever heard of them! I mean a whole other set of Elements? The book seems to indicate they were the opposite of the Elements of Harmony. While the Elements of Harmony were 'offensive' the Elements of Peace were 'defensive'. The Elements of Harmony seem to have always been mares, and the Elements of Peace seem to have always been stallions. I suppose that makes sense actually. It takes a stallion and a mare to make a family, right?”

“Depends on your definition of family Ah suppose.” Big Macintosh said sagely.

“Yeah good point.” Evening Star admitted, “This day and age you have stallions with stallions and mares with mares and they just adopt. But for the time, it looks like it was symbolic of a perfect pairing. It says that each of the Elements had synergy with their counterpart. See here?” she said pointing to a picture in the book, “It says that the Element of Honesty and the Element of Acceptance were a matched pair because they were so much alike. That would indicate that each Element, once paired, could seemingly operate independently from the others of their type. Like a Royal Guard and a Princess, like a husband and wife, or like . . . “ Evening Star trailed off as a thought hit her.

Big Macintosh didn't quite follow her,
“Did you think of somethin' else?”

“Or like brother and sister.” Evening Star said turning to the huge Earth pony, “You said you sister was the Element of Honesty, right?”

“Ayup.”

“What if . . . What if you are the Element of Acceptance?” Evening Star said.

Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow,
“Ah don't think so. Ah'm nothin' special, just a work pony.”

“Did your sister think she was special?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah don't think she ever gave it much thought, and Ah don't think any of us even knew about the Elements of Harmony until Twilight came along.” Big Mac said openly.

“So why is it impossible for you to be an Element as well? It would make sense. The book says that the Elements passed on generationally but always stayed with a family. Logic would dictate that somepony in your family is the counterpart to Honesty. Why can't it be you?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah just don't think it's likely. It was a pretty nice coincidence that Twilight just happened to make friends with the Elements of Harmony, but that's all it was. Besides, if Ah was the Element of Acceptance, Ah wouldn't be arguin' with you about it now would Ah?” Big Macintosh said logically.

Evening Star deflated slightly,
“Yeah, good point. I just don't quite believe that this is all coincidence. It's too coincidental; it's too perfect. There must be a reason for this. Let's read some more, maybe we'll find out something else.”

“Mah eyes hurt, but Ah do want to hear more. Could you read it out loud?” Big Macintosh asked, laying his head down.

“Sure thing.” Evening Star said turning back to the book, “The Elements of Harmony are by far the more powerful of the set but the Elements of Peace are just as vital. The two groups must often work together to solve problems, but therein lies the dilemma of independence. The Elements of Harmony do wield awesome power but they take time to come to full power, like a unicorn casting a spell. The simplest terms are that of pregnancy and foaling. The Elements of Harmony are 'pregnant' with power but take time to come to fruition, like a mare who is with foal. While the magic, like a foal, is growing, it and its 'vessle' must be protected. The Elements of Harmony are like pregnant mares who embody and hold the magic until it is time for them to 'deliver' the magic to an end. While the magic is growing, the Elements of Peace, like a stallion, must protect the mare while she is vulnerable. Yet again, we see the reference to a family unit. The symbolism is profound and yet simple in its complexity. It has been theorized that a great many answers to questions regarding the Elements of Equestria can be solved through intimate knowledge of a family unit and its inner workings.”

“Sounds . . . simple.” Big Mac said smiling slightly.

“Right, on to the next part. The Elements of Harmony.” Evening Star cleared her throat, “The Elements of Harmony are the power beyond power, limited only by the bearer's imaginations. As such, they represent a great risk and a greater responsibility to whatever pony wields them. Princess Celestia created the Elements of Harmony to be the ultimate power for solving problems where she and Princess Luna were not able. The Elements of Harmony are Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic after the original six mares who personified the needed personality traits to bring harmony to Equestria. They have generally been used only in a time of great need, but when invoked can harness the power of creation itself. For a mare bearing an Element of Harmony to invoke it, she must focus on her Element. For example: for a mare bearing the Element of Laughter to invoke her Element she must focus on every memory she has had which involved Laughter like births, marriages, parties ect. As the bearer of each Element gains more memories that coincide with their Element, the Element becomes more powerful and the bearer more able to wield it. The bearers of the Elements continue to grow in power until their deaths. Some of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony have gone so far as to be able to do, by themselves, what would have at first been only possible through a group effort by all the Elements together. A bearer of an Element of Harmony need not concern themselves with permanent physical impairments such as dismemberment. The Elements of Harmony, when invoked, will manifest powerful pseudo-members of their bearer's bodies to aid them in whatever task they undertake even if the task does not directly concern the use of said members. In the cases of minor things such as loss of mane or tail the missing part will be re-grown as if it had never been missing at all. The Elements of Harmony physically manifest as pieces of jewelry so that other ponies can look upon them and know the beauty of such traits. The Element of Magic is the 'leader' of the Elements of Harmony, or more accurately, the catalyst. Without the Element of Magic to call them out, the other Elements often fail to manifest the first time they are used, and only the Element of Magic can combine all the Elements and produce what is known as the 'Rainbow of Light' The 'Rainbow of Light' is the manifestation of the combined might of the Elements of Harmony when guided by the collective efforts of the bearers. When using the 'Rainbow of Light' the Elements of Harmony are at their most powerful and can produce results which in the past have been simply astonishing. There has been some speculation as to why the 'Rainbow of Light' is referred to as such. Ancient legends say there was such a thing as a 'Rainbow of Darkness' but any significant facts regarding it have been lost to the dust of time and no current knowledge exists that reference it. The power of the Elements of Harmony has, throughout history, been a testament to the determination of ponies everywhere and will be for generations to come.” Evening Star finished and turned the page.

“It sounds like an awful lot of power for anypony to wield. Ah don't know if Ah would want that kind of responsibility. Ah'd be afraid to misuse it.” Big Macintosh observed.

“Would you like to hear about the Elements of Peace next?” Evening Star asked.

“Ayup.”

“The Elements of Peace are the opposites of the Elements of Harmony yet perfectly compliment them in every way. The Elements of Peace are the ultimate bulwark against any foe that would threaten pony kind. Princess Luna created the Elements of Peace to provide protection and as a physical deterrent. The Elements of Peace bring to bear, the strength and resiliency of Equestria herself. The bearers of the Elements of Peace are stallions who use might and body to accomplish the lesser tasks to which the more powerful Elements of Harmony are ill suited, such as physical battle. The Elements of Peace are: Acceptance, Forgiveness, Patience, Discernment, Perseverance, and Hope after the six stallions who personified the needed personality traits to bring peace to Equestria. The Elements of Peace have been called upon for lesser tasks and are slightly better known than the fearsome Elements of Harmony.” Evening Star stopped reading and looked over to Big Macintosh, “If the Elements of Peace were better known, why hasn't anypony today heard of them?”

“How should Ah know? Maybe Equestria hasn't needed any of the Elements for a long time.” Big Macintosh responded.

“But there should still be legends and folklore. This doesn't make any sense. I don't get it.” Evening Star pondered the possible reasons for a few minutes until Big Macintosh came up with a reasonable answer.

He raised his head and regarded her simply for a moment before speaking,
“Ah guess out of sight means out of mind. If you spent a month away from the Library because you were too busy with issues in your life then you wouldn't remember what book you were reading would you?”

“I don't know about that. I love my books.” Evening Star countered.

“Did you know about Princess Luna before she came back?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Well no, I don't think anypony did.” Evening Star admitted.

“Well then how could anypony not know about her? There should be tales and so forth for her too, but nopony remembered.” Big Macintosh explained.

“You do have a point there. But by that comparison, then the Elements would have to have fallen out of service, if you will, about the same time Princess Luna was banished. That's a thousand years ago.” Evening Star referenced.

“Is there anything else about the Elements of Peace?” Big Macintosh asked.

Evening Star shook her head to clear it,
“Oh duh, yes. I'm sorry.” she turned her attention back to the book, “For a stallion bearing an Element of Peace to invoke, it he must focus on his Element. For example: for a stallion bearing the Element of Forgiveness to invoke it he must actively focus on his Element, remembering every action concerning his Element like coming to terms with a pony who has wronged him in some way. As the bearer of each Element gains more memories that coincide with their Element, the Element becomes more powerful and the bearer more able to wield it. The bearers of the Elements continue to grow in power until their deaths. The notion of bearers of the Elements becoming more physically powerful as they age has been in question for hundreds of years but it does indeed seem to be the case. The bearers of the Elements of Peace never suffer the ill effects of aging, but do continue to age as per the normal cycle of life. Eventually they grow old and pass on, but in near perfect health. In short they simply pass on in their sleep. This is not to say that they are invulnerable, indeed some bearers of the Elements of Peace have been gravely wounded in battle and some even killed, but these are rare occasions in which the bearer was generally alone and was overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers. A bearer of an Element of Peace need not concern themselves with permanent physical impairments such as dismemberment. The Elements of Peace, when invoked, will manifest powerful pseudo-members of their bearer's bodies to aid them in whatever task they undertake even if the task does not directly concern the use of said members. In the cases of minor things such as loss of mane or tail the missing part will be re-grown as if it had never been missing at all. The Elements of Peace physically manifest as suits of armor so that other ponies can look upon them and know they were not simply an ideal but a physical representation of protection. Unlike the Elements of Harmony, the Elements of Peace do not have a 'leader' but they do have a catalyst of sorts. The bearer of the first Element to recognize who and what they are must call them out in order for them to physically manifest the armors, while the pseudo-members, for any bearer who is physically impaired, may be used without invoking the armor and may simply appear when the bearer personifies his Element. When acting in accordance with their Elements, the bearers of the Elements of Peace have the ability to invoke what has been named 'Inspirational Manifestation'. When invoking 'Inspirational Manifestation' the bearers of the Elements of Peace gain special abilities which directly link to their Element. These have been carefully recorded and catalogued according to each Element. The 'Inspirational Manifestation' for the Element of Perseverance is the ability to continue acting after logic would dictate the bearer would normally falter or fail. One recorded instance when this occurred was during the Great Griffon War. The bearer of the Element of Perseverance fought for two days straight and held a battle line by himself until the other Elements of Peace arrived with the Elements of Harmony. That particular battle was won with no loss of life, but plenty of injuries. The bearer of the Element of Forgiveness can heal grievous injuries to themselves or others either in battle or in the aftermath. The bearer of the Element of Discernment can gauge the actions and intentions of any being within the range of their perceptive senses providing knowledge of wounds or enemy actions. The bearer of the Element of Patience can calculate perfect timing for any actions weather in battle or in negotiating peace. The bearer of the Element of Acceptance brings peace to troubled bodies and minds and calm emotions and feelings; easing pain and soothing fear. The bearer of the Element of Hope can inspire others to act as they should even in the face of overwhelming odds or the most taxing and difficult tasks. A cautionary note to any bearers of the Elements of Peace: do not hesitate to do battle but do not fall prey to bloodlust. The taking of a life should be the absolute last resort and should never be perpetrated against another sentient being; there is no excuse for it. Broken bones can mend but all life is precious and death cannot be mended. The Elements of Peace are, above all, guardians of life. The Elements of Peace are well renowned for being powerful but it should be noted that the power of a single Element of Harmony could easily overpower the combined might of the Elements of Peace.” Evening Star finished and huffed out a breath.

Big Macintosh was deep in thought; something was itching in his mind,
“Read the part about them pseudo-thingies again.”

Evening flipped pages for a moment then began reading,
“A bearer of an Element of Peace need not concern themselves with permanent physical impairments such as dismemberment. The Elements of Peace, when invoked, will manifest powerful pseudo-members of their bearer's bodies to aid them in whatever task they undertake even if the task does not directly concern the use of said members. The Elements of Peace physically manifest as suits of armor so that other ponies could look upon them and know they were not simply an ideal but a physical representation of protection. Unlike the Elements of Harmony, the Elements of Peace do not have a 'leader' but they do have a catalyst of sorts. The bearer of the first Element to recognize who and what they are must call them out in order for them to physically manifest the armors, while the pseudo-members, for any bearer who is physically impaired, may be used without invoking the armor and may simply appear when the bearer personifies his Element.” Evening Star looked up at Big Macintosh, “Why did you want me to read that part again?”

“Well Ah'll be. Ah knew Ah wasn't seein’ things.” the massive Earth pony said slapping his leg with a flat hoof, “Valiant's got to be one of them Elements of Peace.”

Evening Star cocked her head, puzzled,
“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Did Valiant tell you about how he saved four ponies from a fire?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Yes. He told me, but he said he didn't remember much; he said it was all pretty blurry.” Evening Star admitted.

“He got burnt up pretty bad, and he was dyin' but he didn't let that stop him. When he heard mah Granny had died from the smoke, he forced himself up and managed to get her heart goin' again. When he was doin that Ah know Ah saw a pair of pretty, gold wings on his shoulders where his original wings ought to be. It only happened for a moment, but it was there. Does the book say anythin' else about these pseudo-thingies?” Big Macintosh asked.

Evening Star turned to the index at the front of the book,
“Pseudo-members page 209.” She flipped through the pages quickly and found the entry, “It says, pseudo-members are magical representations of the bearer's true form, for only the physical body is injured but the spirit is whole and untouched. The Elements and their bearers are a combination of spiritual and physical representation, merged into one and able to access their power through that merger. In this way the Elements take the imperfections of the bearer's body and makes them whole again so as to aid in any given task in which the missing members may be vital. One case reports that the Element of Kindness allowed a disabled bearer to speak after she was born mute; another allowed a paraplegic to walk again after an accident rendered him unable to use his back legs. These pseudo-members are only temporary and will disappear after a time, leaving the bearer disabled until the next instance of manifestation. The pseudo-members have been recorded to impart additional gifts when they manifest. The above reference to the bearer of the Element of Kindness could articulate perfectly even having had no prior experience speaking at all and could sing so beautifully as to bring the most hardened heart to tears within moments. The second reference mentioned above allowed the bearer to run and jump to great heights well above the limit of normal ponies. There have been precious few instances where a pseudo-member has come into play but when it has occurred, it has been greatly to the benefit of the bearer. As yet there are but five recorded instances of pseudo-members being imparted to bearers of Elements.” Evening Star raised her head, “Are you sure of what you saw Big Macintosh?”

“Ayup.”

“If Valiant is the bearer of an Element, which one do you think he is?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah have no idea.” Big Mac responded.

“Oh, come on think about. You know him better than I do. Surely you must have some idea.” Evening Star said pressing for a response.

“He don't fit none of the Elements to well. He's always in a hurry so Ah don't think he's Patience and he's about as discerning as a pinecone so he don't fit Discernment to well either. He sure knows how to hold a grudge against himself so he doesn't seem like Forgiveness, and when Ah first met him he was over his head in despair, so Ah don't think he's Hope neither. He . . . “ Big Macintosh was interrupted by his newest friend.

“Maybe it's something he's worked past. I've heard the story about how each of the Elements of Harmony had to work past certain trials to demonstrate and bring out their Elements. Maybe it's something he's worked past. What is the biggest thing he's worked past?” Evening Star asked.

Big Macintosh gave it some earnest thought,
“Ah just can't think of what it could be. Ah know Ah ain't Discernment at least.” he chuckled, “Let's not worry about it for now.”

“Why's that?” Evening Star asked.

Big Macintosh looked out the gaping window up at the sky,
“Because it's about time for Live Wire to get off work.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant sighed happily as he slid his saddle-bags over his flank. The time was 2:15 and he had to meet Dr. Mend at the clinic.

Valiant turned to Mrs. Soothe,
“What time should I come in tomorrow?” he asked cheerfully.

“I open the store at 8:00 a.m. be here at 7:45. I do hope you can stay longer tomorrow.” Mrs. Soothe said.

“I'll be here from sun up to sun down if that's what you need. But once the new semester starts I'll have to get back to you on that. I might have to cut down on the hours. I have to make sure I do well in my classes and all that.” Valiant said heading for the door.

“Let me know as soon as possible. I do need help still.” Mrs. Soothe called as Valiant opened the door.

“Will do . . . “

“Boo!” a voice yelled from above Valiant.

Valiant startled, stumbled, and fell right onto his posterior,
“Who the . . . “ he began.

Looking up, Valiant saw Evening Star leaning far over the edge of the roof of the apothecary. She was smiling hugely. The sun shone bright behind her feathers, outlining them and their owner like a celestial being. Her mane and tail wafted gently in the breeze; she almost seemed to be sparkling. Valiant smiled, 'I do miss you Arabesque, but I think I might be falling for another filly already.' he thought. Evening Star covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling a fit of the giggles. Valiant's smile widened as he stood up, only to bump his head against something as solid as a rock. He fell back onto his backside, rubbing his head, 'That's what I get for not paying attention.' he thought. Turning his head he beheld a red wall in front of him and looked up puzzled.

Valiant shot to his hooves as he recognized Big Macintosh,
“Hey! What are you doing here?” he asked hugging his unusually large friend.

Big Macintosh hugged him back,
“Ah was wonderin' if a friend of mine could use a little help with a unicorn problem he's been havin'.”

The reminder sobered Valiant up immediately, washing away any good feelings he was entertaining,
“Yeah. I've been wondering about that myself. Do you have any ideas?”

“Nope.” Big Macintosh said gesturing over his shoulder, “But he might.”

Valiant craned his neck to look over the massive Earth pony, but decided to simply look underneath instead, it was closer,
“Hey, Live Wire. Is everypony I know coming to see me today?” he asked the citrus colored unicorn standing behind Big Macintosh.

“I don't think so, but that would be nice wouldn't it. Big Mac and Evening Star came to see me when I got off work. I wanted to scare you, but Evening Star won the bit-toss, so she got to do it. I think we should all go do something since you're off work now. You sure did get off work early. We were expecting to be here for a while and I was hoping Evening Star would get bored and let me scare you, but you got off work early so that's gone, but at least now we have more time to hang out right? I mean, now that I actually have friends and all, I want to spend as much time with you guys, and girl, as I can. I've never been able to hang out with friends much cause I didn't have any; so what is it that friends do all the time? Should we go off and get something at the park? They always have nice snack-carts out and everything. Or maybe we should go to the roller-skating rink . . . “

“Live Wire . . . ” Big Macintosh said.

“Or there's that awesome night-club that's open until all hours of the night. I've heard they have the greatest D.J. Of all time! I think she's called Scratch or something like that . . . “

“Live Wire . . . “ Valiant said slightly louder than Big Macintosh.

“Oh, I know! We could go watch the Wonderbolts practice! Those pegasi are amazing! Their aerial stunts . . . “

“Live Wire . . . “ Evening Star addressed raising her voice.

Lemon Lime continued on, he hadn't heard a thing. Valiant looked at his other two friends and mouthed, 'One . . . Two . . . Three.'

“LIVE WIRE!” the three ponies yelled in unison.

Lemon Lime stopped mid-sentence and looked up, blinking owlishly,
“Did you say something?”

The three ponies, all burst into gales of laughter at their machine-gun-mouthed friend.

Lemon Lime was puzzled for a brief moment, then he figured it out and was slightly hurt,
“It's not that funny.” he said sourly, ears low, ”I'm sorry if I got off on a tangent, but you don't need to laugh at me. I'm just excited that's all.”

Big Macintosh was the first to recover, and he did so quickly,
“Ah'm sorry Live Wire. We just thought the situation was funny. We weren't laughing at you. Well, we were, but not in a bad way.”

“Yeah,” Evening Star interjected, “We just thought it was funny that's all. Besides you're kind of endearing.”

“Don't take it personally Live Wire. Some things are just funny, and the fact that you didn't even know we were all calling for you just made it even funnier.” Valiant finished.

Lemon Lime was quiet for a long moment as he digested the statements, then perked right back up,
“So what do you want to do?”

“I have to meet Dr. Mend at some clinic so he can administer the healing potion to a pegasus who was injured by our resident mentally unstable unicorn.” Valiant began, “After that I'm free.”

“Hey Valiant,” Lemon Lime addressed, “You never did tell me how you hurt your leg, and it looks like it's completely healed. I take it, that's your potion at work?”

Valiant smiled proudly,
“I bit myself to prove that the healing potion really works.”

Lemon Lime was floored,
“WHAT!” he exclaimed, “Valiant, that is not healthy! What made you think to bite yourself? What kind of a pony does that?”

Evening Star landed beside Valiant,
“He's right. That's not healthy behavior at all. No pony would even think about biting themselves and draw blood.”

“Ah agree. Are you feelin' alright Valiant?” Big Macintosh added.

“Yeah, I'm fine. It's no big deal. I just did it to prove a point.” Valiant defended.

“It is a big deal Valiant!” Lemon Lime said emphatically, “I've only seen suicidal ponies do something like that. Self-mutilation is not alright, and it is most definitely a big deal.”

“Okay!” Valiant said defensively, “If it's that big of an issue I won't do it again. Yeesh!”

Lemon Lime narrowed his eyes at Valiant, and took a step toward the wingless pegasus, head low,
“Don't you 'yeesh' me Valiant.” he said softly, “I know what I'm talking about and I'm not going to let any pony hurt themselves while I have something to say about it.”

Valiant had to admit that when the smaller unicorn was determined he could be pretty intimidating,
“Alright, alright.” he said calmingly, “I apologize. I didn't know you felt so strongly about it.”

Lemon Lime took another step forward, posture unchanged,
“I've seen ponies waste away, I've seen ponies mutilate themselves, and I've seen ponies that I've tried to help, end up killing themselves. They all had that same attitude, and I won't stand for it. Do. Not. 'Yeesh'. Me. Or I will levitate your backside to a psychologist so fast you won't be able to get your bearings until you're already doped up on medication. That isn't a hollow threat, I've done it. And so help me I'll do it again if I have to. This is serious matter and you will treat it as such.”

Big Macintosh held out a leg, halting Lemon Lime,
“Ah think he gets the point, Live Wire.”

Lemon Lime seemed to come out of a trance; he shook his head and banged a hoof on his left temple, just in front of his ear,
“Ooh.” he groaned, “I do not like doing that.” he looked up at his friends and smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, but when I get onto a subject that I'm passionate about I get kind of . . . intense.”

Evening Star shot Valiant a perturbed look,
“That's fine. I agree with what you said Live Wire. Maybe a visit to a 'shrink' is in order if this happens again. Hint, hint. As in, it had better not happen again.”

Valiant sighed dejectedly,
“Alright. I get the point. I promise I won't do it again.”

“But do you understand why you shouldn't do it again?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Because it's self-destructive, I guess.” Valiant said.

Big Macintosh nodded,
“Ah've seen you do enough self-destructive things to last me a lifetime, and Ah don't want to see it anymore. Or do I need to get mah sister to give you another talkin'-to?”

Valiant stood up ram-rod straight,
“No need for that. Message received loud and clear.”

Evening Star broke the tension,
“Well if that's all cleared up, why don't we go with you and see this miracle stuff ourselves?”

The suggestion was well-received. The four friends turned and headed for the predesgnated meeting place. Valiant smiled to himself, 'I may not have a family, but this is probably as close as I'll ever get.' he thought to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend gently pushed along a supply cart in front of him while Dr. Avalon trotted next to him, examining the unassuming vials which lay on top. Mend was dreading going back to the dormitory. He could feel the voices in the back of his mind buzzing like a hive of bees. He knew once he got back, they would start up again. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Dr. Avalon took note of Mend's actions,
“Nervous?” she asked.

Dr. Mend shook his head,
“Just have a lot on my mind. I already know this will work.”

“Then what's bothering you?” Dr. Avalon asked.

Dr. Mend straightened up and pushed the cart a bit faster,
“I have some . . . personal issues that I need to deal with. Don't worry, I won’t let it affect my performance.”

Dr. Avalon smiled warmly,
“Well, if you ever want to talk about it let me know.” she invited.

“I wouldn't want to burden you, Dr. Avalon.” Dr. Mend responded.

Dr. Avalon placed a gentle hoof on the cart and brought it and Dr. Mend to a halt,
“It's not a burden, if I offered. I mean it. If you want to talk about it, I'm here.” she said looking Dr. Mend directly in the eyes.

Dr. Mend didn't really know what to say,
“I . . . Well, thank you. I appreciate that.” he finally said pushing the cart into motion again.

“Take a left here.” Dr. Avalon said, guiding Dr. Mend toward Trooper's room.

“Has Trooper woken up yet?” Dr. Mend asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Avalon responded, “He woke up earlier and I spoke with him about the treatment. He's eager to give it a try. I brought him the waver and he signed it without delay.”

Dr. Mend smiled, actually smiled,
“Did you give him the whole 'shpeel' about inherent risks and so forth?”

Dr. Avalon shot Dr. Mend a playfully pouty look,
“Really! Do you honestly think I would neglect that kind of a detail? You don't think much of me at all do you?”

The playfulness was both lost and wasted on the serious stallion,
“No! That's not what I meant!” he said frantically, “I just wanted to double check. I'm so used to running my own clinic it's a habit to double check everything. I meant no offense Avalon, I do trust you. You're a fantastic doctor and I never meant to insinuate you were otherwise.”

“Whoa there,” Dr. Avalon said, surprised, “I was only playing. I know you didn't mean it that way, I was teasing you. You know, sarcasm.”

Dr. Mend felt like a heel,
“Oops. I guess I was a bit too serious huh?”

“You think? And since when have we decided to dispense with proper titles?” Dr. Avalon asked, poking Dr. Mend in his side playfully.

Dr. Mend blushed furiously,
“I apologize Dr. Avalon. I had no intention of pressuring you to over familiarity. It was merely a slip of the tongue.”

Dr. Avalon decided to cease with any hints and subtle messages,
“I never said I didn't like it, now did I?” she asked.

Dr. Mend was being particularly dense at the moment,
“Well no. But if you didn't mind then why mention it?”

Dr. Avalon had never wished for a pillow to scream into, so much in her life,
“Never mind.” she mumbled moodily.

“What was that?” Dr. Mend asked absent-mindedly.

Dr. Avalon decided to change the subject,
“Isn't your friend supposed to be here when Trooper begins treatment?”

“Yes, he is. I don't know why he's late. But I suppose that's my fault, I didn't tell him where to meet me. He's probably in the waiting room.” Dr. Mend said.

“I'll go get him. What does he look like?” Dr. Avalon asked.

“His coat is royal blue and his mane and tail are light brown. His cutie-mark is a mortar and pestle with some herbal ingredients in it. He's a pegasus, but he looks like an Earth pony.” Dr. Mend described.

Dr. Avalon turned her head toward Dr. Mend, unsure about the description,
“He's a pegasus but he looks like an Earth pony?” she asked, hinting at clarification.

“He lost his wings. I should know, I had to saw off the remainder of the bones.” Dr. Mend said.

“Accident?” Dr. Avalon asked.

“Animal attack.” Dr. Mend clarified.

“Take your next right and Trooper's room is number 23. I'll be there in a minute or two.” Dr. Avalon said heading off to the waiting room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Trooper had never felt so helpless. All four of his legs were slung up above him in traction, forcing him to lie on his back and press the full weight of his body against his wings, which were sure to be sore after he recovered. His tail lay straight out behind him and drooped off the edge of the bed exposing his backside to the open air. As if all that weren't enough, his legs itched fiercely and the slightest movement of his torso sent flashes of pain shooting all through his whole body which was absolutely slathered in ugly bruises and bumps. He detested having to ask anypony to do things for him and now his independence was completely non-existent. He never once uttered a single complaint, but oh how he wanted to.

Trooper began grumbling to himself to pass the time,
“Of course this would not have happened had it not been for that detestable unicorn. So then, here comes Trooper to selflessly save the day. And what do I get for my bravery? Not one, not two, not even three, but four broken legs!” he griped, “I shall save you! The hero called out to the frightened mare. He swooped down and deftly caught her, mere moments before she would have fallen to her death. As he set her down gently, the wicked unicorn laughed brazenly, taunting him 'I will have that money!' The intrepid hero stood up to her boldly, 'Nay,' he said, 'You shall not harm a hair on her lovely head, for you now face the bravest of heroes, Trooper the Magnificent. Be gone from here wretch!' His words hung in the air like golden motes, glimmering in the afternoon light, bringing hope to all of Equestria.” Trooper's imagination was having a field-day, “He took to the air in his immaculate glory and swooped down toward the evil unicorn, 'Prepare thyself, fiend! For your doom is at hoof! I shall vanquish you without breaking a sweat!' he dove down toward her valiantly.” Trooper flopped his head back in frustration, “But instead of fleeing, she wrapped up his wings and flung him into the air only to fall onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.” he sighed irritatedly, “Thank Celestia, that only my legs were shattered. It could have just as easily been my whole body. I can see it now. My mother weeping brokenly over my headstone. My epitaph would be 'Here lies Trooper, best known for his impression of a pancake.' I do hope the doctor returns soon. I need to be out of this bed.”

Dr. Mend opened the door to Trooper's room and pushed the cart in,
“Hello Trooper, how are you feeling?”

“As well as I can I suppose, all circumstances considered.” Trooper responded honestly, “I could be doing much worse. And hopefully you are here to help me with my recovery? With some radical new treatment I heard about?”

Dr. Mend pushed the cart up along the left side Trooper's bed and locked the wheels with his hoof,
“Correct. All we're waiting on is for the pony who found this new treatment to arrive.”

Trooper looked toward the ceiling, face enraptured,
“I can just imagine her now. She must be an older white unicorn mare with a shining silver mane and tail who exudes a matronly air of tenderness to all she encounters. The very embodiment of a caring matriarch.”

Dr. Mend shook his head, quite amused,
“You couldn’t be more wrong. He is a young, pegasus stallion about your age . . . “ Dr. Mend was cut off as the door to Trooper's room opened.

Evening Star, Lemon Lime, Big Macintosh, Valiant, and Dr. Avalon entered the room, making it seem quite cramped. Dr. Mend's face brightened significantly when he noticed the large, red Earth pony farmer. Big Macintosh, similarly cracked a smile and nodded to Dr. Mend.

Trooper's eyes bulged at the sight of Valiant,
“Doctor, were I not in traction, I should have to accuse you of showing me a mirror. This fellow and I seem to favor each other in a most distinctive way.”

Valiant analyzed Trooper carefully, 'His mane and tail are the exact same shade as mine, his coat too. Our faces are nearly identical as well. I've only ever heard Rarity talk like that though.' Valiant's eyes drifted down to Trooper's flank, his brow wrinkling in confusion, 'Hmm, he doesn't have a cutie mark either.' he thought to himself.

Trooper looked at each pony in turn and finally settled on Evening Star, since she was the only pegasus in evidence.

Trooper craned his neck over toward Dr. Mend and whispered,
“I say, he seems to be a bit on the effeminate side.”

Dr. Mend, for all his seriousness, couldn't help but to laugh at Trooper's poorly informed statement,
“No, no, no.” he chuckled, “Valiant is the one who looks like you.”

“But you said he was a pegasus around my age. There is only one pegasus in the room.” Trooper said confused.

Dr. Mend finished laughing and resumed his serious expression,
“He is a pegasus, he lost his wings.”

Dr. Avalon cleared her throat loudly,
“Ahem. I believe we are all here.”

Trooper caught on easily,
“Ah yes, much to do, much to do. Making medical history and all that.” he raised his head, as much as he could, “The proverbial test subject is ready whenever you fine ponies are.”

Dr. Mend picked up a vial carefully with his hooves and pulled out the cork with his mouth,
“Open up.” he said spitting out the cork.

Trooper opened his mouth and rested his head as far back as he could, so as to minimize the chance of any of the potion spilling. Dr. Mend held up the vial in his hooves and gently bit onto the side of it with his mouth, careful not to shatter it. He tilted his head and poured the contents down Trooper's throat.

Trooper swallowed hard and made a face, whipping his head back and forth,
“Bwa! Beastly, vile-tasting stuff!” he scraped his tongue against his teeth several times, then closed his mouth and adopted a look of thoughtfulness, “Hmm, I do rather like the hint of mint and sage though. So, when should I expect to be mobile again?”

“If you take regular doses every three days, about a week and a half.” Valiant provided.

Trooper brightened up like a flash,
“I say, absolutely top-hole! If this stuff works like you say I could be back out saving damsels in distress in no time at all!”

The collective ponies looked at each other, but Evening Star beat everypony to the punch,
“Yes, about that. What can you tell us?”

“Ah . . . yes. About that,” Trooper's good mood evaporated like vapor in the summer sun, “Well it is all quite simple really. As much as I would love to portray myself as the brave hero, I am afraid that I am not.” Trooper's ears fell and he shrunk back into the bed as if he was trying to hide, “I was flying along, minding my own business, when motion in an alleyway caught my eye. I banked and came around and . . . Well I would have had to be blind to miss what was going on. A unicorn in a dark cloak was levitating an Earth pony filly right up above the surrounding buildings. The filly was scared to death, she was crying her eyes out, but the unicorn simply ignored that and kept demanding the filly drop her bits. Any pony could see the poor thing was not wearing saddle-bags. Where was she supposed to be hiding a bit-purse?” Trooper sighed, “Well the unicorn clearly did not care a whit about that fact and simply dropped the poor thing. Now, I am not a genius, but neither am I a fool. That unicorn meant to kill that poor filly. I never had a chance to think, I just acted,” Trooper snorted in a half-laugh, “I acted like an idiot. I caught the filly and, like a moron, I set her down right in the same alley as the unicorn. The unicorn bound my wings to my sides and flung me right up into the air, then teleported away. I thought I was going to die and that has to be the strangest thing. As I was falling, the only thing I was thinking was that I was glad the unicorn had let the filly go.” Trooper sighed again, “I do not even recall when the spell binding my wings ended or even how I arrived here. I hope that has been helpful.”

Dr. Mend and Dr. Avalon looked at each other and nodded,
“I'm afraid we have rounds to make, but you four are free to stay and visit Trooper for a while. I'll come back when visiting hours are over.” Dr. Avalon said.

The two doctors left the room, taking the cart with them, and closed the door, leaving five ponies to stay and chat. Trooper couldn't help but notice that the yellow and green unicorn was starring at his backside. He chose to ignore it for the moment and turned his attention to the other ponies in the room, none of which he knew well.

“If it is not too much to ask, Valiant was it? Yes um, how is it that we look so much alike and how, in the name of Equestria, did you lose your wings? I am simply dying to know.” Trooper ventured boldly.

Valiant was surprised by the salvo of inquiry but he had some questions of his own,
“How about a trade? Information for information, you scratch my back I'll scratch yours.”

Trooper gave the notion some thought,
“Sounds reasonable enough. You first.”

“Back at you. How do we look so much alike? I don't have any relatives that I know of. Do you have a missing twin brother or something like that?” Valiant asked.

Trooper shook his head,
“Sorry, afraid not. I was the only foal my mother ever had. My parents married young and my father died when I was quite young. I do not even recall what he looks like. My turn. How did you lose your wings?”

“Do you want the long version or the short one?” Valiant asked.

“I believe I will take the short one.” Trooper replied.

“I was helping a bear whose back legs were trapped under some fallen rocks. I had to get close and the bear made a meal out of my wings.” Valiant said.

Trooper pursed his lips,
“I was honest with you my good stallion. I will thank you to be honest with me.” he said frostily.

Valiant opened his mouth to speak, but Big Macintosh beat him to it,
“Valiant don't lie to nopony. He's tellin' the truth.”

Trooper hadn't heard Big Macintosh, he was distracted by Lemon Lime, who was still staring intently at his posterior,
“What is it exactly about that particular region of my backside do you find so incredibly enthralling?”

Lemon Lime looked up sharply,
“I . . . I uh . . . “

Trooper settled down a bit and took on a softer tone,
“If you are compelled to look, feel free to do so, but I will ask you not to touch without my permission. And just to save any embarrassment, my tastes run to the mares.”

Lemon Lime's eyes were as large a saucers and his face instantly turned beet-red,
“No . . . no. I was . . . it's just that . . . “

“Oh come now. Do not be ashamed of who you are. I take it as a compliment and I am well aware of the modern age in which we live. I am as accepting as the next pony and I certainly cannot judge you for your preference. If it pleases you to look then look. So long as you do not invade my personal space, I have no issue with it.” Trooper said.

“But . . . it's not . . . I mean . . . “ Lemon Lime was stuttering more than he had when first meeting Evening Star.

“Good Heavens!” Trooper exclaimed, “It is not the end of the world! If you see something you like then fine! If it is that much of a big deal, I have some friends who . . . “ Trooper was interrupted by Lemon Lime.

“You don't have a cutie-mark.” the unicorn said quietly.

Trooper stopped mid-sentence, mouth still open,
“Oh that. Yes well, you see, I simply never developed one. I do not have a special talent that I am aware of.” Trooper's ears fell, “Oh my. I apologize profusely if I embarrassed you. I seem to have made an ass out of myself in regard to my ass. My mistake, but my statement still stands.”

The tension in the air was so thick, the assembled ponies could almost taste it. It was the awkward silence to end all awkward silences. After a full minute of loud crickets, Big Macintosh cleared his throat.

“Ah think we need to talk about this rogue unicorn and what we're goin' to do about her.” the massive Earth pony initiated.

Lemon Lime, glad for the subject change, piped up quickly,
“I have an idea!”

The other ponies waited for him to expound on the notion, after a moment, the short unicorn got the picture,
“I think we should ask the Elements of Harmony to deal with her.”

Evening Star shook her head,
“Can't. Big Macintosh already hinted at that to Princess Celestia. She said we should try to solve it on our own. She seemed inclined to think that Big Macintosh would be in on it though.”

Valiant turned a surprised eye to his huge, red friend,
“Really? When did you get an audience with Princess Celestia?”

Big Macintosh shrugged,
“Ah didn't do it on purpose. Live Wire told me to find Evenin' Star while he was at work. Ah went to the Library and overheard a conversation. Ah tried to sneak away, but the Princess caught me, so Ah just said what was on mah mind.”

Trooper was surprised to say the least,
“Do you mean to say, that you were, essentially, privileged with a private audience with the dominant ruler of Equestria?”

“Ayup.”

“Had I known that, I would have been keeping the company of work-ponies from day one.” Trooper said magnanimously.

Big Macintosh ignored the statement and focused on the topic at hoof,
“We still need some kind o' plan. Any other ideas?”

Every ear in the room instantly swerved toward Evening Star when she said,
“I think we should try to find the Elements of Peace.”

“We have already discussed the Elements of Harmony.” Trooper reminded.

“No, the Elements of Peace, the other set of Elements, the other half of the Elements of Harmony.” Evening Star said emphatically.

Valiant rubbed his head with his hooves,
“Look everypony, Elements or no Elements, we still need a solution. I don't think we have time to seek out another set of Elements even if they do exist. I'm not saying I don't believe you Evening Star, but we need a solution right now. This unicorn is suffering from 'Caster's Stroke' and she isn't going to stop on her own. She's accelerating and next time there may not be anypony around to save her next victim. Mend and I discussed this briefly, and he had an idea. What if we could manage to get this unicorn to ingest an elixir that would knock her out, put her to sleep?”

Lemon Lime caught the direction of his wingless friend's thought pattern,
“Then we could keep giving her doses of it until the C.M.E.S. wears off. We would have to care for her while this is going on, but that's no problem. I have plenty of room in my house and more than enough money to pay for her food and such. But the question is: how do we get her to ingest it? If we could put it into a syringe, I could administer it to her that way, but the chemical makeup would have to be different. If all we have to work with is a compound that has to be ingested, then somepony would have to hold her still, somepony would have to pry open her mouth, and while all that's going on, a unicorn would have to cut her off from her power to make sure she didn't teleport away.” Lemon Lime put a hoof to his chin and began muttering calculations quietly to himself.

Trooper opened his mouth to speak, but Evening Star hovered over to him with a hoof to her lips,
“Shh. Let him work. He has Cerebral-Lingua Accelerari; his mind works four times faster than any of ours could.” she whispered.

After what Big Macintosh counted out to be three minutes and twelve seconds, Lemon Lime looked up,
“I've run the numbers. Thank Celestia I work as a physical therapist or I wouldn't know this. The average pony's reflexive time scale is roughly 2.6 seconds when their adrenaline is pumping, with a variable of .4 seconds to account for the C.M.E.S. . . . “ Lemon Lime began, but Evening Star cut him off.

“Is it possible, Live Wire? Can we do it?” she asked hopefully.

“Yes. I believe we can do it, but we need to be organized. Let's go over what we have available. We need to know who is going to be participating in this, then write up a list of our strengths so we can utilize every advantage while minimizing our weaknesses and be able to act with the most efficient effort and keep the possibility of injury to as small a percentage as possible.” Lemon Lime said.

“Let's start with who's going to be doing this.” Valiant said, “I'm in.”

“So am Ah.” Big Macintosh said next.

“I have to be there. I'm the only one who could match her in strength, besides I can catch a pony in a heart-beat.” Lemon Lime interjected.

“I will go as well.” Evening Star said, “If she's suffering from 'Caster's Stroke', being confronted by a bunch of stallions in a dark alley way could send her into a true panic. I think I can calm her down.”

“I shall be glad to help as soon as I am recovered.” Trooper volunteered, “I can scout around for her. I am no hero, but I can be your eyes.”

“I'm pretty sure Mend would want to be there too.” Valiant said, “If for no other reason, than to be present to provide his expertise if somepony gets injured. That's six so far. How many do you estimate we need Live Wire?”

“I'd say, with the sheer amount of variables we have working against us. We will need a minimum of seven, preferably eight, but we could pull it off with seven.” Lemon Lime estimated.

“O.K. So who else can we ask to help us?” Valiant asked.

Lemon Lime and Big Macintosh looked at each other, seeming to think the same thing,
“Danger and possible violence . . . “ Lemon Lime began.

“Physical strength and boldness . . . “ Big Macintosh continued the thought.

“Cantankerous.” The two stallions said in unison.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Across the capital city of Equestria, away from the clinic, a unicorn stallion and his daughter trotted toward home after a fun-filled afternoon at the park. Father and daughter trotted along happily underneath Princess Luna’s waxing Moon. The night had begun to take on a slight chill, soft breezes began drifting in, out of the West and the temperature was dropping steadily. They walked along a familiar back-road, certain of their safety. Patch was pleasantly fatigued from her rambunctious playing with all the other Fillies and colts at the park and could proudly boast she was named the ‘tag queen’ of the day. The two unicorns were beginning to pick up the pace. The temperature was dropping more quickly than they had first thought and they longed to be back in their own home. Little did they know that in the growing obscurity of the evening a living shadow had detached from the darkness and was following them. The figure looked out from underneath her hood and her muddy purple eyes focused on the oblivious pair.

The turquoise unicorn stallion heard a rock clack in the darkness of an alley way behind he and his daughter and turned his head to the deepening shadows. He turned, quick as a flash, his hoof shot out to the tiny unicorn filly next to him, keeping her still. Patch froze, almost instantly, fear beginning to creep into her thoughts.

“What is it Daddy?” little Patch asked.

“Quiet, baby.” he whispered tensely.

His ears twitched this way and that, trying to focus on any possible threat, his eyes searching the ever-growing layers of gloom for whatever had made the noise. Sea Blue stood still as a statue for several full minutes, reaching out with his senses into the pitch black of the surrounding alley ways. Patch was frightened and held as still as her father. Neither pony dared to move a muscle. The night continued to cool, the temperature dropping more quickly. The two ponies could see their breath in front of their faces, but still they dared not move.

Sea Blue knew he had heard something and began gathering his magic for a 'Light' spell. It was one he had learned when he had taken a self-defense course. He focused on hiding the glow of his horn so as to have the element of surprise. Sea Blue had fervently hoped he would never have to actually use the spells, but ‘better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it’; and now life seemed to be indicating that he needed it. He took a deep breath and began calming himself, clearing his mind and opening himself to the full spectrum of his admittedly limited magical power. He sent up a silent prayer to Princess Luna, whose night it was, and asked for what every parent would want, the ability to protect his daughter.

“Close your eye, Patch.” Sea Blue whispered to the little filly.

In a blindingly brilliant flash of sudden light, Sea Blue finished casting his spell. He closed his eyes for a brief moment so as to not be blinded, as was the spell's intended use. He opened his eyes quickly and took in the surrounding area, illuminated by the spell. Eight paces to his left stood the wall of a pottery house, the heat from the kiln in the back wall still sending trace amounts of warmth into the night. Six paces to his right stood the abandoned bulk of an old textile factory, spooky enough in the first place. Directly behind him a good 23 paces, was the main road, a place he suddenly wished he and Patch had stayed on. Directly in front of him, illuminated by his spell, Sea Blue discerned the silhouette of a cloaked pony, not ten paces away. Sea Blue could not make out any particularly identifying characteristics in the darkness, which made the phantom pony so much more terrifying. Sea Blue took an involuntary step back, eyes hardening, preparing to fight. For several solid minutes, the phantom pony stood stock-still. Sea Blue thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, the wind was blowing, but in the outline he saw, the other pony’s cloak was still as a tomb-stone. Not a single piece of the phantom seemed lively, the mane hung loosely, the tail still as a stone, it didn’t hardly seem to even breathe.

With a sudden, terrifying explosion of motion the cloaked pony charged, forward, horn glowing brightly in the darkness.

“Run!”Sea Blue yelled to Patch, “Run Patch! Run home and don't stop till you get there!”

The tiny filly took off like a shot while her father braced himself and began gathering his magic for another defensive spell,
“STOP!” he bellowed, “Don't take another step!”

The cloaked pony only increased her speed. She flashed out of Sea Blue's sight and re-appeared right in front of him. Sea Blue realized what was happening and had to decide between dodging and casting his incomplete spell. He decided to throw up his incomplete spell, hoping it would be enough to stop his apparent enemy. The spell was too weak. Sea Blue seemed to see the world in slow motion. He saw the flash of his own spell illuminate his enemy, her muddy purple eyes now dimly glowing in the night. Her head was low, using her natural weapon as unicorns had been want to do in ages past. Sea Blue tensed his body, preparing for an impact he was certain would come close to, if not outright pierce his heart. The unicorn's horn pierced his chest, the impact throwing him to the ground.

Sea Blue felt a white-hot pain seared through his whole body, and to his infinite surprise, he felt a second wave of agony shoot throughout his body as his enemy delivered a spell, right past his natural defenses. The spell wracked his body with the fiery intensity of a thousand white-hot Suns. His muscles locked tightly then seemed to short-circut, leaving him to fall limply onto the ground like a rag-doll. Sea Blue cried out in pain, and to his horror, he heard the scream of little Patch as well.

Sea Blue struggled to rise to his hooves, but the impact had left him winded and his muscles felt like jelly. His sanguine life essence began to slowly spill out of the open hole in his chest, staining the ground. Sea Blue focused his remaining strength and just barely managed to turn his head toward where he heard Patch's cry. The unicorn stallion’s fears were confirmed, coming to terrifying proportions. The cloaked pony stood in front of his daughter. Patch was shaking, frozen with fear. The blindness was only supposed to last for a few brief moments and Sea Blue wasn't even sure it had been effective at all.

The figure held up a hoof, underneath Patch's chin, lifting her head. The terrified filly complied tearfully. The unicorn examined Patch's missing eye and turned swiftly to Sea Blue,
“This is your doing! How dare you!” she accused.

Patch came to her senses, and kicked the cloaked unicorn with a front hoof,
“No!” she cried, “Leave Daddy alone!”

The cloaked pony's hoof shot out and snaked around Patch's shoulders,
“Come with me, little one. I'll keep you safe. Nopony will ever hurt you again.”

Sea Blue's blood ran cold, all color draining from his body. He struggled to stand; he struggled with all his might. He focused his will and slowly forced his senseless legs to comply. The unicorn turned back to Sea Blue, and for the first time, he managed to get a good look at her expression: she was shocked.

“What!” she cried, “Impossible! Nopony can shake off my 'Paralysis' spell!” she sneered, “It doesn't matter! You will never hurt her again!”

With a bright flash of magic, both the unicorn and little Patch were gone, leaving Sea Blue alone on the street.

“Patch?” he called out weakly to the darkness.

Sea Blue's call met only the dreaded silence of night, and his heart shattered,
“no,” he whispered, “Oh baby no, no, no, no, no, nO, NO, NO!” he began frantically trying to force his body to respond, “NO!” he cried, “No baby, you can't be gone! NO!” it was no use, his body wouldn't respond fast enough. He managed to get his front hooves underneath him but his equilibrium was shot and he pitched over onto his side, throwing up a small cloud of dust, “Not her! NO CELESTIA, LUNA NO! Not her!” he cried furiously, “NO, PLEASE NOT HER! PLEASE! I BEG YOU! NOT HER! NO!”

Sea Blue used his front hooves to drag himself toward where he last saw her,
“No baby, no. You can't be gone. No. No. No. No.” each word was whispered as he drug himself inch-by-inch closer to where she had vanished, his voice croaked through his sobs, “I can't lose you.” he whispered, “Please Patch, come back. Bring her back. Don't do this. Don't take her away from me.”

Sea Blue reached the spot and looked around frantically for his precious daughter, his mind, unwilling to accept that she was gone,
“Where is she?” he asked the darkness, “Where is she? I have to find her. Where is she? Patch?” he called, “Patch? Come back baby. Daddy's alright, it's O.K. to come out now. Patch? Patch!” he cried.

Reality finally sunk in to the poor unicorn's tortured psyche. Sea Blue collapsed onto the ground and cried, expressing a pain that only a parent could ever know. In that moment, the playful counselor wanted to die.

Sea Blue’s mind began to fade away, his vision leaving him cold in the street,
“Patch . . . “ the name of his daughter was the last whisper come out of his mouth that night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Author’s note:
This was one of, if not the most difficult chapters to write. I will cherish every single comment that anyone wants to post. This is a chapter that I want A LOT of comments on. Especially in regard to Sea Blue’s reaction to Patch being taken away from him. Please give me your thoughts.

Chapter 8

Trials of the Elements

Part 8

Patch couldn't stop crying. She lay on a thin blanket on the cold, hard floor of a dark room. She could just make out the wall next to her; it was made of brown stone and was as cold as the rest of the room. The air smelled stale and old, just like the blanket she was laying on. Her head lay resting on her for hooves as her tears streamed down her face; it was the only warmth she had. She was afraid to move a muscle for fear of what the scary unicorn who had foalnapped her would do. She closed her eye and wished, not for the first time, she was back home, nestled in her bed with her Daddy reading her a bedtime story. She sniffed loudly as fresh tears began forming in her eye.

The unicorn mare who had taken Patch paced back and forth somewhere in the darkness nearby. Patch could hear her hooves clopping around, somewhere between her and the doorway. The room, Patch guessed, was fifteen paces wide and twenty paces long. Patch was against the far wall from the door, which she could just barely make out in the darkness.

The unicorn mare stopped her pacing when she heard Patch sniffle,
“It's alright little filly,” she said from the darkness, “STOP CRYING!”

Patch shrunk back from the harsh voice. The unicorn would speak softly then suddenly explode for no apparent reason. Patch was deathly afraid of her.

“I wanna go home!” the little unicorn cried.

Patch could hear the unicorn approaching her,
“You are home, away from that terrible stallion who took your pretty eye. I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE! Now why don't you try to get some sleep? We're safe here. This is my home. DO YOU LIKE IT? Settle down now.” she lay down next to Patch and snuggled up against the little filly, “The day is dead. Let us die too and be born anew with the dawn.”

Patch had no idea what the unicorn was talking about. She hoped that her Daddy would come for her soon. She tried to crawl away from her foalnapper, but the unicorn held tightly onto her and escape was impossible. The unicorn wrapped her hooves around Patch and seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. Patch was too frightened to sleep. She lay her head down on the hoof that was tucked under her chin and wept silently.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend shook himself as he stepped out of the shower, his mood was dark. Just as he feared, the voices had begun their ranting once again when he and Valiant had returned to the dorm. Dr. Mend closed his eyes and concentrated on his mind, 'Be quiet!' he thought. The voices didn't even pause, 'Shut up, shut up, shut up!' he mentally yelled. The voices just wouldn't abate, they kept rambling on and on about how much of a failure he was. Dr. Mend put his front hooves over his ears, vainly trying to block out the sound. He knew it wouldn't work, but he had to do something.

Dr. Mend lay down on the floor of the bathroom and screwed his eyes tightly shut, his jaw grinding, 'Leave me alone!' he mentally yelled to the voices, 'What do you want from me?' He had no idea how long he spent in that posture, but after a time, he woke up.

Dr. Mend opened his eyes, realizing he had fallen asleep in a very painful position. He raised his head and sucked in a breath, his neck hurt terribly. The voices were there already, yammering away again, like always. Dr. Mend stood up stiffly; a wave of nausea hit him like a freight train. He lurched over to the toilet tried to throw up the absent contents of his empty stomach. He only vomited yellow foam. He stayed in his bent over position for several long minutes, until the nausea subsided. He felt horrible.

Somepony knocked on the bathroom door, rudely bringing the black stallion out of his stupor,
“Mend, are you alright?” Dr. Mend recognized the voice as belonging to Valiant.

“Yeah, I'm alright.” Dr. Mend replied, breathing heavily, “Just some stomach trouble. I'll be out in a minute.”

The white maned Earth pony struggled to his hooves and wobbled to the door. He unlocked the old wooden door and opened it to find Valiant standing just beyond with a worried look on his face. Mend held up a hoof, forestalling any questions, and lumbered over to his bed. Dr. Mend was only dimly aware that the voices he heard in his head were different from those of the other ponies in the room. He didn't care, he just needed more sleep.

Valiant watched his friend crawl into bed and pull the covers up over himself. The younger, wingless pegasus bit his lip but decided to hold his tongue, 'Mend's dealing with enough right now. I'll tell him what we decide in the morning.' he thought. Valiant walked back over to his bed, where his friends sat with quills and paper.

“Hey Valiant?” Evening Star addressed, whispering, “Should we go somewhere else, so he can sleep?” she asked, indicating Dr. Mend.

Valiant nodded,
“That's probably a good idea. He needs his rest. Does anypony know a quiet place where we can get some food and continue on with all this planning?” he asked, continuing the whisper.

Lemon Lime, unsurprisingly, had an idea,
“We could get some take-out and head on over to the Tower Library. The Librarian never locks the door and we could all sit out on the balcony. There's plenty of tables and chairs.”

Valiant raised a hoof,
“All in favor?” he asked.

A tree-trunk thick red hoof and a tan stream-lined thin one both rose, Big Macintosh and Evening Star giving their approval.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The four friends congregated on the balcony of the Tower Library, each carrying their respective take-out containers. The night had turned cold in a snap, but none of them seemed to mind. Lemon Lime had opted for spicy zebra food, but the others had no taste for the sphincter melting stuff. They had all gone separate directions to acquire their meals. Big Macintosh, not wanting for anything fancy, settled on picking up a big head of broccoli and four avocados from the closest grocery store. Valiant had purchased a spinach quiche and Evening Star had grabbed a loaf of bread, some red grapes, and a small block of Havarti cheese. The friends all sat on the balcony eating and discussing their plans.

Valiant had been thinking about something since they had been talking with Trooper,
“Star, you mentioned some new Elements earlier. What did you mean when you said we should find them? How could they help?”

Evening Star broke off a piece of the bread and popped it into her mouth before answering,
“Big Macintosh and I spent the better part of the day reading this old book that Princess Luna brought in. It talked about the fact that there are in fact two sets of Elements; the Elements of Harmony and the Elements of Peace. The Elements of Harmony are always female and the Elements of Peace are always male. We already know the Elements of Harmony have bearers, but I've never heard of any stallion being able to do what the book describes the Elements of Peace are able to do. It mentioned several things about the two sets of Elements and one thing, in particular, stuck out to Big Macintosh. He believes that you are actually one of them, but he couldn't figure out which.” she explained.

Big Macintosh nodded,
“Ayup. Ah saw it back on the farm during the fire when you were tryin' to revive Granny Smith. It only happened for a few seconds, but Ah know Ah saw a pair of golden wings on you.”

Evening Star continued with the explanation,
“The book describes what it refers to as 'pseudo-members' for bearers of the Elements who were disabled in some way. Honestly, I can't think of any other possible reason for you to have manifested wings like that.”

Valiant wasn't so sure,
“I don't remember anything like that, but then again they would have been on my back. I'm not saying I don't believe you Big Mac, but there was a lot of confusion that night. Is it possible you just mistook what you saw?”

Lemon Lime pulled his head up from the platter of noodles in front of him; his breath reeked of Ghost Chilies,
“Why would it be Valiant in the first place?” he asked, “I mean no offense Valiant, but wouldn't the bearers of this set of Elements be special? The bearers of the Elements of Harmony were special, weren't they?”

“Ah think Valiant's plenty special.” Big Mac said, “There ain't been no forgiven Vagabonds in a long time. Ah'm not tryin' to throw a rock under your cart there Live Wire, but Valiant's done lost his wings, been forgiven from beyond the grave, saved the lives of four ponies, and discovered a new medical breakthrough. How much more special could you get?”

“Let me go get the book. I'll be right back.” Evening Star said taking to the air.

The tan pegasus returned after only a few seconds and laid a thick old tome on the table,
“This is the one.” she said flipping through the pages, “Here, the Elements of Peace. Read that Valiant.”

Valiant carefully read the entire dissertation, then looked up, questioningly a few minutes later,
“Actually, now that I've read this, it seems to me the pony most likely to be one of the Elements of Peace would be you, Big Mac.” Valiant said directing his gaze to the massive Earth pony.

Big Macintosh shook his head,
“Evenin' Star already tried that. She said she thought Ah was the Element of Acceptance, but Ah don't think so.”

Valiant's eyebrows arched,
“Really? That's the same one I would have picked. Why do think you aren't?”

Big Macintosh shrugged,
“Ah just don't see it. Besides Ah'm nothin' special. Ifn Ah was the bearer of Acceptance, Ah wouldn't be arguin' about it.”

“Hmm, that is a good point.” Valiant had to admit.

“It would make sense though. Each of the Elements of Harmony has an Element of Peace that compliments it. Honesty is paired with Acceptance, Kindness is paired with Hope, Laughter and Forgiveness are another match, Loyalty and Perseverance, Generosity and Discernment, and finally Magic and Patience. The book also said that the bearers of all the Elements would be determined by ancestry. It makes a comparison to a family, husband and wife, or maybe brother and sister.” Evening Star explained.

Lemon Lime had finished with his spicy noodles and was listening to the conversation with rapt attention,
“It seems to me that the bearer of Acceptance wouldn't be willing to unthinkingly believe everything he hears, that's just dumb. You're all thinking in linear and literal terms. Take a step back and look at the whole montage, not just one photo. To counter my earlier statement, it would make sense that no bearer of any Element would think of themselves as such. I think the description leans more to a character trait. Big Mac, have you ever called anypony a liar?”

“Nope. Ah've been duped a couple of times though.” Big Macintosh admitted.

Evening Star caught on to what Lemon Lime was saying,
“Like when you met Valiant for the first time, you accepted him for who he was.” Evening Star turned to Valiant, “You told me that when Twilight cast her spell to let you see and talk to Arabesque again, you named each pony present as having one of the traits of love. Which one did you say Big Mac represented?”

Valiant's face lit up with recognition,
“Love doesn't judge or assume. Love is accepting. Love takes things as they are without foregone conclusions!” he was becoming excited, “I think you're right! Big Mac, even your most commonly used statement oozes acceptance. What could be more unassuming or accepting than 'Ayup'? It, in itself, is a statement of accepting the world as it is.”

Big Macintosh pursed his lips, deep in thought, as his friends continued naming events where the huge Earth pony had displayed the character trait,
“Like when Cantankerous said he didn't mean to bust up your nose. I would have been royally pissed, but you just took him at his word. You two got to be friends, even in the short amount of time we were in the bar.” Lemon Lime said.

“You didn't act oddly when Princess Celestia addressed you like a normal pony. Most ponies scrape and bow all the time, but you just acted like you were having a normal conversation with a neighbor. She addressed you as one regular pony to another and you accepted that and spoke with her the same way.” Evening Star pointed out.

Valiant turned his attention back to the book,
“It says here that to invoke an Element, the bearer has to focus on their memories of times where they personified their Element.” Valiant looked up to Big Macintosh, “Would you feel comfortable giving it a try, Big Mac?”

Big Macintosh shrugged, rising to his hooves,
“Ah don't like bein' the center of attention, but if it'll make yall happy then I'll give it a try. Ah still don't think Ah'm one of the Elements though.”

The huge Earth pony took a couple of steps back and squared his shoulders. The other three ponies leaned forward on the table eyes glued to the muscular red stallion. Big Macintosh closed his eyes and concentrated. The three friends leaned even closer, hearts beating rapidly in anticipation, eyes fixated on their friend. Big Macintosh took a couple of deep breaths and seemed to be trying to calm himself. He lowered his head and steadied his stance.

Nothing happened.

The massive Earth pony looked up after a few minutes and shrugged,
“Ah guess it was worth a try.”

The other three ponies sat back in their chairs greatly disappointed by the lack of their friend's manifestation. Big Macintosh sat back down in his chair and took a big bite out of his head of broccoli. Lemon Lime was disappointed but he was as eager as ever to move on to something new. He stood up and put his plate in a nearby trash can by the balcony entrance, then moved to Valiant's saddle-bags. He pulled out his quill and parchment and settled back down, dipping the quill into the ink jar.

“We've wasted enough time on this. We can't wait any longer. Let's sum up what our strengths and weakness are. For simplicity sake, let's start with me. You all tell me what my strengths are then we'll move on to my weaknesses. We'll move on to you next, Evening Star. Does that sound good to everypony?” he asked.

Big Macintosh started,
“Well, you sure are good at thinkin' fast.”

“No argument there.” Valiant agreed.

“You could use your mind to plan out our methods of searching. You know this city better than any of us. I only know it from the air; you know the history behind almost every building, which could be useful if we get into a chase.” Evening Star added.

“So, we have quick thinking and knowledge of the geography. What's next?” Lemon Lime asked taking notes.

“You said yourself, that you were probably the only pony who could match the unicorn at physical manipulation. You might be able to best her in a one-on-one fight.” Evening Star noted.

“I would need to learn some more spells but I suppose we all need some training before we launch into this.” Lemon Lime said.

“As far as weaknesses go, you talk, a lot. We will have to be quiet if we're to take the unicorn by surprise. You'll have to learn to keep quiet, that and you aren't very physically imposing. I'm not sure you could keep up with the rest of us if we have to give chase.” Valiant observed.

Lemon Lime grimaced, but wrote down Valiant's observation faithfully,
“Is there anything else?” he asked.

“Nope.” Big Macintosh said.

“Then I guess it's my turn then.” Evening Star said taking to the air, “Lay it on me guys.” she offered smirking mischievously.

Valiant began,
“You already mentioned you are a mare and that you might be able to calm the unicorn down if she thinks we mean to act . . . poorly toward her.”

“You've got wings, and you're fast. You know the city from the air and you're used to bein' up at all hours of the night, bein' a courier and all.” Big Macintosh observed.

“You're pretty.” Valiant said absent-mindedly.

The three other ponies stopped what they were doing and just stared at Valiant. Valiant had no idea he had spoken aloud. It took him a minute or two to notice the silence from his friends. He looked from one face to another innocently several times before it hit him. The royal blue wingless pegasus turned bright purple and sank into his chair as if he were trying to hide from the gazes of his friends.

Valiant cleared his throat and sat up, after a moment,
“What? It could help us. Most ponies wouldn't figure on an attractive mare being evil, now would they?”

Lemon Lime dipped his quill into the ink and continued to write,
“Anything else?” he asked.

“Ah can't think of anything else.” Big Mac said.

“Me neither.” Valiant lied. In truth he could think of plenty of good things, but he didn't want to embarrass himself any further.

“Right then, weaknesses. You're a pegasus, you're light-weight, fragile, and you could be thrown around like a rag-doll, if the unicorn chooses to turn her magic on you. You should stay out of the physical aspect of the whole ordeal and let the larger stallions handle it. Hey, don't feel bad I'm in the same boat.” Lemon Lime said.

“If it came right down to it, could you catch one of us if you had to?” Valiant asked.

Evening Star pondered the answer for several seconds,
“Maybe you or Live Wire. There is no possible way I could catch Dr. Mend or Big Macintosh, and if Cantankerous is as big as you say Live Wire, I doubt I could catch him either.”

Lemon Lime wrote down every word,
“O.K. Valiant, your turn. I'd say you have an advantage in that you are really strong for a pegasus.”

“Yeah, but I'm ground-bound. If I were an Earth pony I would be only a little bit above average. Would you agree Big Mac?” Valiant asked.

“Ayup. You do have your potions though, and that's definitely an advantage.” the big Earth pony said, “How many do you think you could carry in your saddle-bags and still move as fast?”

“I think I could probably have them full up and not be encumbered. That would be due to the five years of walking constantly.” Valiant admitted.

“You are pretty much as light as me and just as fragile, plus you don't have your wings anymore. In addition to that, the unicorn has already seen you, so she will be extra nervous. You should probably hang back, out of sight, so you don't antagonize her with your presence. Your disadvantages out-weigh your advantages.” Evening star noted.

“Good point,” Valiant admitted, “I hadn't thought of that. Anything else?”

“Nothing I can think of.” Lemon Lime said, “Your turn Big Macintosh. You are strong. I mean freakishly strong. You pulled your buck and still managed to knock Cantankerous ten paces away and onto his back. I happen to know that it's pretty difficult to teleport with another pony touching you. If you can tackle the unicorn, I think she won't be able to teleport. That and she won't be able to levitate you without levitating herself, which is nearly impossible to begin with.”

“Not to mention, you're used to hours of physical labor, so you're stamina should be well above ours. You're also tough. If it comes down to a physical fight, you could probably take a lot of punishment.” Valiant said.

“Ah don't want to be hurtin' nopony ifn Ah don't have to.” Big Mac said.

“We know that, but we may not have a choice. If push comes to shove, you may have to break one of the unicorn's legs. I know you don't like the idea, but we may find ourselves backed into a corner or out of options. If it's for her own good, can you do that Big Mac?” Evening Star asked.

Big Macintosh looked unhappy at the prospect, but he nodded,
“Ah guess Ah can, but Ah ain't goin' to be happy about it.”

“Alright weaknesses,” Lemon Lime said, “Umm . . . uh . . . well . . . aside from not having wings or magic I can't think of any.”

“Reluctance.” Valiant said, “Big Mac's not a violent type. No offense, my friend, but you have to admit that if you had to buck a mare, on purpose, to injure her, you would have trouble doing that wouldn't you?”

“Ah might. Ah was taught to never even raise mah voice to a filly or mare, much less hurt one on purpose.” Big Macintosh admitted.

“Alright, good point Valiant.” Lemon Lime said, “Is that everything?”

“Well, I do know Mend pretty well. I could probably give you a rundown of his advantages and disadvantages.” Valiant offered.

“Alright then, go for it.” Lemon Lime said dipping the quill again.

“He knows all about medicine and he can do field work without a problem. He's resourceful and clever. He doesn't shy away from . . . messy things and he won't flinch if he has to get physical. If we can find a way to inject the unicorn with a strong sedative, Mend should be the one to do it. If anypony gets injured, he can provide triage on the spot. He'll be indispensible.” Valiant said seriously, “On the flip side, he is actually a gentle pony. He CAN get physical, but I seriously doubt he'll WANT to. He's dedicated his life to helping ponies recover from injuries, not causing them. I'm fairly certain that things get down to the grind, he'll be able to do what's best, but again, we face the issue of reluctance. He also isn't in particularly great shape. He's only in his thirties but, well, you all already know how old he looks. He is an Earth pony, so he'll be a little bit stronger than most of the rest of us, tougher too. I think that about sums it up.”

“Alright, tomorrow we need to find Cantankerous and get him to come to Trooper's room. Once everypony is there, we can discuss a strategy for tracking this unicorn. Remember, as yet we have no idea where she's staying. Assuming she's staying in Canterlot in the first place; she could be anywhere.” Lemon Lime observed.

“Let's go over what we have to work with. What supplies do we have available to us right now and what do we need to get?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah've got a lasso and some steel shoes, plus plenty of bits.” Big Macintosh offered.

Evening Star's eyes bulged at the statement,
“Steel shoes?” she asked incredulously, “Whoo! You mean business don't you.”

“Ifn it comes to a pony's life Ah'll be savin' by hurtin' somepony else, Ah'll do what Ah have to and make it count. Ah may not like it none, but if it's what's got to be done then that's that, and Ah'll try not to hesitate.” Big Mac said slowly, as if the words hurt.

“I have my mortar and pestle, plus all the ingredients I could need.” Valiant hesitated before saying more, “I don't know if she can help, but I'll ask Arabesque what she can do, or I'll try to at least. I'm not sure I can get in contact with her, but I'll try.”

Lemon Lime ceased writing and looked up at his friend slowly, the others were silent as well,
“I think we should let her rest Valiant. We shouldn't try to dabble with ghosts and spirits. This concern is for the living. We should handle it by ourselves. Let her go. You need to be on your own now.”

“It's easier said than done, Live Wire.” Valiant said stiffly, “She's lived with me for a long time . . . “ Valiant cut himself off as his own words sunk in, “I mean, I've lived with her for a long time. It's not easy to let go.”

“Tell me about it.” Lemon Lime said under his breath, then raised his voice, “Valiant, my point is still valid. We were never meant to rely on the departed. We were meant to rely on each other, the living. You need to do this yourself.” Lemon Lime turned to Evening Star, “What do you have at your disposal?”

The tan pegasus shrugged her shoulders,
“Maps, that's about it. I could call in a few favors, but my requests would have to be specific, and I don't know how reliable they would be.”

The yellow unicorn wrote it all down before adding his own possessions to the meager list,
“I have my home and a lot of bits, plus my home's resources. I guess I'm the strongest contributor in that regard. I've saved almost three-hundred-thousand bits since I started my job.”

“Holy cow!” Valiant exclaimed, “You are now officially my new best friend.” he said teasingly.

Lemon Lime smiled,
“So what we need to do now is figure out how we are going to get this mystery sedative into the unicorn. Valiant, do you think you can come up with something that can be injected? It would probably be easier than trying to get her to swallow anything.”

“That's not my area of expertise. I make potions to be swallowed, but I do have my pharmaceuticals text and I've got Mend. I'm sure I can figure something out, but it will take time.” Valiant said.

“Couldn't you just use some of the sedatives they have in the clinic where Dr. Mend works?” Big Macintosh asked.

Valiant shook his head vigorously,
“Nope, not an option. That stuff' is tightly regulated and no clinic would sell it. Mend could steal some, but I'm certain he wouldn't be at all happy with that thought. We'll probably have to make do with something I create from scratch, plus I'll need somepony to test it out on. We really don't have any other option.”

Evening Star landed next to Valiant,
“If you have to test it out on somepony, we should make sure it's somepony who is about the same size and type. Would you say the unicorn mare is about my size?”

“Roughly, but she's a unicorn, and you're a pegasus. Your metabolism is a lot higher than hers. We need a twenty something unicorn mare who is a bit under average height. Do any of you know somepony like that?” Valiant asked.

Big Macintosh looked a bit sick mentioning it,
“Twilight might do.”

Valiant shook his head,
“No, she's a bit too young. She's what, sixteen?”

“Ah don't make it a habit of askin’ fillies their age, but that sounds about right.” Big Macintosh said.

“Yeah, she's too young, besides it could be dangerous.” Valiant explained.

“So you would put another mare's life in danger just because you don't know her?” Lemon Lime asked.

Valiant groaned,
“No, you know that's not what I meant.” he sighed heavily, “Look, it's getting late. Let's wrap this up and continue tomorrow evening.”

“Sounds good to me.” Big Macintosh said.

“I second the motion.” Evening Star said.

“Yeah, I have to work tomorrow anyway.” Lemon Lime said capping the ink jar.

“Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight Big Macintosh?” Valiant asked.

The huge Earth pony turned to Lemon Lime,
“Can Ah crash at your place again tonight?”

“Sure. Stay as long as you like.” Lemon Lime replied happily.

“Let's meet up again in Trooper's room tomorrow evening and be sure to bring Cantankerous. What time is good for you all?” Valiant asked.

“Around seven in the evening.” Lemon Lime said.

“Ah'm free all day.” Big Mac said.

“I'll be there as soon as I can, but I may have to catch up on some of my work tomorrow.” Evening Star explained.

“Sounds good.” Valiant said slipping on his saddle-bags, “I'll see you tomorrow.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The group of friends went their separate ways with Lemon Lime and Big Macintosh heading off towards the former's home. Evening Star took to the sky and Valiant trotted back to the dorm, wary of back alleys and deep shadows.

It didn't take long for the wingless pegasus to figure out that somepony was following him. Valiant slowed his pace and listened carefully. The pony trailing him didn't; hooves clacking on the cobble stones toward him. Valiant mentally braced himself and spun around, raising his front right hoof to strike out if he was attacked. He met Evening Star's startled face.

Valiant lowered his hoof, feeling ridiculous,
“Evening Star, why are you following me?” he asked.

“I need to talk to you, silly.” Evening Star said smiling pleasantly.

Valiant tensed up slightly, but forced himself to go back to his normal trot,
“Is something wrong?”

Evening Star trotted up beside Valiant and left the silence between them stretch for a moment before she answered,
“Earlier you said I was pretty. What did you mean by that? What did you really mean?”

Valiant swallowed hard and kept his eyes forward,
“I uh, meant I think you're pretty. It's a fairly simple statement.”

“Come on Valiant, I'm not dumb. And it's not simple at all; it's far more complex than you make it sound.” Evening Star said looking up at the royal blue stallion.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes longer before Evening Star broke the silence again,
“Are you attracted to me?” she asked quietly.

Valiant stumbled on a cobblestone, nearly falling onto his face,
“That's a bold question, but I have t ask a counter question. Would my answer change the way you see me or treat me?”

Evening Star was silent for several long minutes before she answered,
“Yes, it would.”

Valiant had another question prepared,
“Why?” he asked in as neutral a tone as he could.

“Because it would mean that you see me as something other than just a friend.” Evening Star replied.

Valiant swallowed again, this was the hard question, he didn't know if he even wanted to know the answer,
“Would that be a bad thing?”

“It would mean that things have changed between us. Have I led you to believe that I want anything more than to just be friends?” the tan pegasus asked.

“No you haven't.” Valiant said grimly.

Evening Star grew more vocal,
“Don't be angry. You're a wonderful friend, but I don't have the luxury of becoming attached to you.”

“He's a very lucky stallion.” Valiant said quietly.

“No, it isn't like that. I don't have anypony, I can't afford to.” Evening Star said plainly, “Valiant, please understand. There is another mare out there waiting for you, don't disappoint her just because you can't be with me.”

“I don't want another mare.” Valiant said keeping his voice even, only with great difficulty.

Evening Star kept her voice neutral,
“Listen to me Valiant. You have to understand . . . ” she said.

Valiant whipped around in the blink of an eye and caught the tan pegasus' left fore-hoof to his muzzle. He had planned on kissing her, but she saw through it. Valiant's eyes merged on the hoof pressed up against his mouth, crossing them comically.

Evening Star giggled,
“That was so cliché, Valiant. I could have seen that coming if I was blind.” she lowered her hoof, “Don't be so dramatic. This doesn't have to be a big deal unless you make it one.”

“I apologize.” Valiant said quietly, “I was out of line.”

“Yes you were.” Evening Star agreed, “But it's not the end of the world. Let me put this into perspective for you. Did you ever think you would get over Arabesque?”

“Yes, but not for a while. I was really surprised when I found myself attracted to you.” Valiant said blushing.

“And that's after knowing me for, what three days? Valiant there are plenty of other mares out there. As of right now, you have a crush on me, that's all. Don't make it something it's not supposed to be. Right now we need to focus on dealing with this rogue unicorn, alright? And don't be so serious all the time. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored, not rushed and remembered. Let things unfold as they will and don't push the issue when you find the right girl for you.” Evening Star preached.

Valiant felt sheepish,
“I'm just really awkward around girls, especially pretty ones.”

“At least you're not as bad as Live Wire. That poor guy couldn't pull off any one-liners if his life depended on it.” Evening Star giggled.

Valiant couldn't help but to smile,
“No kidding. When he first met you, I thought he was going to implode. He's a really nice stallion though, even if he is really intense sometimes.”

Evening Star rolled her eyes,
“He did get a bit too serious earlier. I thought he was going to clobber you on the spot. He did have a good point though. I think you still have some issues to work through before you're ready to settle down. By your own account, you've been denied five years of life experience. Along those lines, how did you stay sane all that time, with nopony to talk to?”

Valiant stopped walking and turned his head to the night sky,
“Luna helped me.” he said dreamily, “I would look up at the moon, even though I didn't know she was up there, but the symbol of another pony on the Moon gave me peace. I used to talk to the Moon at night, as if there was somepony up there who could hear me. I didn't feel so alone at night; and besides it's not like I never encountered anypony else in five whole years. It was a rare occurrence, but it did happen. I just helped out wherever I could, even if I couldn't say pretty much anything.”

Valiant looked up and realized they had reached the dorm, “I guess this is my stop. I'll see you later Evening Star.”

Evening Star nodded and turned to leave,
“I hope you feel better Valiant, and remember what I said.”

The tan pegasus mare took to the sky and flew off over the buildings. Valiant watcher her go, yearning to be flying next to her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pain seared through his body as he was jostled up and down rapidly, like he was being borne on a wagon. His whole world was excruciating pain, exquisite in its intensity. He groaned quietly, not even realizing he was still alive.

As he lay in place, still bouncing, he began hearing voices,
“We need to hurry! He's lost a lot of blood, I don't know if he'll make it!” a filly's voice said.

“I can't run any faster,” a second voice responded panting heavily, “I'm putting everything I have into it already!” the second voice belonged to a young stallion

“Take this right!” the filly shouted suddenly.

Sea Blue's body jerked to the side, sliding on a flat surface. He felt the weight of somepony holding him down but sliding as well. After a moment, the rattling stopped. In a matter of moments Sea Blue felt himself being lifted by strong hooves. His closed eyes registered light beyond his eyelids. He heard some yelling and then he felt himself laid gently down on a soft surface. He felt like he was moving again but this time it was smooth as silk.

He heard new voices, all mares asking questions rapidly,
“What caused his injury?” one mare asked quickly.

The stallion he had heard before responded,
“I have no idea. We were getting an early start and we found him in an alley. There was nopony else around so we put him in the back of the wagon. That's why he smells so bad.”

The mare's voice answered him,
“You laid a unicorn with an open, bleeding wound in the bed of a garbage wagon? Please tell me you put something under him.”

“We didn't have time.” the filly answered, “We had to get him here as soon as possible.”

Sudden, incredible pain lanced through Sea Blue's body, causing him to groan. The pain ceased after a moment. He sensed the presence of another pony close to his face.

“Can you hear me?” the mare asked loudly in his ear.

Sea Blue's mind was swimming in agony, but his thoughts were n only one thing,
“My daughter.” he whispered.

Sea Blue heard the nurse's shocked voice address the other two ponies,
“Did you see a filly out there?”

“No, we didn't. There was no sign of anypony else. There weren't a lot of places to hide, either.” the filly replied.

“I saw him first. I came around the corner and for a second, I thought I saw a dark shape standing over him. It was light that drew me over. It looked like a tall unicorn with a really long horn glowing. My first impression was that Princess Luna was in the alley, but when I looked again, there was nopony there.” the stallion said.

“Took her.” Sea Blue mumbled.

“Somepony took your daughter?” the nurse asked, leaning down to the unicorn stallion again.

“Unicorn.” Sea Blue whispered.

“Get Dr. Avalon in here! I don't care if you have to wake her, do it!” the nurse said emphatically.

Sea Blue vaguely heard a pony's hooves run off. Sea Blue felt a pin-prick against his skin and the world went mercifully blank.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sea Blue became aware of voices around him. He felt wonderful. The absence of pain was like a balm on his mind. He focused on the voices around him.

“He should have been long dead when those two garbage collectors brought him in. He needed fifteen quarts of blood to stabilize him. There is no way he should be alive, none. The only thing I can think of is that he used magic to keep himself going. He was nearly dry of blood, his arteries and veins had collapsed. The nurses had to put an I.V. directly into his left ventricle.” the voice belonged to a mare.

A second voice, one that Sea Blue recognized, responded,
“Did you give him the potion?” the voice belonged to Mend.

“As soon as we had him stitched up. I'm not certain it was wise to wake him up so soon after he got out of surgery.” the mare said.

“We need to know what happened. You said he came in alone?” Mend asked.

“That's what the nurses told me. He was coherent enough to tell them his daughter had been taken.” the mare informed.

“That's why we need him awake. If I'm right, then the rogue unicorn who mangled Trooper up is the same one who attacked him. If that's the case, we need to move fast. That unicorn is suffering from C.M.E.S. there's no telling what she could do to a little filly.” Mend said.

Sea Blue shifted painfully in his bed and mumbled,
“Was a unicorn.”

He heard Mend approach the bed and felt the other stallion's breath on his ear,
“What happened?” Mend asked quietly.

“She gored me with her horn . . . took Patch. Teleported.” Sea Blue whispered as clearly as he could.

“We'll find her, Sea Blue. I promise.” Mend whispered.

Sea Blue tensed his muscles and tried to rise from his bed,
“Got to . . . find her.” he grunted.

Mend put his front hooves on the determined unicorn,
“Don't you dare move!” he whispered tensely, “You'll have her back, but you must rest now.”

“I can find her . . . lost foal spell.” Sea Blue grunted.

“That's great, but for now you have to be still. You're in no shape to use magic. Sleep now, I'll be back later to check on you. You can try the spell then. Alright?” Mend said.

“Have to . . . find her.” Sea Blue mumbled.

“You won't do her any good if you die from over exertion. Go to sleep. Doctor's orders.” Mend said sternly.

Sea Blue relaxed and stopped moving. Within moments he was asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant got off work late. It was seven fifteen when he closed up Mrs. Soothe's apothecary. He had an experimental form of a sleeping potion in his saddle-bags. Mrs. Soothe had a recipe for a sleeping potion and Valiant had spent his free time pouring over his text books trying to figure out how to strengthen it. The jar clinked inside his saddle-bags as he galloped toward the clinic to meet his friends.

Valiant burst through the door of Trooper's room at seven twenty-three, startling his friends,
“Sorry I'm late. I had to close up shop. Mrs. Soothe went home early.” he panted.

Valiant took stock of the occupants of the room. Dr. Mend stood next to Trooper's bed, both looking at Valiant like he was nuts. Evening Star, Lemon Lime, and Big Macintosh were huddled around a table and looked to have been studying something on a piece of parchment.

“I would invite you in, but it looks as if you have already invited yourself.” Trooper said smirking, “At least we know you are not a vampire.”

“Vampire ponies?” Dr. Mend asked.

“With all the magic floating around Equestria, I would not doubt it.” Trooper defended.

“Let's get serious here.” Lemon Lime said eyeing Trooper sourly, “We have a lot to discuss. I'm afraid we have some bad news Valiant. The unicorn struck again. This time she took a filly away from her father. She ran him through, with her horn. She almost killed him.”

Valiant clenched his jaw,
“She's developing a pattern. Let's figure out what the victims have in common. We have to do something soon.”

“She chooses isolated victims. A lone pony, or a lone adult at least. It's always in an alley too.” Evening Star observed.

“It's always near after sundown and it's always ponies who can't fly, at least for her original victims.” Big Macintosh added.

“The location!” Lemon Lime yelled suddenly, “All of the incidents have been near the same area. I'll bet it's close to her hide out. Unicorns can't teleport very far, maybe a couple of hundred paces at most. Evening Star you mentioned you have maps. Could you go get one that shows all of Canterlot?”

“Sure thing.” she said heading out the door.

Valiant turned a questioning eye to Lemon Lime,
“How do you know where the attacks happened?” he asked.

“I asked Trooper where he saw the unicorn and Dr. Mend told me where the latest victim was found.” he said proudly.

Big Macintosh cleared his throat,
“Hey, uh Dr. Mend? How long can a filly go without food or water?”

Dr. Mend looked stricken at the question and its implications,
“I'd say no more than two days. Less if she's crying, which is a safe bet. She'll be dehydrated already by now.”

Trooper craned his neck up to speak,
“Is it out of the question to leave food and water in the area where this rogue unicorn seems to stay? She may be crazy, but she has obviously been eating and drinking. Even if we do manage to capture her, she will be too out of it to tell us anything helpful. She has taken a filly so she has at least some brain still working, she might have enough sense to feed the little one.”

Valiant nodded,
“Good idea. It's the best we have to go on right now.”

Dr. Mend addressed Valiant,
“Actually, we have more than that. Sea Blue claims to know a spell that should lead us right to Patch.”

Valiant's ears stood up ram-rod straight,
“Sea Blue was the one injured?”

Dr. Mend nodded,
“Yes. In all truth he should have died, but he managed to pull through. He might be well enough to cast the spell. We can use Evening Star's map. By the way, I introduced myself while we were waiting.”

Valiant turned to Lemon Lime,
“I thought you were going to bring along your friend Cantankerous.”

Lemon Lime's ears wilted,
“Big Macintosh and I went to find him, but he didn't go to the bar tonight, which is really weird, he always goes there. We waited and asked around and waited some more but he never showed up. It's strange, he's always there. Even the barkeeper was concerned. I feel bad for letting you down Valiant. I hate letting my friends down, especially now that I actually have them.”

Valiant's expression softened,
“It's alright Live Wire. We'll just have to try again tomorrow.”

Evening Star opened the door and came into the room carrying a thick map in her mouth. She laid it down on the floor and opened it up, displaying the whole of Canterlot. Big Macintosh stepped on two corners of the map to keep it down.

Valiant looked over the map carefully, noting landmarks,
“There,” he pointed with his hoof, “That's where I encountered her. Live Wire can you put a dot of ink right there? I've got the quill and ink jar from last night in my saddle-bags”

Lemon Lime reached into Valiant's saddle-bags and retrieved the ink and quill. He set them down and levitated the quill, dipping it into the ink then proceeded to put a thick dot on the map, where Valiant had indicated. The short yellow unicorn studied the map for a few more minutes and placed two more dots on two other locations, making a semicircle, almost in the center of Canterlot.

Valiant pointed to a large clump of buildings near the center of the semicircle,
“What are these buildings?”

Lemon Lime scratched his chin,
“Those are old condemned warehouses. There's a cluster of them that have been boarded up because they were deemed unsafe. They're due to be demolished within the week, and new ones are scheduled to be raised from the ground by Celestia and Luna. These particular buildings were made about eighty years ago. Back then there was a company that wanted to stand out in Canterlot and decided to build their warehouses out of brown stone instead of white-marble. The problem was that it's unstable and the rate of decay was greatly increases because of poor materials. The company went under after only about a decade, and the warehouses were left alone. Nopony wanted to use such ugly buildings, especially in the capital of Equestria. I agree, it's the wrong way to stand out.”

“Circle those buildings. I'll bet that's where she is. Let's leave food and water, here, here, here, here, and here.” Valiant said indicating five places in a rough circle around the warehouses, “We don't have enough ponies to even attempt a rescue, right now. We need to wait and hope for the best.”

Trooper frowned,
“There must be more we can do than that. Hope is good and all, but we need something solid to go on. For all we know, we might be looking at the wrong area. I say we ask the father of the filly to cast his tracking spell and try to correlate it on the map. There should be a way to do that.”

Lemon Lime nodded,
“There is, but we'd need an arcane connection, a personal item that the filly kept close and interacted with on a regular basis. Something like a favorite toy or an article of clothing. The best thing would be a strand off her mane or tail or better yet, a drop of blood, but it would have to be fresh, less than three days old. Valiant, you and Dr. Mend know Sea Blue right? Why don't you go to his house and grab a couple of things for us to work with? While you're gone, we can gather in Sea Blue's room. We can try to get Dr. Avalon to put Trooper and Sea Blue in the same room or at least close by. I think it's a given that Sea Blue will be willing to help us get Patch back. With him we'll have our full compliment of ponies necessary to pull off both the rescue and capture the unicorn. We'll have two Earth ponies: Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend, three pegasi: Evening Star, Valiant, and Trooper, and two unicorns: Sea Blue and I. It's a good balance of skills and strengths.”

“We'll have to get Sea Blue's permission to go into his house, but I think we can handle that. Come on Valiant.” Dr. Mend said.

Valiant followed Dr. Mend out of the room quietly, while the other ponies gathered up the map, ink jar and quill.

“Pardon me, but what am I supposed to do?” Trooper asked from his bed.

“You just wait here and think positive thoughts.” Evening Star said as the three other ponies left the room.

“I'm positively sure there is something I can be doing to help!” Trooper yelled at the retreating flanks.

Big Macintosh felt sorry for the lame pegasus,
“Ah'll stay here with him.” he offered.

Evening Star and Lemon Lime nodded and left the room.

The door closed and Trooper sighed heavily,
“A great lot of good I shall be doing, laying here on my back. Positive thoughts. Bah! I can still fly, even with my legs bandaged up like this. I could be trying to get my cutie-mark.” he sighed heavily, calming down, “As if I have anything left to try. I will have you know, I have worked for every business in Canterlot. Literally, every business! I have found plenty of things I am good at, but nothing that I am spectacular with. Nothing that drives me, with the exception of finding that unicorn so she will be unable to hurt anypony else. Obviously, stopping a single individual is nothing worthy of a cutie-mark, so I am, yet again, left to stew in my morass of self pity.” he stopped to take a breath, “Fear not my muscular compatriot! I will not wallow for long. I shall do what I have always done, pick myself back up and continue on. I will not rest, except in this bed, until my flank is filled with the symbol of the driving force in my life, my passion, if you will. Yes, I can feel it! The day is coming where I will finally achieve my lifelong goal of finding out who I am, and what I am meant to be!”

“Ayup.” Big Macintosh commented blandly.

Trooper looked sidelong at the huge Earth pony,
“Are you mocking me sir?” he asked.

“Nope. Ah was just agreein' with you.” Big Macintosh informed.

Trooper began ranting again,
“Such an encouraging companion, I have never encountered. I should like to shake your hoof, but that might prove difficult.”

Big Macintosh smirked and put his right fore hoof on the side of Trooper's head and shook vigorously.

“Steady on there, large lad!” Trooper bellowed, eyes rolling, “I am not yet hale of health. Do you mean to give me a concussion, good sir? I believe you may have gelatinized my brain.”

Big Macintosh had to stifle a laugh,
“Ayup.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant and Dr. Mend returned with Valiant's saddle-bags full to bursting and entered Sea Blue's room, which was likewise filled to bursting. Trooper's bed sat next to Sea Blue's, with Big Macintosh, Lemon Lime and Evening Star standing around the base-boards of each bed. The map had been laid out on a rolling counter next to Sea Blue's bed. Sea Blue himself looked to be doing better, even if he still looked pale and weak.

Sea Blue addressed the two stallions,
“Did you find it?” he asked weakly.

“Yes. We found her brush and brought the toys you said she liked the most.” Dr. Mend said removing each article, brush first.

Lemon Lime levitated up the brush and plucked off a single strand with another spell,
“This should do. I've explained the plan to Sea Blue so we should be ready.”

Lemon Lime used his magic to tie the strand to a small rock while he explained,
“I have a fair grasp of magical theory. I've modified the spell to channel through the strand and use the rock as a plum bob. Sea Blue will cast the spell into the strand while I levitate the tip of the hair and the rock will guide us to the location of his daughter on the map.”

“I'm ready.” Sea Blue grunted.

The turquoise unicorn settled back and closed his eyes. His horn began glowing dimly as Sea Blue broke out in a sweat almost immediately. He clenched his eyes tighter pouring his concentration into the spell. He began breathing heavily, but his horn glowed all the brighter. The strand of hair Lemon Lime was levitating over the map began glowing a dim brown color. The rock moved toward the set of buildings and Lemon Lime moved the hair with it. It took some maneuvering but finally it settled right dead center of the old warehouses.

Lemon Lime levitated the quill over and marked the spot,
“That's it!” he said excitedly, “We've got her location!”

Sea Blue opened his eyes and stared blearily at the marked spot on the map,
“That's where Patch is?” he asked.

Dr. Mend used a cloth to wipe off Sea Blue's face,
“We can't move yet. You and Trooper need to get better first.”

Sea Blue looked stricken,
“You can't be serious!” he yelled weakly, “We can't wait that long! I'll be weeks recovering in here! I will not let my little girl stay with that monster one second longer than necessary!”

Evening Star had an idea,
“Can't you get an idea of how she's doing with a spell?”

Sea Blue shook his head,
“No. That's advanced magic, like Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns advanced. I'm nowhere near powerful enough to cast that, besides I don't know the spell.”

“I do.” Lemon Lime said in a quiet voice.

Every eye in the room turned to the short unicorn, Lemon Lime explained,
“I use it to see exactly how much progress my patients are making and if I should increase or decrease the regimen. The version I know is for touch though. Doing something like that would be a serious strain. If it's too much I could go right into 'Caster's Stroke' in a matter of seconds. I mean I could try it, but I'd need to have a safety in place to render me helpless if I do. The best thing would be to get close to the warehouses. The longer the distance the more of a strain it is.”

Big Macintosh stepped forward,
“Ah think Valiant, Evenin' Star and Ah should go with you and take some food and water along to leave nearby.”

“I'll go too. I know what to look for to diagnose C.M.E.S. plus I've dealt with it before.” Dr. Mend offered sagely.

“Then let's go, but remember, at the first sign of trouble we bolt. We can't risk an open confrontation with the rogue yet.” Valiant said.

Nopony argued the point.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The four intrepid friends approached the old warehouses as quietly as they could. The darkness surrounded them like a cloak, making it difficult to see. They were in sight of the decrepit buildings when Valiant called a halt. Valiant carried the food and water in his saddle-bags.

“We're close now. Evening Star, would you be willing to fly up and scout around for us? Take a look and guide us in the most direct and dark path. Make sure you aren't seen.” the wingless pegasus directed.

“Sure thing.” she said taking to the air.

Valiant turned to the other ponies,
“Big Macintosh, you're the strongest. If the rogue spots us, I want you to pick up Live Wire and carry him away as fast as you can. Mend tie up your mane and tail in buns. They will stand out like beacons in this gloom. Live Wire, do you have any idea which part of the complex Patch is in?”

The short yellow unicorn shook his head,
“Sorry I don't. I'll stay quiet from here on out. I'll use gestures.” he said.

Each of the ponies was nervous and all but Big Macintosh showed it. The stalwart stallion simply stood nearby watching every shadow he could.

Valiant took a deep breath and let out a quiet sigh,
“Be on your guards, everypony. She seems to go out at night the most, so we stand a good chance of running into her. Let's keep that chance to a minimum. Stick to shadows and walls where you can, only move across open ground if you're sure the coast is clear. All the buildings between us and the warehouses are white-marble and will make you easy to spot even in the shadows. Stay close to the ground when you're not moving.” Valiant looked toward the cluster of warehouses then back to his friends, “I estimate the distance to be close to seven-hundred paces to the walls of the warehouse complex. Follow Evening Star as closely as you can. I'll take the front. Give me a fifty pace lead then follow behind. Watch for my signals. You all know the hoof signals for 'stop' and 'come' right?” he asked.

The other three ponies nodded silently, Valiant continued,
“Good. Let's get in and out as fast as possible.”

The royal blue, wingless pegasus turned around and took a couple of deep breaths,
“Princesses protect us.” he whispered to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant had the only experience sneaking around. When you spend five years outside of the protection of any town and in the wilderness, you learn how to keep from being noticed by anything that would make a meal of you. Valiant crept from shadow to shadow and from cover to cover making hardly a sound. He was a ghost. Sadly, the same could not be said for his friends. Big Macintosh, Lemon Lime and Dr. Mend stuck close together in a tightly packed group and often tripped over each other with many a loud 'shush' from each stallion when, said tripping occurred.

Valiant knew they were getting close. The dark mass of buildings took up most of his vision. He stood at the shadowy corner of a building with a twenty pace gap in front of him that was swathed in moonlight. He looked up and saw Evening Star's silhouette directly above him. She pointed straight ahead, across the gap. He turned and motioned for his friends to come to him. They came as quietly as they could, which equaled about the same amount of noise a small flock of birds would make, just with less chirping. Less, not none. They reached Valiant and plastered themselves to the wall of the building.

Valiant turned to his friends and whispered,
“I'll go first. Mend, you follow next. Live Wire, you come after Mend. Big Mac, bring up the rear. Wait for me to signal you. Now when we get across, spread out a little. You guys make a lot of noise when you're all bunched up. Follow nose to tail, not side-by-side. Ready?”

The three stallions nodded silently. Valiant made a point to look left and right, in front and behind, hoping his friends would get the idea. Seeing the coast was clear, he lowered himself close to the ground and crept across the gap, barely lifting his hooves so as to minimize the sound he made. Valiant reached the deep embrace of the shadows, turned and looked around again. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he motioned for Mend to come. The black stallion mimicked the younger pegasus and crossed the gap, joining Valiant in the shadows. Moments later Lemon Lime and Big Macintosh followed. They were all nearly silent.

Valiant looked up, searching for Evening Star. He spotted her directly above their position. She was pointing around the left side of the building and toward the warehouses. Valiant crept around to the corner of the building and scanned the area. He saw nothing unusual. Motioning for his friends to follow him, he continued on down the length of the building. The warehouses were straight ahead of them with only a single large gap separating them from the walls of the condemned buildings.

Valiant looked up, again searching for Evening Star. Dependable as always, she was directly above them, pointing across the gap. Valiant gauged the distance to be close to thirty-five paces of moon-lit open ground. He looked around once again and stealthfully crossed the gap. The shadows were deep next to the warehouses and Valiant breathed a sigh of relief, 'Even Mend will be all but invisible in this.' he thought. He motioned for his friends to cross the gap, realizing afterward that he had neglected to look around. He nearly panicked, looking in every direction at once. He saw nothing.

Dr. Mend, Lemon Lime, and Big Macintosh crossed the gap quickly and hugged the warehouse wall, looking greatly relieved. Valiant didn't waste a second. He nosed open his saddle-bags and withdrew Patch's brush. Placing it on the ground, he stepped back, allowing Lemon Lime room to work. The unicorn lowered his head and plucked a single strand from the brush.

Valiant leaned toward Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend,
“Keep an eye out while he casts the spell. His horn will shine like a beacon out here. I'll look left, Big Mac, you look back the way we came, Mend, look right. If you see something, don't say a word, just tap Live Wire. Live Wire, if you get tapped stop the spell immediately. If anypony spots something, Live Wire's horn will stop glowing. If that happens, lower yourself to the ground, lay back your ears and tuck your head between your hooves. Don't make a sound. With some luck we should look like nothing more than debris.” he whispered.

Each stallion took their place and waited. Lemon Lime gripped the hair in his lips and focused his magic through it. The young unicorn could feel that the hair he had chosen was an older one, it didn't have nearly as much life left in it as the other one had. Undeterred, the unicorn focused all the more, his horn glowing brightly in the darkness. He closed his eyes and allowed his magic to interpret what it felt through his own senses. The strain was intense and began draining him quickly. The coil of arcane power penetrated the stone of the building, led by the hair to act as a guiding force to its origin. Lemon Lime became suddenly aware of Patch. She was in there for sure. The young unicorn filly felt exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, but she was alive and as well as she could be.

Lemon Lime stretched out his magic even farther, trying to tap into her senses so he could get a feel for the area around her. It was an entirely unorthodox use of the spell but he poured every drop of his reserves into it. The strain was incredible. Lemon Lime could feel himself sweating from the exertion. He pushed his magic so far it hurt. He could feel himself shaking, he was losing the spell. For the briefest of instants he was rewarded with a momentary flash from Patch's sight. Darkness all around. A room, twenty paces by fifteen paces with a doorway set into the far wall, barely discernable through the darkness. A dark unicorn starring right at him out of the shadows.

Lemon Lime's eyes shot open,
“She knows we're here! We have to go!” he whispered harshly.

Valiant lowered himself to the ground with the others following suite. He quickly opened his saddle-bags and removed the food and water. He set the five bottles of water out in a row with small plastic bags of food in front of each. He stood back up and waved to Evening Star. The pegasus winged down to the four stallions quietly.

“What's up?” she whispered.

“We've been detected. Can you fly around and leave one of these at each corner of the complex? Leave the last one right in front of the main door if there is one. Be careful. If you're spotted high-tail it away. We'll meet you back where we started.” Valiant whispered.

Evening Star picked up one bottle and bag in her mouth and took off quietly, winging away over the warehouse complex.

Valiant rose to a standing position and addressed the other three stallions,
“Follow me quickly and quietly as you can. We have to move, now. Come on.” he whispered.

The four stallions sprinted quietly back the same they had come, still keeping to the shadows. They arrived back where they started and hunkered down in the deep shadows panting for breath. They had only just settled down when Lemon Lime began shaking and a cold sweat rose on his skin. Dr. Mend noticed and put a hoof to the younger unicorn's inner-thigh, taking his pulse. Big Macintosh and Valiant looked on worriedly as Dr. Mend raised his head.

“He's going into shock.” the medical pony informed calmly, “The strain from his magic and the running is getting to him. He needs to rest. It's not serious but we need to keep him awake for now. He needs to get away from here. The stress will make him worse.”

Big Macintosh shifted his position so his flank was to the smaller unicorn. Dr. Mend nudged Lemon Lime to a shaky standing position and maneuvered him over Big Mac's back, then carefully lowered him down onto the huge Earth pony.

Big Macintosh stood up easily and turned to the other two stallions,
“Do you think you need to come with me Doc?” he asked quietly.

Dr. Mend nodded and joined the other two ponies,
“Wait here for Evening Star. If she's not back soon, come get us. We'll be back at the clinic.”

Valiant nodded,
“Thanks guys. I'll join you as soon as I can.”

Valiant watched as the three stallions headed back to the clinic. The wingless pegasus laid his head back down onto his hooves and waited. A slight sound echoed in the darkness. Valiant became instantly alert. He quietly shuffled back against the wall of the building he was next to doing his level best to make himself invisible. He heard the noise again and moved his eyes toward the source of the sound, keeping the rest of himself as still as a stone.

Valiant waited for eternal seconds as his heart raced, 'I'm completely vulnerable out here. I have no way to defend myself if the rogue attacks.' he thought. Fear raced through his veins, making it nearly impossible to keep still. His eyes searched frantically through every shadow, every dark corner. He came up with nothing, but still he looked. Suddenly, movement nearby caught his eye. It was faint, mostly concealed by the darkness, but Valiant focused his eyes on the spot. As he focused on penetrating the shadow, his vision began to pick out a form, just barely distinguishable from the enveloping shadows. She was there, not five paces from him. She was looking around with her eyes, moving nothing else. Valiant could see the faint reflection of light on her glazed-over eyes. She was so close, Valiant could smell her scent. It was as ugly as her eyes, tainted and muddy, like an icy wind coming off a mound of festering garbage.

Valiant's breath caught in his throat when he noticed Evening Star leaning over the edge of a nearby building. She didn't give any sign that she had seen the rogue. Even so, she seemed to have the sense to stay still. The situation turned into a waiting game from there. Valiant's nerves were on a razor's edge. His fear swelled up and made him feel sick. He felt a bubble of gas crawling up his throat and swallowed it. He felt even worse after that. The rogue still didn't move, and Valiant feared Evening Star would get impatient and be spotted. The gas bubble came up again. This time Valiant closed his mouth and constricted his throat, making a nearly silent burp in his mouth. He blew out the foul stench silently and angled it toward the rogue unicorn.

The rogue's nostrils flared and she cringed back,
“Ugh! Smells like dead rats. I hate rats!” she yelled to the darkness.

She turned and skulked away into the shadows silently.

Valiant waited for what seemed like hours. He looked up to where he had seen Evening Star. She was gone. Valiant determined to wait until he was sure the danger had passed.

Suddenly, Evening Star landed right in front of him,
“Come on! Let's get out of here!” she whispered tensely.

Valiant ran as fast as he could, while Evening Star flew overhead.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You're sure she's alright?” Sea Blue asked for the um-teenth time.

Lemon Lime lay stretched out on the floor between the two beds, barely coherent,
“I'm sure.” he grunted.

Dr. Mend had kept the plucky unicorn stable but Lemon Lime was making a slow recovery. Lemon Lime had been suffering from Stage One C.M.E.S. when they had returned, but Dr. Mend was certain he was not mentally impaired.

“She's fine.” Dr. Mend said moodily, “Stop stressing about it. There's nothing more we can do right now. You'll impede your recovery if your body is stressed. Help Patch by helping yourself. We've done all we can for tonight.”

“You couldn't understand unless you had foals of your own. Any parent would be upset.” Sea Blue countered.

Evening Star opened the door with Valiant following behind her,
“That was closer than I would have liked.” Evening Star said sitting down on the floor, “She nearly had Valiant there for a minute.”

Valiant smirked,
“How are you doing over there Live Wire?”

Lemon Lime raised a hoof into the air,
“Splitting headache and blurry vision. I'm doing great. If the room would stop spinning I would come over there and smack you. How can that rogue stand it? This is torture.”

“I think we need to revamp out list of strengths and weaknesses.” Evening Star laughed, “Valiant here, is a regular old biological weapon. You should have smelled what he let out! Whew! It was foul! I'll wager you could knock out Princess Celestia with that.”

Valiant blushed, embarrassed,
“Well . . . it worked didn't it?”

“Where did you grow up to have a digestive system that developed to emit that kind of smell?” Evening Star laughed, rolling on the floor.

Valiant smiled,
“I grew up in Haysburg. I doubt you've ever heard of it.”

The statement drew a great deal of attention; Valiant had never spoken of his hometown before,
“It's a little village far to the East, near where the White River flows out into the Eldritch Basin. Most of the immediate area is a boggy swamp, but outside of that are leagues and leagues of plains. It's thick with bugs in the summer, but in winter you can walk right across entire portions of the swamp on the ice. Haysburg is on the western bank of the Eldritch Basin, that's where the swamps are. On the other side of the Basin is the Razor Wing mountain range which separates Equestria from Gryphonvale.”

Big Macintosh cocked his head,
“Ah would have never guessed you used to live so close to the kingdom of the Gryphons. Did you meet a lot of them growin' up?”

“A couple of them would regularly come visit us. They always caused minor problems, but they aren't too bad. They almost never brought any younger gryphons with them because of the weather trouble.” Valiant explained.

“What kind of weather trouble?” Evening Star asked.

“Tornados. A lot of tornados. They happened all the time out on the plains. The swamp stopped most of them, but once in a while one would start out in the basin and work its way toward the shore. Every house in Haysburg has what we call 'swimming cellars'. The water table is only about four paces below the ground, so every cellar fills with water, up to about mid-chest. It takes a lot of effort to keep the water fresh and you need it to be fresh all the time so that when a tornado comes you don't have to hunker down in nasty, brackish water.” Valiant explained.

“But why don't your pegasi just keep the tornados at bay?” Evening Star asked.

“Pegasi hate Haysburg. We're so light-weight we get picked up and thrown around all the time. There's always a wind there and we would never have a chance to rest if we tried to control the weather. Any cloud-home we could build would be torn apart within a week. Trust me, I tried. It's a combination of constant wind and never-ending challenge for every pegasus family that moves there. Arabesque and I were the only two resident pegasi and we were only there because we were orphans. The vast majority of the population is Earth ponies. The few unicorns that live there tend to keep to themselves deep in the swamp where they can practice their magic. Arabesque and I really had no choice but to bond, we were alone.” Valiant said.

Trooper grunted,
“I dare say, it sounds like a right old mess. Why would tornados pop up all the time? Furthermore why would anypony want to live in such a place?”

“The Everfree Forrest is huge. It spans from Ponyville to the plains and swamps around Haysburg. The weather it makes tends to drift right over the plains to the basin, and Haysburg is smack-dab in between. As to why anypony would want to live there, I can answer that without even thinking. The place is incredibly rich in ancient ruins and relics and the constant water is a perfect environment to grow rice.” Valiant explained.

Valiant's statement was met with a plethora of curious stares,
“What's rice?” asked Sea Blue.

Evening Star popped up from her sitting position to explain,
“Rice is a type of grain that has to have a lot of water to grow. It's sweet, like corn and full of starch. It's a delicacy here. I've had it once. It is really good. I'll bet there's no other place in all of Equestria that can grow it. Am I right?”

Valiant nodded,
“As far as I know. Haysburg sells its rice to neighboring communities and the gryphons buy it for a premium.”

“Why did you mention ancient ruins and relics as one of the reasons to live there?” Dr. Mend asked.

“Oh that, it's easy. Archeologists from all over Equestria go there to nose around the ruins, but they have to pay Haysburg to go and they have to pay a high price to take any relics or artifacts back to wherever they came from.” Valiant smiled, “I'd have to say that Haysburg is one of the few places in Equestria where ancient history is common knowledge. I can tell you all kinds of things about what's in those ruins. Haysburg actually has a storehouse filled with relics and artifacts that archeologists have left because they couldn't pay to take them. The unicorns who live in the swamps were constantly begging Haysburg to let them have a look at the storehouse. Princess Celestia occasionally sends a unicorn to Haysburg once in a while to make sure the storehouse doesn't hold anything magical.” Valiant said.

Out of the blue, Lemon Lime asked,
“You really miss it don't you, Valiant?”

Valiant nodded,
“Yeah I do. But I can't ever really go back to Haysburg, now can I?”

“Ah don't see why not.” Big Macintosh ventured, “You've been forgiven and all.”

“I doubt they would see it that way. All they would probably see is a murderer, and I don't want to stir up trouble if I don't have to.” Valiant said in a low voice, “Remember, somepony carved out my cutie-mark. I don't want to think about what would happen if that pony saw me again. There might be another Vagabond running around before too long.”

Trooper expressed himself loudly,
“What in the name of the Goddess is a Vagathingie?”

Valiant sighed heavily and said,
“It's a long story.”

“Well, I happen to have a lot of free time on my hooves at the moment.” Trooper said.

“I'd like to know too.” Lemon Lime said from the floor.

“As would I.” Sea Blue chimed in.

“I'll tell you all tomorrow night. I have to get to bed.” Valiant said evenly.

Everypony agreed. It had been a long day.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: As always I appreciate any and all comments feel free to leave your opinions as they WILL be read in short order. Since Google Docs doesn’t allow you to post anything too . . . explicit, would anyone be interested if I put an intimate scene in here? (it would only be available through e-mail) If enough people post comments asking for it (at least 25) I will do so.

Chapter 10

Trials of the Elements

Part 10

Sea Blue was relieved. Trooper had been wheeled away earlier and had returned in his bed asleep, 'Good grief!' he thought, 'I never thought any pony could be so dramatic.' He settled himself down against the pillow beneath his head and worked on formulating multiple possible plans for rescuing Patch. The very thought of his daughter nearly made him tear up. He gritted his teeth angrily, 'How can I lay here while she's out there? What kind of father am I?' without thinking about it, he automatically began his breathing exercises. Long hours of dealing with other the issues of other ponies had taught him to practice stress-relief on a subconscious level. He calmed himself and refocused his mind, 'There is always a solution. You just have to be able to determine what it is.'

Sea Blue's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the room's door, which was followed by Dr. Mend's face,
“I . . . need to talk to you Sea Blue.” he said quietly.

Sea Blue's mind automatically began picking out details about Mend, 'It isn't time for everypony to meet here, and the nurses were just here checking up on Trooper and I. He's here for something personal. He's been crying, his eyes are red. His posture is slightly slumped. He's nervous and unsure. He's preparing to do or say something he's uncomfortable with. He stuttered. That means it's something he's going to say. He's unsure about something, and it's something that has him doing something he's uncomfortable with, something that scares him. The intonation of his question indicates that he's going to ask me something that has to do with our sessions and he doesn't mind if Trooper overhears, yet he's uncomfortable with the question itself. It's either important or urgent.' Sea Blue's mind performed the observation in milliseconds.

“Sure, come on in, but keep it down. Trooper's asleep.” Sea Blue said.

Dr. Mend entered and closed the door behind himself, and took a deep breath,
“I need you to test me for mental illness.” he said bluntly.

“I'm not sure that we need to go quite that far yet. Have you tried what I said, about telling the voices to stop?” the counselor asked.

Dr. Mend nodded solemnly,
“Several dozen times throughout the past two days. It hasn't worked once. They only go away if I'm actively doing something that takes my full attention and even then they're like a buzzing in the back of my mind. I . . . think I may need some medication . . . like my mother had.”

Sea Blue could easily see the words were difficult for the stallion to admit,
“This isn't really the place. Trooper might end up hearing some of this.”

“I don't care.” Dr. Mend said flatly, “I can't risk doing what my mother did. I don't care who hears this, it needs to be done.” his voice wavered slightly.

Sea Blue nodded,
“As you wish. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I need you to answer them as honestly as you can. If you aren't willing to answer honestly, the tests will be useless.”

Dr. Mend laid down on the floor of the room and took a deep, shuddering breath,
“I'm ready.”

********************************

Lemon Lime handed a sheet of paper to his supervisor,
“I'm sorry this is such short notice but I really do need this. It's really important and again I'm sorry this is such short notice, but you know I haven’t asked for this before. I've been a loyal employee for years and this shouldn't be too much of a problem, right? I mean . . . “

“Live Wire, slow down. Let me answer before you start explaining.” the older mare said. She was a deep, dark brown unicorn with an eggshell white mane and tail pulled back into a tight bun.

She read the piece of paper carefully several times, then set it down on the counter behind her,
“I'm surprised you didn't give me more notice, but I can deal with this easily. You've been my star therapist for years now. It's no problem. You don't have to explain yourself. Alright?”

Lemon Lime smiled hugely,
“Thanks, this means a lot to me. I have to go. See you around.” he said as he walked away toward the doors of the therapy center.

Lemon Lime left the therapy center and headed straight for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, 'First things first. I need a spell to cut off a unicorn from her magic, one for teleporting, one for marking and tracking, and I need to memorize them as fast as I can.' he thought even before he had taken a single step, 'I wonder what it's like living outside of Canterlot. I have more than enough money to move somewhere else, and now that I have friends I have a reason to move. The only problem is that Valiant, Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend all live in Ponyville. I can't abandon any ponies who need therapy, but I don't really have any friends here except Evening Star and I don't go to the library very often. I wonder if Dr. Mend's clinic needs a physical therapist. I need to stop before I begin going in circles. Maybe I'm spending too much time with my job. I make way more than enough money to provide for myself. Heck, I could provide for probably eight ponies even if I only worked for three days a week. Let's see, I generally spend 53 bits a month on food, 51 on utilities, 18 for Medical insurance, and 120 for rent. That's 242 bits per month to survive. The rate for physical therapy per hour is 25 bits, that's 10 for the use of the facility and 15 for the therapist. If I move away, I'll probably have to run the center out of my own home so I can lower the cost to 17 bits per hour, 15 for me but only 2 for the wear and tear on the equipment. That way more ponies can afford it, and I can work with limited incomes. So if I take the cost of living, 242 and divide it by 17 . . . that's 14.23529411764706 round that to 15 for a margin of error. That means I only have to work for fifteen hours per month. Wow! I can afford that easily.' he chuckled to himself, 'So then even if ponies only occasionally need therapy, I should be able to live there, but what about all the ponies who need therapy? I'd be abandoning them, I can't do that.' his heart ached for the names on his list and his mind ran in circles as he stepped off the curb in front of the therapy center.

Lemon Lime made his way to the Spell Conservatory of the School for Gifted Unicorns and began his search for suitable spells, making careful calculations along the way.

*************************

To say that Sea Blue, Trooper, and Lemon Lime were shocked at Valiant's revelation of what a Vagabond was, as well as his personal experience, would be a drastic understatement. The ponies met that evening and Valiant, true to his word, provided the explanation. Sea Blue was understanding and offered to council Valiant, nearly for free. Lemon Lime, being the sensitive type, burst into tears and hugged Valiant for nearly an hour. The younger unicorn had known about Arabesque's spirit having been with Valiant, but Valiant had left out the details of how she died as well as his personal feelings about her at the time. Trooper, by far, had the most animated response, even if he couldn't move any of his legs very well yet. Even so, the other stallions were willing to accept Valiant for who he was, sordid past or not. They had met him and gotten to know him before they knew about his history and had a sound basis to gauge his character.

Sea Blue and Trooper's room became the impromptu base of operations for the group. They met there the following night before going to check on little Patch.

The room was filled to capacity with ponies, Lemon Lime began,
“I've found the spell we need to keep the rogue from using her magic. It's pretty easy but the limits are on a one-to-one basis regarding sheer magical strength. I have to be the more powerful of us to pull it off. It would be best if we take her by surprise. I've taken time off until we have this problem solved, don't worry, I have a lot of vacation time saved up. So, what else do we have that's new?”

Dr. Mend looked at the clock on the wall,
“Excuse me.” he said heading out of the room.

“Where's he going?” Evening Star asked.

“I'll let him tell you if he wants. It's not my business to spread that around.” Valiant said, “On my end, Dr. Mend and I have the sleeping potion, in both forms.” he said proudly.

Sea Blue looked ecstatic,
“Wonderful! How did you manage that?”

“We needed some help. My boss's business is booming right now, since ponies discovered the healing potion, so we asked her to help. We managed to come up with a sleeping potion that's potent enough to knock me out but mild enough to be taken regularly without becoming habit-forming. I should have asked her in the first place. She already had something she developed for fillies and colts. All we had to do was amp it up a bit. We tested it on me this afternoon. It kept me down for four hours and my boss said there should be absolutely no risk for a unicorn mare. For the intravenous form, I'll let Mend explain that one. How about you Evening Star?” Valiant asked.

Evening Star had saddle-bags next to her on the floor,
“I solved the problem of you boys not being sneaky enough.” she said nosing open one of the bags, “I have a friend who is a seamstress. She made clothes that are black, form-fitting, and they cover you from head to hoof.” she said bringing out one such garment and laying it on the ground, “Try it on, Live Wire.” she encouraged.

The yellow unicorn slipped on the suit easily,
“Wow! It really is black! We'll be nearly invisible!” he said admiring himself.

“And that's not all.” Evening Star said nosing back around in her bag, “These,” she said laying a quartet of leggings on the floor, “Have rubber soles to keep you quiet and still provide traction. My friend designs the uniforms for the Wonderbolts. She just used the same design and added the socks.”

Big Macintosh walked around Lemon Lime, admiring the outfit,
“These must have cost you a fortune.” he ventured, “Ah woulda' been willin' to help you out ifn' you would have told me.”

The tan pegasus held up a hoof,
“They didn't cost me a thing. My friend owed me a favor. It's no problem, really. I have one for each of you. The material stretches so one size fits all, except you, Big Mac. I had her make one extra big for you.”

Sea Blue had news of his own,
“I have something to show you all.” he said rising from his bed, “I realized earlier this evening that I couldn't feel the wound in my chest so I took a peep. Live Wire, would you help me with this?” he asked.

Between them, the two unwrapped Sea Blue from his bandage, revealing the distinctive absence of any injury,
“It's completely healed. That potion of yours works wonders Valiant. Now I'm as fit as I ever was.”

Trooper smiled hugely,
“Did you happen to notice today when Dr. Avalon came in and wheeled me away? I was asleep when they brought me back in, remember?” he asked.

Sea Blue nodded, so Trooper continued,
“She removed the pins in my legs.” he lifted his legs out of the traction slings and rolled out of his bed, right onto the floor in a standing position, “Ta da! I am fit as a fiddle and frisky as a flea!” he snickered, “I simply wanted to wait for the opportune moment to show off. I still had to stay in bed for the day, but I am good to go now. Dr. Avalon gave me another dose and told me to wait for another day to be sure, but I'm sure right now.”

Dr. Mend re-entered the room and stopped mid-stride,
“Aww! I missed it! I wanted to see the looks on your faces.” he said with admittedly very little disappointment, “Valiant, your potion works even faster than even you thought. Now we have documented proof. Avalon is presenting the successful cases to the medical-board in the morning.”

Evening Star still had her one question in the back of her mind,
“Why did you leave the room a moment ago?”

Dr. Mend licked his lips and took a deep breath,
“Can everypony here promise not to judge me on what I'm about to say?” he asked.

He met a chorus of nods, so he plowed on,
“Sea Blue is my psychologist. I came to him because I've been hearing voices for most of my life. I tried to get rid of the voices but nothing worked, so I asked him to perform a battery of tests to see if I have any mental disorders. My mother had one so there was a good chance I would too. I took the tests earlier today and Sea Blue had another licensed psychologist confirm the findings.” Mend took another deep breath to steady himself and continued, “I have schizophrenia. The reason I left the room and the reason I've been carrying saddle-bags around today, is so I can keep my Lithium with me all the time. I saw what happened when my mother didn't take her medication and I don't want to make the same mistake. I left the room to take the pills. Don't worry, I'm stable. I . . . had to inform the medical board of my condition, but they said as long as I keep taking my medication, I can keep my license.”

“Would you like to tell them about how we came to . . . 'acquire' an intravenous sedative? Or do you want to keep that a secret?” Valiant asked his friend.

Dr. Mend stood up, straight and proud,
“I approached Avalon with our 'predicament' and asked if she would let us have a single bottle for apprehending the rogue unicorn. She presented the issue to the medical board, here in Canterlot, and we have a single bottle open for us to use. I have to keep it on me at all times and I also have to vouch for its uses, but we have it.”

“Splendid!” Trooper shouted, “It looks as if we have everything we need to take this menace of a unicorn down tonight!”

“Hold on there, Trooper.” Big Macintosh said, “We need a plan on how to get her out into the open first. We've been lucky she hasn't done anything today, but we can't just go off half-cocked.”

Trooper grinned hugely,
“Capital idea old thing! In fact, Sea Blue and I have been spending our time doing just that!” he said turning to the turquoise unicorn, “Would you like to do the honors, good sir? Most of it did come from your brain-box after all.”
Sea Blue nodded and began to explain,
“The rogue seems to only attack a single victim at a time. We can use that to bait her out into the open, while the rest of us hide nearby. It's really simple. All we need is for somepony to be willing to be the bait. Once we have her, I can use my tracking spell to find Patch. Quick and easy.”

“Ah don't know if Ah like the idea of usin' one of mah friends as bait for some crazy unicorn who’s already done nearly killed two ponies.” Big Macintosh said sternly.

Valiant laid a gentle hoof on his friend,
“It's the best plan we have, but does anypony else have a better idea?”

“I have something to add to that.” Lemon Lime ventured, “We need a way to monitor her movements, so we can engage her on our terms, not hers. We need every advantage and, more importantly, we need to be absolutely sure what everypony can do.”

Trooper volunteered,
“I am aerial reconnaissance, plain and simple.”

“I'll be the one holding the potion and syringe and I have to administer them. I need to stay out of the way until she's magically and physically subdued. I'd be no good in a regular fight.” Dr. Mend explained.

“Ah'm the one who’s got to get her down on the ground as fast as possible. Ah need to be nearby when the time comes.” Big Macintosh said.

“I have to cut her off from her magic and I have to be close to do that too.” Lemon Lime said.

“I can watch her movements and gauge her intentions by her facial expressions and body language. I don't have the simple strength to be a combatant, but I can guide your efforts. I would have ended up in better condition if I hadn't second-guessed myself the first time I encountered her.” Sea Blue explained.

Trooper patted the turquoise unicorn on the shoulder,
“Right on! Who better than a psychologist to perceive the enemy's intentions? The very guiding force behind our efforts! The general, if you will.”

Valiant's ears flattened against his lowered head,
“Drat. That means I'm the bait.” he mumbled.

Evening Star put her hoof over his shoulder comfortingly,
“I'll watch out for you. You carry the food and water, in case we don't succeed. Live Wire needs to be able to focus on the rogue. You can act like she caught you in the act of dropping it off.” inspiration suddenly struck her, “That's it! We can go tonight! Valiant, you can just walk right on in there and have her chase you out! Drop the food for Patch and get her to come out. Be loud so we know where to be. We get the drop on her, I'll talk to her to distract her while everypony else goes after her.”

“I say, hold hard there!” Trooper exclaimed, “That leaves me utterly useless!”

“No it don't.” Big Mac said placatingly, “You can help catch anypony she drops. You've already done caught a full-grown Earth pony all by yourself. Evenin' Star's not strong enough to catch most of us. Ifn she gets away from us you can watch her from the sky. We can even call you 'Sky-Stalker' if you want.”

Trooper immediately brightened at the idea, explosively expressing himself as always,
“Oh I say, capital idea there Big Mac-athingie! I shall be your eyes in the skies, the stallion of spying, the very embodiment of observation; swooping to the rescue of my brave comrades. No rogue unicorn will be free to perpetrate her misdeeds while the fearsome Sky-Stalker is about. We cannot all be warriors now can we? Very well, I acquiesce to your idea!”

“It's settled then, we go tonight. Let's get ready. Everypony put on your . . . uh outfits, I guess.” Valiant said.

*************************

The seven brave ponies left the clinic looking for all the world like ninjas, except Evening Star who hadn't bothered to get one for herself. She figured she wouldn't need it since she would either be airborne or trying to talk to the unicorn. In either case she wouldn't need to conceal herself.

They headed toward the cluster of derelict warehouses, each trying to calm their nerves and all failing utterly to do so. Big Macintosh was surprised at how quiet he was when wearing the outfit. He couldn't hear his hooves, no matter how much he tried and his friends were all but impossible to spot in the darkness. He had put on his steel shoes and had the lasso hanging off his saddle-bags.

Lemon Lime had been calculating and recalculating their chances of success since they had left. He figured they stood an eighty-seven percent chance of success, if everything went according to plan. He was having trouble not chattering the whole way but he was well aware of what was at stake. He went over the new spells again and again and again in his mind. He knew he couldn't afford any mistakes tonight. Almost everything rode on his shoulders. If he couldn't cut the unicorn off from her magic they stood no chance against her.

Sea Blue couldn't pull his thoughts from his daughter. He ground his teeth and shook his head, snorting in irritation. He would help his friends stop the unicorn, but his highest priority was Patch. He would rescue her tonight no matter what else happened. She was his whole world; he would die for her if he needed to, no question about it.

Dr. Mend felt uncomfortable with the mass of his mane and tail stuffed inside the outfit, but as he walked he had to admit he probably was effectively invisible. He smiled to himself at the thought and thanked his lucky stars the voices were absent. His mind was quiet and he was relishing it. He could think clearly for the first time in many years. The two sedatives rested comfortably in his saddle-bags, with wadded up old medical forms to keep them safe. In his other saddle-bag he carried the contents of his black bag in case it was needed.

Trooper was beginning to regret not waiting another day to heal up all the way, but he was there and time was of the essence, besides there was a little one waiting for her daddy to rescue her. He would never dream of holding back such a reunion. His legs hurt more with each step, but he kept up a stiff upper lip and plodded along, knowing he would soon be in the sky using his wings not his legs. He swore to himself that if he had to catch somepony he would hold on even if it killed him. His will was set, as was his jaw.

Valiant was thinking about all the things that could go wrong. He would have liked to wait a couple more days to prepare better, but he had to think about others. For each day they waited, more ponies would likely be injured or worse and he hated the thought of little Patch in the clutches of the mad unicorn. He sent a silent prayer to the two Princesses for good fortunes and a speedy resolution. It all came down to tonight.

The group stopped near the same place they had before and went over their plan one last time,
“Trooper and I will scout ahead and find you the darkest and most direct route. We'll guide you from the roof-tops. Follow Valiant's lead and remember the hoof-signals. Stay to the shadows and don't bunch up,” Evening Star held a hoof to her muzzle, stifling a giggle, “We remember how that turned out last time. If we have to chase her, watch for Trooper and I, we'll guide you. Once the fight begins, be vocal, talk to each other so we can coordinate our efforts. Everypony ready?” she asked.

Her question was met with silence and determined eyes,
“Let's go.” she said.

Evening Star and Trooper took to the air in a flutter of feathers. Sea Blue had to admit, Trooper really was essentially invisible from the ground. The five stallions waited patiently for several long minutes before Trooper landed quietly in front of their hiding spot. He landed so quietly and was so obscured in the darkness that it took the other stallions several seconds to register him.

Dr. Mend jumped,
“Geez!” he whispered, “Warn us next time.”

“I truly hope there will not need to be a next time for all of this.” Trooper said in a normal voice, “Evening Star and I just witnessed her walking into one of the doors of the warehouses. I'll take you straight there. Evening Star said she would watch the door and find us if the rogue came back out. Come on chaps, quick is the word and sharp is the action.”

The five stallions galloped, almost silently, following Trooper from the ground. They wound their way through the maze of corners, streets, alleys and walls until they came to a stop as Trooper landed in front of them once more.

The area ahead was practically made for an ambush. Trooper indicated a doorway with his hoof and the rest of the stallions began analyzing the surrounding area. The alley was covered in shadows, and piles of old debris littered the walls on either side of the alley. The doorway thrust out two paces into the allay leaving ample room for a pony to hide on either side. Directly above the doorway was a stone overhang that looked sturdy enough to support the weight of a full-grown pony.

Sea Blue took in the whole scene in a split second and spoke first,
“Live Wire, you could stand on that overhang and surprise her just like you wanted. Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend can hide on either side of the doorway and take care of business nice and quick. I'll be over on the side, hidden next to some debris while Trooper and Evening Star stay overhead. Sound good?”

The others nodded their approval and moved to take their positions, while Valiant spoke to Sea Blue,
“I'll come out that door and flatten myself against the far wall. Make sure everypony gets going quickly so she won't have a chance to literally flatten me into the wall.” he joked.

Sea Blue chuckled quietly,
“Will do. Be careful Valiant.”

Sea Blue and the others took their places and Valiant entered the doorway. The inside of the building was eerily quiet and almost completely black. Valiant slunk from shadow to shadow, an incorporeal wraith in the darkness. He could see another door way leading to another alley on the far side of the warehouse. He could just barely make out that he was in a long hallway lined with doorways. He kept to the right side of the hallway where the shadows were thickest. He had to stop a few paces in and wait for his eyes to adjust to the absence of illumination. The process was slow and his imagination worked overtime to conjure up images of terrifying specters that could come screaming out of every corner and unlit doorway. He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves.

A sudden shuffling sound nearby made the breath catch in Valiant's throat. He froze, willing his body to be still. He swiveled his ears in various directions trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. His nostrils flared, trying to catch the scent of decay he had associated with the unicorn rogue. He closed his eyes and focused on his other senses. He heard the sound again and pinpointed it, up ahead on the same side of the hallway he was traversing, inside a nearby doorway.

Valiant cracked open his eyes and had to stifle a yell. The rogue unicorn stood, not two paces from him, facing him directly. Valiant didn't dare to breathe. With his eyes adjusted to the darkness he finally got a good look at her. She was younger than he had gauged at first, maybe nineteen at best. She no longer wore her cloak. Her mane and tail were in terrible need of washing and her hooves were cracked and split. He could make out her ribs, sticking out against her skin; her belly was raggedly thin and seemed to almost meld with her spine. Her face was filthy and the bones in her muzzle protruded frighteningly. Valiant was reminded of himself when he had arrived in Ponyville. Her horn was thick and pointed, like she had sharpened it. Her neck looked frail enough to break in a stiff wind, and her eyes were sunken far more than when Valiant had seen her before. He guessed she hadn't eaten since he had encountered her. He was silently thankful they were going to take care of her, she would certainty die of malnutrition in a matter days, and he could only imagine what she had done to little Patch.

As if on cue, the little unicorn filly spoke out of the darkness, somewhere behind the unicorn,
“Can I please go home now?” she sounded like she was ready to cry.

The unicorn spoke to Patch without turning her head,
“NO! No little one. YOU'RE SAFE HERE! I have to keep you safe from ponies who would HURT YOU! I may have died, but I CAN STILL keep you safe.”

Patch fell silent and Valiant kept his eyes glued to the unicorn,
“Why are you here ghost? ARE YOU MY SHATTERED spirit come to haunt me? OR ARE YOU some specter I need to HAVE my champion KILL?” she asked.

Valiant felt as if he'd had his soul pierced, her voice was unstable but even so she sounded desperate. Like she was trying to be brave in the face of death. Her eyes began leaking, sorrow finding no purchase on her face, as stony as ever. Her breathing was shallow and her speech sounded slurred like she was dehydrated. She eyes him with a mixture of fear and anger. Valiant had to weigh his options quickly. She had obviously seen him, 'I should have known! She can see because of my outline against the light from the doorway I came through. What do I do?' he wondered.

Valiant finally settled on sticking to the original plan,
“I'm just here to leave some food and water for the filly.” he said reaching his head into his left saddle-bag.

The unicorn's eyes bulged,
“NO!” she screamed, “You stay away from her!” her horn began to glow.

Valiant turned and broke into an all out gallop back to the doorway. A bright light flared to life behind him and suddenly he felt the impact of incredible pressure against his flank. The force turned into sweltering heat as an explosion rocked the decrepit building. The sound was deafening. Valiant was flung into the air, spinning like a top, legs flying in every direction. He saw ceiling, wall, floor, wall, ceiling, wall, floor, wall, ceiling and then he hit the ceiling with a bone-jarring impact, striking his head solidly. Stars exploded into his vision and his ears rang. He felt weightlessness and his pegasus instincts kicked in. He twisted wildly in mid air and almost managed to land on his hooves. He landed hard on the floor and his hooves gave out beneath him. He felt the jab of something blunt striking his stomach. He didn't feel the mystery thing pierce his body and tried to get his bearings. He had been flash-blinded by the explosion and had hit his head soundly; in the darkness afterward his adjusted vision evaporated he couldn't see a thing. He rose to his hooves and began running with his right shoulder against the closest wall.

Valiant felt the bump of a door frame, took two steps and pressed his shoulder against the wall again. He had to repeat the motion several more times before he felt the wall vanish. He skidded to a halt and felt the light bump of a wall in front of him. He had done his part, now he just had to wait for the others. He cried out in pain as his body belatedly relayed to his addled brain that his backside had been scorched badly. His vision began returning and he looked around frantically for his friends. He began picking out the details of his surroundings and immediately realized he was in trouble. He couldn't see Big Mac or Dr. Mend on either side of the doorway, nor could he see Lemon Lime above the doorway. The alley looked wrong too. There was no debris here and the doorway he had come through was flush with the surrounding walls. He was in the wrong alley.

He looked back down the hallway he had come through and could see through to the other side where Lemon Lime was peeking down from above the other doorway. The rogue unicorn was walking steadily toward him, horn glowing menacingly and thankfully oblivious to the other ponies watching her from behind. She kept her pace slow and menacing. Valiant saw his friends suddenly vanish from the doorway, 'They're on their way. I have to stall her.' he thought.

Valiant stood up as straight as he could and faced the unicorn boldly,
“I'm not here to hurt you or the filly. I just want to help.” he yelled to her.

The unicorn's face cracked in a sneer,
“Help?” she laughed, “YOU CAN'T even help yourself. WHAT CAN YOU DO?”

“You're suffering from 'Caster's Stroke'. You don't know what you're doing, but I can help you. That unicorn filly's father is worried sick about her, you have to let her go.” Valiant said as calmly as he could.

Valiant kept his eyes glued to the unicorn but saw Trooper in his peripheral vision. Trooper set Lemon Lime down in the alleyway to Valiant's right, then hovered above the doorway, waiting. The unicorn was still several paces down the hallway and didn't notice several silent figures sneaking up behind her slowly.

Valiant kept buying time,
“Do you even know what you've done? You've nearly killed two other ponies. You've foalnapped a filly and you've been threatening ponies for their bits.”

“I need THE BITS FOR food! The filly's FATHER took her eye! I HAD TO survive!” the unicorn yelled, switching from one subject to another.

*************************

Sea Blue searched in the dark for his daughter, Evening Star was with him,
“Patch?” he called, “Patch? Are you here baby?”

A tiny form leapt up in the darkness and attached herself to her father's right fore leg,
“Daddy!” she cried holding onto him, “Daddy, I want to go home!”

Sea Blue shushed his daughter quietly,
“Shh, quiet sweetie. This nice pegasus is going to take you home. I'll be there as soon as I can. You be good for Ms. Evening Star, alright?”

“No!” Patch cried, “I want you to take me home!”

Sea Blue hated seeing his daughter like that,
“I know you do sweetie, but I'll be home as soon as I can.” he passed his daughter to Evening Star, “Take her home, she knows the way. Keep her quiet. We can't risk her being taken again.”

************************

Lemon Lime pressed himself up against a wall and began casting his spell, preparing for the unicorn to step into the light. Trooper looked terrified, but he held his position. Valiant was greatly relieved to see his friends. Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend were less than fifteen paces behind the unicorn and Sea Blue was moving quickly to catch up.

Valiant tried again to reason with the rogue,
“You must stop this!” he cried, “We just want to help you!”

The unicorn's horn began glowing more brightly,
“Always the SAME PRATTLE! NOPONY CAN help me!”

The unicorn cast her spell as she stepped out of the door. Valiant saw a pea-sized sphere of whiter light shoot out of her horn and come streaking towards him. His pupils shrank to pin points. He leapt to his left as quickly as he could. He was a bit too slow. The pea exploded into a ball of expanding kinetic force that threw him, rag-dolling, several dozen paces away and toward another wall, away from Lemon Lime. Valiant kept his head and made sure to keep his muscles limp to keep himself from fracturing anything. He hit the wall and once again struck his head on the wall.

Instead of falling onto the ground, Valiant felt strong hooves catch him gently,
“You need to stop hitting your head there, old boy. That noggin of yours may be tough but you should not push your luck. Even diamonds are not impervious.” Trooper whispered in his ear.

Lemon Lime saw the unicorn step out of the doorway and quickly finished casting his own spell. It settled around the rogue and the battle of wills began. The material world fell away and the two combatants found themselves fighting in an immaterial world conjured by their own imaginations. The unicorn rogue erected defensive stone walls that were as solid as they would be in the material world. Lemon Lime suddenly 'felt' the rules of combat. He had to reach her and touch her to win. They could form the world into anything they wished, limited only by their creativity.

Lemon Lime smiled, this was a game he could play. He turned himself into a Taurus Minor and charged the wall protecting the rogue. He shattered the wall and met a wall of fire raging high into the air. Lemon Lime shifted forms and became a salamander wading through the fire without being hurt by the flames. He could have turned into something to fly above the flames, but that would take time, instead he chose to go through in a simple all out attack. The rogue unicorn fought on the defensive, retreating a bit with each new defense. Lemon Lime kept her on the defensive always attacking, always trying to gain the advantage. She was agile and clever, her finesse was outstanding. Lemon Lime was better. He was weaker in sheer power but he was quick as greased lightning and could slither, sometimes literally, through the tiniest cracks in her defenses and find ways around them. The rogue began to grow weary and, in a panic, formed a stone maze. Lemon Lime smiled and transformed into a minotaur. He charged through the maze allowing the instincts of his new form guide him.

Lemon Lime knew the unicorn was beginning to tire from her exertion and he plowed on further and further. He knew he was close. He rounded a corner and found himself face-to-beak with a cockatrice. The creature stared him dead in the eye and Lemon Lime was powerless to look away. He had made fantastic headway but he had lost.

He opened his eyes and he was back in his body. The unicorn stood in her same place, horn still glowing, Valiant being lowered to the ground by Trooper. No time had passed.

Lemon Lime felt the spell still in place and grasped at it with his will. He felt magic surge through him, foreign and powerful. He gasped as he realized that in his panic, he had cast the spell wrong. He hadn't cut her off, he now had control of a portion of her magic. He grinned wickedly, 'I'll smash her to pieces with this power! She'll be no more than a bug under a strong hoof! Ah, feel the power! It's exhilarating, intoxicating; I can do anything now! I don't need the others, they'll just get in my way. I don't need anypony. I can do anything I want!'

Lemon Lime pulled the power into his body and felt it strengthen him, transforming him into an archon of power. He saw Big Macintosh come leaping out of the doorway and take down the unicorn in a rolling tackle. The sight of his friend snapped Lemon Lime out of his twisted mindset, 'I have her power AND her madness! It's tainted her magic! I have to let it go and find another way to bring her down.' Lemon Lime let the spell go before it could warp his thinking again. As the magic left him, he felt small, like he could crawl under a rock; he realized just how much he was over classed and swallowed hard, 'Do we really have ANY chance of pulling this off?' he wondered.

Big Macintosh held on grimly. The two of them were locked in a struggling heap on the ground. She was no match for the huge Earth pony's size and strength. She knew she had been physically drawn down to the ground. Images of her body being violated and used against her will flashed through her mind and she panicked. She felt her magic return to her in full force, even as Dr. Mend rushed toward her.

“Just calm down now, there little lady.” Big Macintosh said trying to sooth her, “We ain't goin' to hurt you none.”

She did calm down; she also willed another pea-sized ball of pure force into existence,
“Let me go!” she screamed, “You can't have me! I'll KILL US BOTH FIRST!”

Dr. Mend saw the ball of light and stopped more than a dozen paces back. Sea Blue came up behind and tried to go around, but Dr. Mend held out his hoof to stop the councilor. Sea Blue took in the scene at a glance. In his mind's eye he saw he launching the tiny sphere toward he and Dr. Mend and collapsing the building in the resulting explosion.

“She's going to detonate it!” he yelled.

Big Macintosh saw the tiny sphere coalesce into being in front of her horn. He pulled one hoof off the struggling unicorn beneath him and raised it into the air. At such a close proximity he had no idea how badly he or the rogue might be injured. He closed his eyes and curled his body around the unicorn rogue to protect her from the blast. He swatted the sphere out of the air. It flew a few paces away and detonated on the road. The force of the exploding sphere threw the huge Earth pony several paces into the air. The force was too great for him to keep his hold on the unicorn beneath him. Big Macintosh opened his eyes and saw the road rushing toward him at an alarming rate.

Big Macintosh braced himself for the impact; an impact that never came. He felt a gentle force cupping his body and looked up. Lemon Lime, horn glowing, had caught him. Lemon Lime set Big Macintosh down on the ground gently, just as Trooper flew past him down the alley. Big Macintosh looked around and failed to spot the rogue. Lemon Lime, Dr. Mend, and Sea Blue darted past him heading down the alley. Big Mac turned and saw the fleeing form of the unicorn heading away from her pursuers. He turned and broke into a gallop, bending his head down to pick up Valiant from the road in passing. His teeth bit down on the saddle-bags of his friend and Big Mac proceeded to carry Valiant as he ran.

Valiant regained his senses and shouted up to Big Mac,
“Thanks Big Mac! Put me down, I can run!”

Big Macintosh let go and Valiant stumbled for a few seconds while he regained his balance, then joined his friends in pursuit of the unicorn. Valiant and Big Mac caught up to Sea Blue, Dr. Mend, and Lemon Lime within a few seconds. Trooper had risen up above the surrounding buildings. The unicorn rogue was steadily pulling away from the group, unusually quick for a pony so malnourished.

Valiant caught up to Dr. Mend and grumbled to his friend,
“She tried to kill me! This wasn't like the other times she injured somepony!” Valiant yelled, forgetting about the incident with Sea Blue and Patch, “This was intentional! She burnt me! We're just trying to help!”

“You have to understand, Valiant!” Dr. Mend panted, “She doesn't know what she's doing! You can't hold that against her! No matter what injuries we suffer, we have to forgive her!”

Valiant considered his older friend for a moment as they ran,
“Since when did you become more forgiving than me?” he asked.

Dr. Mend smirked,
“Maybe it was when I realized that a lack of forgiveness was what was holding me back. I had to forgive my mother for belittling me all the time and for leaving me! I had to forgive my father for giving up on me and his life, but most of all I had to forgive myself! I had been blaming everything on myself weather it was my fault or not! I had been missing something for years but, I found it, on my grandparent's porch! You were right! Celestia, but you were so right! It's wonderful Valiant! I feel so free now! I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! I feel lighter!”

“Then pick up the pace! We're losing her!” Valiant said, noticing the growing gap between them and the rogue.

Sea Blue addressed his fellow unicorn as he ran,
“Live Wire, can you stop her so we can catch up?” he called out.

Lemon Lime was falling behind,
“I can't do anything that requires finesse while I'm running! I could trip her but I'm afraid at this speed she could break her neck! We have to wait for the right moment! We'll get an opening!”

The rogue's horn began glowing as she turned a corner. Sea Blue saw a ghost image in his mind's eye. He saw her disappearing from in front of them and reappearing in a nearby side-street, throwing them off of her trail and losing them, 'She's going to teleport!'

“She's going to teleport!” he called to his friends.

“How do you know?” asked Dr. Mend as they rounded the corner behind her.

Sure enough, in a flash of light she vanished. Sea Blue kept his momentum and took the corner at a dead run. His rubber-coated hooves skidded in the ground and he had to throw his shoulder into the left side of the alley wall, but he kept on with the chase. The other stallions followed him as quickly as they could. They were still too slow to catch up to her. She was headed straight toward a stone wall that had to be fifteen paces high. Sea Blue saw another ghost image: she would use her magic to teleport beyond the wall and lose them. He had no counter for that particular move.

“She's going to teleport beyond that wall, we'll lose her!” he shouted.

Sea Blue called it again. She teleported through the wall and vanished from sight.

“Grab onto my mane or tail!” Lemon Lime yelled.

Dr. Mend, Big Macintosh and Sea Blue chomped down on the smaller unicorn's indicated parts. Trooper swooped down from above and grabbed Valiant from behind. Trooper pumped his wings, legs aching terribly and lifted Valiant over the wall. Lemon Lime's horn began glowing brightly, as he and his friends charged the wall. Lemon Lime closed his eyes and concentrated, he knew if he failed it would end very badly. He drew in every ounce of magic he had available, straining himself to his absolute limits. The simple amount of power he called upon made his stomach lurch. His head pounded like a drum, every heartbeat echoing in his ears painfully. The three other stallions were having trouble keeping a grip while running.

The smaller yellow unicorn increased his pace, eyes cracking open to judge the distance, screaming as the wall came closer and closer,
“Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaoooooooooo!”

He felt his horn tip touch the wall. He let his spell go and all four of them teleported in a flash of brilliant light, to the other side of the wall. Lemon Lime felt dizzy. His vision swam furiously. A loud yelp of surprise behind him, caught his attention. It took his eyes a moment to decipher what he saw. Dr. Mend had been the one holding onto his tail. Apparently Lemon Lime hadn't calculated the distance quite right and Dr. Mend's tail tip had rematerialized inside the wall. The older stallion had kept running and pulled out several of the hairs in his tail.

Trooper set Valiant down and the five stallions took up the chase once more. The rogue unicorn was far ahead of them and still going. They had emerged onto a main road lined with shops. The road was much wider than the alleys, but it was also better lit. The pursuing stallions had no trouble spotting their target.

Lemon Lime looked around and recognized the area,
“Ha!” he laughed, panting hard, “This road . . . doesn't have any . . . side streets for her to . . . go down. It dead-ends . . . up ahead!” he yelled between breaths.

As the chase continued the stallions heard a whoop from up in the air, as Trooper dove down and addressed his friends,
“Our roguish unicorn friend is coming up to a dead end and she looks to be wearing out on the physical side and all that. I am under the impression she plans to duke it out in the middle of the street. I think we should be prepared for a fight.”

Trooper flew back up above the buildings, but stayed where the five ground-bound stallions could see him.

***********************

The rogue unicorn mare stopped and turned around facing the open street. She had come to a dead end and could go no further. She was physically exhausted and could not run any more if her life depended on it, which in her mind, it did. The street was a good forty paces wide. She stood, flank against the wall of a building, panting and sweating heavily. Her eyes were wide open in terror, fearing for her physical safety and her virtue. She feared what would happen to her at the hooves of so many stallions; how they would brutalize her if she didn't cooperate, how they would force themselves on her, hurt her, and use her body violently, perhaps even leave her to die. She squared her stance and focused her magic. Her adrenaline was pumping good and hard. It gave her an extra boost of magic, she would need it to use her most powerful spell.

Evening Star landed in the street twenty paces in front of the terrified, delusional unicorn. She had left little Patch with Dr. Avalon and flown back to help her friends. They had been easy to spot by the glow of Trooper's teleportation. She had flown ahead and found the unicorn in the street.

Evening Star knew she would be frightened out of her mind,
“Hey, it's alright.” she soothed in a quiet voice, “Nopony is going to hurt you.”

To the panicked unicorn, her voice sounded wicked and maniacal. The unicorn backed up against the wall behind her, tears streaming down her face in terror. Her mind spun in so many different directions, she rarely knew what was going on. She was confused and frightened. She had managed to get away once before but she knew it had been by sheer luck and nothing more. She had to make her stand and make it count.

She braced her legs and began channeling every ounce of magic she had at her disposal. Her horn began glowing, dimly at first; it built up to a brilliant light, cinders of excess magic sparked off the end of her horn and fell to the ground. The surrounding buildings and store fronts lit up like the sun had prematurely risen.

Evening Star backed up several steps and took to the air again. There was no reasoning with this unicorn. She saw Trooper leading the others on a direct intercept course with the rogue, 'It's all up to you now.' she thought.

***********************

The stallions all stopped and watched the unicorn mare at the far end of the street, already casting a spell. They knew they couldn't give her too much time or else she might run again.

“We should try to approach her quickly.” Sea Blue said, “She's already casting a spell. We have to be quick or she could kill herself if she uses too much magic. On the count of three, charge.” he turned his head forward again and they began walking down the alley in a line.

“One.” they quickened to a canter.

“Two.” they sped up to a trot.

“Three!” the five stallions broke into a charge, straight down the middle of the street.

The unicorn rogue was waiting for them. She had finished her spell. She cast it out into the open night air. The formidable magic began to take form. The massive amount of power filled the entire street. Her will formed the raw magical power into a great beast, one that very few, if any ponies could ever hope to vanquish with physical might. The creature's heads began to form, the left one like a goat, the right one like a great cat, and one like a snake. The snake-like head emerged from the creature's backside like a tail would have. Its body took up almost the whole street, its four powerful legs all ended in razor sharp claws, each paw easily large enough to flatten even Big Macintosh in a single blow. The great beast's body fully came into being, in a flash of a color which could only be described as an absence of light.

The stallions came to a screeching halt at the sight of the colossal beast. It stood nearly thirty paces tall and just as wide. It almost looked cramped in the confines of the street. The creature didn't move, its eyes were muddy purple; there was no life in the thing, it was borne of pure magic.

Lemon Lime's eyes threatened to fall out of their sockets; he recognized the beast instantly, and alerted his friends in a screeching yell,
“CHIMERA!”

“Defend ME!” the unicorn mare commended, “KILL THEM!”

The magical beast surged forward, instantly in a berserker rage. Five stallions dodged out of the way as it swiped one of its massive paws at them. Big Macintosh and Lemon Lime went left; Sea Blue and Valiant went right, while Dr. Mend scrambled backward.

Sea Blue hadn't been close enough to the rogue to see the summoning coming. His mind began observing the creature's every movement even as it swiped its enormous paw at them again. Lemon Lime caught sight of the unicorn rogue as he huddled against glass window, 'This spell is taking all of her magic to maintain! I don't need to cut her off now; she's gone and done it herself. If we can get to her she'll go down easy. The only question is how do we get to her?'

“It's a construct of pure magic!” Lemon Lime hollered, dodging out of the way as another paw came for the yellow unicorn, shattering the window behind him, “It's not alive! Fight it like you mean to kill it! You can't actually kill something that's not alive but you can destroy it!”

Sea Blue caught on to what the smaller unicorn was saying,
“If we destroy it, the magical backlash will leave her disoriented for a few moments! It's our only hope, fight it!”

Dr. Mend, seemingly the only one to realize a simple truth yelled back, from across the street,
“HOW? How do we fight THAT?!”

Dr. Mend had no idea how to fight anything, much less a colossal construct of pure magic conjured up from the demented mind of a delusional unicorn. He stood as far back away from the thing as he could and looked on in awe.

Valiant lowered his head and charged in, under the titan's swiping paw and whipped around, presenting, to it, his backside. He leaned forward and kicked out with his hind legs, bucking as hard as he could, aiming for the one leg not being used to attack.

The creature didn't even seem bothered by Valiant's attack, but it did take notice of him. The wingless pegasus sped away from the enormous jaws that came snapping after him. Big Macintosh, spurred on by Valiant's bravery, launched his whole body at the beast's head as its jaws closed, mere centimeters behind his friend's flank. He decided that his lasso would be utterly useless against such a beast, but his steel shoes might help. His legs were the strongest of the group by far. He skidded to a halt on the right side of the beast's jaw and lifted his right fore hoof. The big Earth pony lashed out with his limb and struck the thing squarely on its muzzle. The blow hardly broke skin.

Big Macintosh failed to see the goat head above him, begin descending to crush him with its flat head. The large Earth pony was suddenly knocked out of the way by a royal blue body connected to a light brown mane and tail. The goat head descended onto the road, its target long gone. Big Macintosh rolled on the ground twice and came up on his hooves. He quickly dodged out of the way of another head-butt from the goat head and turned, intending to thank Valiant for saving him. Instead of Valiant, his eyes met Trooper. The pegasus landed a blow, with his rear hooves, to the neck of the goat head then took off again into the sky.

Sea Blue took a trick from his previous encounter with the rogue. He charged, head down and speared his horn into the front right leg of the chimera. The impact vibrated his head making him dizzy. He stumbled back several paces, vision blurry. Sea Blue received a flying tackle from his left and rolled limply with the other pony, on the assumption that he was being rescued from some terrible fate.

Dr. Mend disentangled himself from the turquoise unicorn and ventured a glance at the injury Sea Blue had caused. It was small, but there it was. His horn had penetrated into the magical flesh of the chimera. The injury sluggishly leaked tiny amounts muddy purple liquid down the creature's leg and onto the ground. Dr. Mend's heart fell. Even with Sea Blue being able to injure it, the chimera would need only one single solid hit to kill one of his friends. Dr. Mend realized that no matter how long or hard they fought, they wouldn't be able to bring the thing down.

Lemon Lime was weary; the multi-pony teleport had drained him severely. He could feel his magic slowly returning, but it would never be enough to challenge a monster the size of the beast attacking his friends. He looked around. Valiant had already been injured by the rogue earlier; he looked tired and was limping heavily. Sea Blue had injured the thing, but the blow had rattled his brain. The poor councilor was still stumbling around, he couldn't even rise to his hooves. Dr. Mend had already admitted he had no idea how to fight the chimera and was trying to drag Sea Blue away from the thing. Trooper, even though he said he wouldn't engage in any fighting, was holding his own for the moment, but Lemon Lime knew the pegasus was flagging. He had been flying and lifting quite a bit. Big Macintosh seemed to be the only one able to stand up to the monster, but even the massive Earth pony seemed to be losing heart.

Lemon Lime shifted his weight away from the wall he had been leaning against and proceeded to back away from the fight. He would have attempted to run between the chimera's legs and take on the unicorn himself, but the creature's snake-tail would be biting at him the whole time. He had managed to get several paces away before a massive paw swatted at him. Too tired to dodge any more, the exhausted unicorn stallion simply allowed his legs to fold beneath him and fell to the ground. The paw swept over his body but connected with his head. Lemon Lime felt one of the huge claws connect with the back of his head, piercing his skin. The blow sent the helpless unicorn flying through the glass window of a nearby ice-cream parlor, leaving a trail of blood behind him, following him in the night air. He hit the floor inside and bounced limply like he was no more than a pile of wet, yellow, fuzzy, dough. Glass, blood, chairs, and small round tables went flying in every direction.

Valiant saw Lemon Lime take the hit and called out to the other stallions,
“Live Wire's been hurt!” he yelled, limping toward the smashed window as quickly as he could, “Big Mac, keep that thing away from the shop while I get him out!”

Big Macintosh heard Valiant and began attacking the chimera from a different angle, keeping its attention away from the ice cream parlor. The big Earth pony looked around sadly. Dr. Mend had dragged Sea Blue away from the beast and though they looked recovered enough, neither was really equipped for any type of battle nor physically capable of doing much damage. Valiant was trying to, first of all find, then tend to Lemon Lime, if the little unicorn was even still alive. Trooper was his only capable ally, but Big Macintosh knew with certainty, there was no way the two of them alone could possibly threaten, much less bring down such a powerful creature.

The situation was desperate to say the least. Big Macintosh's mind turned to an old truth 'desperate times, call for desperate measures'. He gritted his teeth and charged the chimers, pouring on the speed. He aimed for its lowered leone head, intending to knock the creature silly and give his friends a chance to recover through simple, strength and momentum. He gritted his teeth, this was sure to hurt, it might even kill him, but they didn't have any other clear option. He calmed his mind and accepted what would come. They had to succeed, there was no alternative, and he would do everything he could to make that happen. He thought of Applejack, Applebloom, and Granny Smith. Would he ever see them again? He had no idea. He could only try to make himself comfortable and accept what he had to do to ensure their success. He accepted the possible consequences of his actions and floated in a sea of peace. He had an epiphany, Peace! That was it!

He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts on every time he had accepted the world as it was. There were A LOT of examples. He felt dizzy, like he was falling, spinning, and twisting all at the same time. Time stopped as he came to an absolution with himself, 'If Ah am one of the Elements of Peace, Ah need it. Ah have to help mah friends. Ah accept the responsibility and the gift, if it's there for me to have.'

The three other stallions, outside the ice-cream shop, were nearly blinded by a bright flash of golden light emanating from just in front of Big Macintosh. The space in front of the large Earth pony seemed to rend, like it had been torn open. The light swept gently over his whole body, from head to hoof, almost as if the world moved in slow-motion. Each place the light touched, it left a glowing outline of something which shimmered as he moved. His form disappeared for a brief moment in a blinding flash as the light reached the tip of his tail, then he reappeared.

His black outfit had been replaced; he was clothed in regal, golden armor. His head was covered with a full helm which enclosed his entire head, save for his mouth and eyes. A broom-crest sat above his head like the Royal Guard had, except his seemed to be made of spun gold. He had an emblem of his cutie mark on a slightly raised dais in the center of his forehead and his mane flowed out of the back of the helm through a hole. His neck, both front and back, was covered in interlocking plates that shifted when he moved. His chest, shoulders, sides, legs, and flank were covered with more of the interlocking plates and his tail flared out behind him, poking through the armor through a hole in the backside, while his underbelly and the backs of his legs were open and uncovered. His hooves were shod with thick, golden shoes which clanged metallically against the road. The armor was inscribed with flowing vine-like etchings which glowed dimly with red eldritch power. Compared to him, the armor of the Royal Guard looked like a paltry, poorly fabricated knock off.

Big Macintosh's whole body bulged with thick muscles and sinews, which rippled beneath his skin, where it was visible. His legs looked more like tree-trunks than appendages made for mobility. His speed increased fivefold, muscles straining for even more velocity. Big Macintosh felt incredible power flowing through his veins. He snorted and charged on ahead. His mind echoed around him and suddenly he understood, 'Ah couldn't use it before 'cause Ah didn't accept it!' he realized. He lowered his head and turned to the side, throwing his shoulder into the monster's leone head.

The entire creature's body shook from the impact. The head Big Mac had hit, whipped back with a sharp crack. Just as he had intended, the creature fell to the ground, for a few moments at least.
A new revelation flashed into his mind, 'Two Earth ponies, two unicorns, and two pegasi! It's all of us! Fate must have brought us together! Ah have to call out each of them mahself in order for them to manifest!'

Big Macintosh focused his attention on Lemon Lime who was in the greatest need. The, now outlandishly well built, Earth pony considered his friend, 'What character traits does Live Wire have that fit?' he wondered. Big Macintosh thought on all of the times Lemon Lime had spoken of his patients, how he had to be willing to take it slow so they could recover. Everypony considered him impatient because he spoke so quickly but he was actually just excitable. Big Macintosh's mouth flew open as he realized which Element Lemon Lime represented.

He threw back his head and called out into the wind, hoping Lemon Lime could hear,
“Live Wire! You had to temper your excitable nature to help your patients recover! You're careful and calculating! You never act without thinking it through! You are the Element of Patience!”

Every stallion's attention was drawn to the ice cream shop. Valiant had just limped to the window when Big Macintosh had manifested. He had watched in awe as his friend became the Element of Acceptance. He turned his head back to the inside of the parlor. Its internal walls were illuminated by a bright glow. The stallions saw Lemon Lime's limp body lifted by some unseen force into the air. Lemon Lime was glowing like the sun. Lemon Lime floated back down to the floor in a standing position. The small unicorn's eyes were closed; Valiant couldn't tell if he was breathing or not.

In a flash of green light, golden armor appeared around the little yellow unicorn's body, his cutie-mark adorned the helmet just below his horn. The armor was different from Big Mac's. It looked thinner, more streamlined; the armor was form-fitting, it hugged tightly against his coat. Lemon Lime's armor was embedded with crystals in various shapes and sizes, the largest of these adorned his chest, just below his neck, each glowing a dim yellow. Lemon Lime's body, instead of the massive bulk that Big Mac carried, was covered in lean muscle, sleek and toned. His horn crackled with unspent magic, sparks slithering up and down its length. His hooves carried not shoes, but metallic boots that matched the rest of the armor. Lemon Lime still didn't move, 'Is the armor the only thing holding him up?' Valiant wondered.

Lemon Lime's eyes popped open and he drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Lemon Lime's eyes were narrowed and intense, his small body now slightly larger from the new layers of muscle underneath. Valiant had to admit, the little guy was kind of intimidating in his armor. A hail of splintered chair and table fragments suddenly exploded outward as Lemon Lime streaked past Valiant. The smaller unicorn's legs were a blur of motion, he moved almost at the speed of thought, which for him was significant. The size of his body no longer mattered, he had the muscles to run at any speed he wished and the stamina to keep it up for quite a while. Lemon Lime charged the chimera but before he reached it, he just stopped. He stopped and took a ready stance.

Lemon Lime addressed Big Macintosh without turning his head,
“I'll keep it distracted while you call out the others. I doubt I'm powerful enough to take it on by myself.”

Big Macintosh focused his mind on Sea Blue next, 'Which one could he be? He knows how to read ponies. He's perceptive and observant. He's a councilor so he has to be able to . . . ' Big Macintosh cut himself off. The answer was starring him right in the face.

The red Earth pony called out to the two stallions behind him,
“Sea Blue! You can tell what a pony's thinking by their body language alone. You are clever and perceptive! You can read ponies like a book! You are the Element of Discernment!”

Dr. Mend looked over to the unicorn stallion next to him and watched in awe as he transformed from a simple counselor into an Element of Peace. Sea Blue closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He reared back on his hind legs and threw back his head, hooves raking the air repeatedly. His front legs descended and struck the ground. A bright purple light sprung to life, at his hooves, like the first trickles of a new spring. The light slowly climbed up all four of his legs and washed up over him, bathing his entire body from the ground up. Sea Blue's armor was also different. Dizzying swirling patterns were carved up his legs, on his sides, and around his eyes, all glowing a dim purple. His horn was covered in a spiraling strip that looked to be made of a single piece of metal. His legs, chest, back, flank, and neck were completely enclosed by layered bands of golden metal. His hooves sported thick metal shoes which emitted a slight purple light from the bottoms. His cutie-mark was set into the plate across his head. His mane, tail, and eye color perfectly complimented the inscribed armor. The unicorn stallion's body had thickened, stretching out over his new muscle definition. The councilor's eyes smoldered, literally looked like they were burning under his helmet.

The chimera shuddered and rose to its paws, glaring around in fury. Lemon Lime took a fighting stance, as intense as his gaze. The chimera whipped its heads back and forth, roaring loudly and raised one of its massive paws to swipe at the little unicorn.

Lemon Lime broke into a run, zigzagging in front of the great beast in a flurry of motion. The chimera seemed to go mad. It slammed its paws down furiously, trying and failing, to flatten the impetuous stallion. Sea Blue shot forward and joined Lemon Lime in his game of keep away. The chimera brought its jaws into play and began to try to bite the two unicorns. The key word being 'try'. It couldn't touch them.

Big Macintosh turned his attention to the medical pony with the black coat and white mane and tail, 'Dr. Mend is a tougher one. There are only three Elements left: Hope, Perseverance, and Forgiveness. He heals ponies and cures illness. What was it he was sayin' earlier when Valiant was complainin' to him?' Big Mac's mouth curled up into a smile, the answer was simple, Dr. Mend had said it himself.

Big Macintosh roared loudly,
“MEND! You had to learn to let go of your bitterness! You had hated yourself needlessly and it was killing you! You found your forgiveness and that's your Element. You are the Element of Forgiveness!”

The simple word rang in Dr. Mend's ears: Forgiveness. It was a solid truth to him now. It was what he had been missing all his life. Now that he had it, he felt like it was his world. So much could be accomplished through forgiveness. Mend lowered his head and focused on the picture of his grandparents holding him on their porch. The memory was the happiest one he had. It had already warmed his heart and now it gave might to his limbs.

Mend's mane and tail lit up like the sun, bathing him in white light. His mane and tail elongated and snaked around his whole body, encircling him completely. The two elongated embodiments of light withdrew, leaving behind his armor. Mend's armor looked like the layered scales of a dragon. Scales covered his legs, chest, back, and flank. White light seemed to want to escape from between the scales, a dim glow came from behind each one. His neck was open in the front, while the back of his neck was covered with more of the shining scales. His head was enclosed by a plate helmet which sprouted his mane out of the top of his head in the back. His mane was pulled up into a tight knot which flowed down onto his shoulders. Mend felt, within himself, a strength and endurance the likes of which he had never imagined. He felt like he could cross the span of Equestria in one long run. He could see the edges of the helmet in the corners of his eyes; he knew his cutie mark was on his forehead.

Dr. Mend raised his head, a single tear ran down from his left eye, but he was smiling. The smile was a visual representation of what he felt inside. His world had changed. Valiant had brought him hope for the future, that there could be something better. Lemon Lime had shown him that time can heal wounds if you only had the strength of character to try. Sea Blue had seen past his cold exterior to the crying foal underneath, and had helped him see beyond his own perceived failings to the truth of the matter. Trooper had demonstrated how to never give up no matter how tough life can be, with enough determination you can do anything. Big Macintosh had shown him how to accept the love that was already there for him, provided by his family and friends. He owed them everything and he knew it.

“I owe you my new life.” he whispered, “None can take that away.”

Dr. Mend, sworn by oath to never offer harm to another pony, made his decision. He charged, bellowing a war cry, and launched himself bodily at the great beast arrayed against him and his friends. He galloped boldly into the fray. Sea Blue suffered an unfortunate blow to his side. The councilor's armor absorbed the hit and turned away the claws, but the laws of physics were unfeeling. Sea Blue flew, uncontrolled, straight toward a nearby white marble wall. Dr. Mend saw the blow land and altered his course. Dr. Mend knew he could never make the jump to catch Sea Blue so he decided to try something crazy. He changed his direction, pumping his legs harder, faster. He lowered his body closer to the ground and ran right up the wall. He took seven steps and launched himself off the wall aiming right at Sea Blue. The turquoise councilor looked up in awe. Mend caught Sea Blue's body against his undercarriage. Mend's momentum was overcome by Sea Blue's, throwing both stallions back toward the wall, but at a greatly reduced velocity. The two stallions hit the ground. Dr. Mend curled his body and rolled like a wheel, protecting the councilor. His armor seemed to conform to any movement he made. The energy propelling them died off and Dr. Mend came up in a crouch with Sea Blue right next to him. The two stallions wasted not a moment and charged back into the fray.

Big Macintosh continued; the words came unbidden to his lips,
“Trooper! You never gave up on finding your cutie-mark! You kept on, even when others would have quit trying! You were so determined you took up jobs at every place you could! You may never find your cutie-mark but you don't let that stop you! You don't allow yourself to give up! You are the Element of Perseverance!”

Above the other stallions, in the air, Trooper's wings flashed brightly, enveloped in cyan light. His feathers glowed as if seen from under water. The glow slowly seeped from his wing tips into the rest of his body, spreading like luminescent oil. It covered his wings then began spreading to his legs, back, chest, and flanks. His head was the last to take on the glow; the light slowly seeped up his neck and converged right between his eyes. In a blinding flash of cyan light, his armor formed over his body, it even covered the fronts of his wings in a layer of jointed plate. The front of his neck, his undercarriage, and the backs of his legs were set with lengths of tightly woven thin chains. The plates covering most of his body looked paper thin and light-weight, but supple and willowy; the perfect dichotomy of flexible and tough. The plates were shallowly etched with archaic hieroglyphs which continuously emitted a dim cyan glow. Instead of his cutie-mark, since he had none, a glowing infinity symbol adorned the forehead of his helmet. His hooves were shod with a quartet of dull spiked shoes. His body was thick with chorded muscle, the webs of flesh where his wings met his body were nearly as thick as his muzzle, and his neck was thick with sloping tendons and sinews.

Trooper whooped and dove down toward the chimera at incredible speed. He turned at the last moment and swept his hind legs down, keeping his momentum. He landed on the titan's goat head with an audible crunch and leapt back into the sky.

The chimera roared once again, drawing Big Mac's attention away from his last friend. The goat head reared back, drawing a deep breath. The head came down, quick as a striking snake, aimed at the only pony in its line of sight, upon which it could take out its wrath, Valiant.

Valiant had limped out to the middle of the street to gain a better view of the fight between his friends and the chimera. He had been keeping his weight shifted forward to take pressure off his injured hind legs. He had figured he was a safe distance away. He had figured wrong. He looked up just in time to see a gout of flame come spewing forth, out of the goat head's mouth, directly at him. Valiant acted as quickly as he could. He bolted toward the ice cream parlor, hoping to leap through the broken window and use the inside for cover. His injured back legs couldn't take the sudden strain and he tripped. He fell back, onto his injured flank and legs and had to try to drag himself to safety. He knew he could never make it in time. The other stallions were too far away to get to him.

Valiant closed his eyes and struggled to make his fore legs move faster. It was hopeless, he could never make it in time. Valiant felt a sudden, incredible impact on his flank, which was accompanied by a hefty grunt. Valiant's body surged forward into the air. He flew into the window of the ice cream parlor, safe. He turned his head just in time to see Evening Star. She was laying on the road, having fallen from where she shoved him. In half a second, their eyes locked. In the other half a second, she was engulfed by the flames.

Valiant watched as the flames died away, leaving behind melted rocks and the still, blackened form of what looked vaguely like a pony.

Valiant couldn't feel a thing, he was numb. He was only dimly aware that his friends had subsequently engaged the chimera in a battle that would have been worthy of legends. He didn't care. He drug himself out of the window, toward the body lying in the street. He didn't care that the still hot rocks were singing away the coat on his legs. It didn't matter to him. He drug himself over the roadway and up to the body in the middle of the street.

Valiant leaned down, nudging the still form with his muzzle,
“Evening Star, get up.” he urged, voice cracking, “You have to get up. You're not safe here. You have to go.” he realized he was crying only because he left wet spots on the still smoking body, “Come on, get up. You have to fly away. It's dangerous.” no matter what he said, she didn't get up.

Valiant's heart didn't break, breaking indicates being whole in the first place.

His heart didn't break.

It shattered into dust.

He let the tears come. He nuzzled the body underneath him in a way he had never dared to nuzzle any mare. He tilted his head and kissed her forehead tenderly, the singed hairs of her coat crumbling under his lips. He didn't want to leave her, should she awaken. His mind screamed at him to move, that he was in danger. He silenced the voice with extreme prejudice. He would have his one moment with her. He had missed any chance to be with Arabesque when she passed, he would be with Evening Star now, 'Nopony should ever die alone.' He sighed heavily, wanting to stay with her forever. He knew there was still a battle to be fought, still ponies to save. He would never give up hope, it was his life. He just wanted his one moment with his friend.

He nuzzled her body again,
“There's a friend waiting for you Evening Star. Go to her. Go and rest.” he whispered.

Valiant felt reason stir within himself, 'My friends still need me.' he thought stoically, 'There is
still hope for many more. I have to finish what I began.' Valiant saw a golden light behind himself. It cast his shadow onto the ground. He turned his head. There they were, just like Big Macintosh had said.

His wings were back. They were long and beautiful beyond words. Valiant stretched them out experimentally. They complied, opening to an impressive span; more than triple the length of his old wings. He flexed the muscles in his shoulders. The wings complied, flapping swiftly. A surge of hope flared within Valiant's chest, 'My legs might be useless, but my wings are more than capable of compensating.'

Valiant flapped his wings hard. He lifted off the ground easily. The wings were powerful, very powerful. He lifted into the air and turned to face the thing which threatened not only his friends, but innumerable ponies all over Canterlot. His eyes narrowed. He took off at the great beast in a flash of light, wings a blur behind him. Valiant flew like the wind, spurred on by Evening Star's sacrifice. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, a hoarse battle cry shredding its way out of his throat.

The cry was in ancient Equestrian, a language he had learned in Haysburg,
“VICORO AUT MORTUS!” which, when translated, means 'victory or death'.

Big Macintosh turned and saw Valiant, wings and all, come charging toward the chimera,
“Valiant! You never gave up hope! You had hope that Dr. Mend would see what was right when you gave him the recipe for the potion! You had hope that you could rescue the fillies! You had hope, even after you were burnt and bleeding, that you could rescue Granny Smith! You had hope, even as you lay dying, that she could live! You never gave up hope, no matter what was arrayed against you! YOU VALIANT ARE THE ELEMENT OF HOPE!”

Valiant sailed past Big Macintosh on a direct course with the chimera. The chimera raised a paw to swat at the new threat. Valiant never changed direction. The two met with a resounding crack. The world stopped for the briefest of moments. The five Elements of Peace saw Valiant with his right wing extended over his head defensively, a mouth still opened bellowing in his cry, eyes narrowed dangerously. The chimera's paw, claws extended, was pressed down against the magical wing. Energy exploded outward, momentarily blinding the chimera in a nova of viridian light. The surrounding stallions watched as Valiant's armor formed itself around his body with an audible clang.

Valiant's armor was of tiny, tightly woven rings of the purest viridian (a mixture of light green and silver). The armor covered his chest, back, flanks, and neck; it clung onto his body tightly. Valiant's body had previously been athletically muscular, if a bit on the thin side, now it was like looking at a professional athlete. His chest and shoulders were thick with muscle definition, his flanks were chorded with sinews, and his back rippled with every movement. His wings were completely unadorned, they needed nothing. His legs were stilted in long, slender, jointed plates of viridian that left his hooves shod in prismatic shoes. His head was adorned with a streamlined helm, also viridian, made of hinged plates which left only his eyes visible. His cutie-mark crested the middle of his forehead, etched into the plates. None of his armor emitted any kind of a glow, instead it reflected the lights coming off his comrades.

Time returned to normal. Valiant turned in mid air, wings out flat and spun, delivering a sharp kick to the chimera's leone jaw. The blow landed with a small crunch of broken magical teeth.

The battle was joined.

The six Elements of Peace began attacking in a flurry of motion. Dr. Mend rushed in and turned, lashing out with his right hind leg. He slammed it into the titan's left paw, knocking out from under the great beast. Lemon Lime channeled magic into his horn and cast an illusory spell. Suddenly there were four Lemon Limes attacking the great beast, each acting independently. Each injury the chimera sustained from the illusion's hooves was small but numerous; more importantly, the injuries were real. The illusions seemed to be not so much illusions but simple extensions of Lemon Lime himself. It was a marvelous distraction and an effective tactic. Trooper flew up to the leone head and turned in mid air. Using his momentum to aid him, he placed his fore hooves on the leone head's muzzle and bucked out with both hind legs. This blow landed one hoof in each of its eyes. The chimera shrieked at the blow, throwing its head back. Valiant flew up into the air and dove down, fore hooves extended. As his fore hooves touched its muzzle he brought his hind legs up and compounded the blow, smashing the leone head into the road below with the terrible impact. Big Macintosh leapt onto the muzzle of the downed head and reared back on his hind legs. He brought down the full weight of his size and impressive muscle on his fore hooves. His hooves smashed into the top of the thing's skull sending out a small shockwave rippling through the surrounding road. The head cracked and muddy purple magic oozed from the cracks. The head didn't move again. Sea Blue lowered his horn and focused his magic. A lance of white-hot light appeared from the tip of his horn extending three feet. He gored the massive beast through its chest, nudging it back several paces. He pulled away, leaving a gaping hole in its chest which gushed out more muddy purple magic.

The chimera stumbled and fell onto its chest.

“One head is down! Focus on the goat head!” Sea Blue yelled.

Lemon Lime added to his statement,
“The goat head is tougher on its crown! Hit it from beneath and on the sides!”

Dr. Mend sprinted over to the goat head from the right and leapt into the air, somersaulted, and landed both his back hooves on the thing's jaw as his weight and muscle struck with a small thunderclap. His fore hooves made contact and he launched himself back onto the ground, landing, already at a gallop. Trooper flew in from the opposite side, angled down. He landed on his fore hooves and in the same movement launched himself back up, upside down. He hit the goat head's throat with a juicy crunch. Trooper pushed off and swooped out from underneath the head. Valiant came in right at the titan's muzzle and hovered in mid air. He lashed out with all four of his legs, raining down a long series of punishing blows on its muzzle tip. Liquid purple magic flew with each strike. Valiant retreated back as the goat head inhaled to breathe fire again. The breath took quite a bit longer than before, Trooper's hit had been sound. Lemon Lime saw the opening and dismissed the illusions, then focused on a new use for an old spell. The goat head opened its mouth and exhaled its fire. The fire struck an invisible barrier and curled back around, dousing the goat head in its own flame. It lowered its head to escape the fire and two ponies charged toward it at the same time from opposite directions.

Big Mac and Sea Blue darted in and bucked simultaneously from each side. The beast's lower jaw cracked loudly just as Trooper and Valiant crashed down onto the top of its head, driving it into the road with a sickening crunch. Lemon Lime released his former spell and closed his eyes, focusing his magic on a new spell, one he had just conceived. The little unicorn began to glow bright green. He opened his eyes and finished the spell. He appeared to the left of the goat head's muzzle tip and struck out with his left fore hoof, the impact sending the head to the right. Lemon Lime appeared on the right and lashed out with his right fore hoof, snapping the head back to the left. Lemon Lime appeared back in front of the thing's muzzle. Dr. Mend joined him in his final move. Together they bucked with both hind legs. The head jerked back into the air with a violent snap. The head seemed to go limp and fell forward slowly, ugly purple magic nearly spraying into the air.

“Get under the head! Buck when it gets close! Live Wire call it!” Sea Blue yelled.

The six Elements of Peace gathered in a group on the ground in front of the descending head,
“Wait for it!” Lemon Lime said.

The head descended slowly, picking up speed as it neared the ground,
“Wait for it!”

The head picked up speed, falling almost too fast to see, it was so close now,
“Now!” Lemon Lime called.

Six powerful stallions bucked as one. Twelve hooves struck the titanic head in one swift motion. The head jerked back with a sound similar to that of a whip cracking. The magical flesh on the underside of the neck split, spilling muddy magic all over the ground. The chimera shimmered and dissipated in the fading glow of the rogue's power. After a moment, it was gone.

The rogue screamed as if she had her mind ripped in two. She clasped both of her hooves to her head and collapsed onto the ground shaking and sobbing. She was still screaming, even as Big Macintosh held her and Dr. Mend injected the sedative into her thigh. The prick of the needle didn't seem to register with her, she just screamed. The rogue screamed for only seconds after the sedative was in her blood-stream. She quickly succumbed to the potent nature of the chemicals and lay unmoving on the road, breathing evenly.

As soon as the rogue was down, the stallions slowly plodded back over to where a blackened body lay in the middle of the street, Valiant in the lead. Valiant's wings vanished back into oblivion as did the rest of the stallions' armors. Nopony spoke a single word, they didn't have to. Dr. Mend, more out of habit than any necessity he felt, began taking Evening Star's vitals. The other five stallions watched silently and waited.

Dr. Mend reached for her inner thigh to take her pulse and his head snapped up,
“She's alive!” he yelled, “Not only that, her pulse is strong . . . really strong.” he checked her breathing, “She's breathing just fine!” he said shocked, “She should be dead. Her pulse should be low and her breathing shallow in any case.” he shook his head puzzled, “I don't get it. She just seems like she's sleeping.”

“If she were sleeping, she would have been awakened by the sounds of our fight.” Lemon Lime observed.

Valiant peered closely at the form in front of him, 'Something's different. Something's out of place.' he knew it was true but he just couldn't put his hoof on it.

Realization struck him like a freight train,
“Her mane and tail are starting to grow back!” he exclaimed.

The six stallions watched as her mane and tail did indeed regrow. They regenerated at an astounding rate, the stallions could actually see it happening. Inch by inch her mane and tail regrew, not in Evening Star's normal color, but is deep dark blue. The mane grew right up over her head obscuring it. Dr. Mend reached out a tentative hoof and brushed away her mane from her face. His hoof brushed away flakes of charred skin and coat, revealing a thick, lush, sable coat underneath, gleaming richly in the moonlight. On an impulse, Dr. Mend reached out again and cleared away her entire mane from her face and forehead. His hoof encountered something solid. Mend pushed back the mane and found himself starring at a long, black horn.

Lemon Lime's mind began piecing different things together; his eyes shot open,
“Get back now!” he yelled suddenly.

The other stallions scooted back several paces,
“Trooper, whip up a whirlwind around her, quickly!” Lemon Lime commanded.

Trooper took to the wing and flew in tight circles around Evening Star's body. He pulled up a small whirlwind in a few moments. Dust and ash flew in all directions, obscuring all sight of Evening Star. Trooper maintained his whirlwind for a few moments more then let it subside. He landed beside his friends as she whirlwind vanished into normal air. The six stallions looked on in awe, shock engrained into every face.

There, on the ground, lay Princess Luna.

Author’s Note:
I hope this chapter satisfies all your hopes. This took me the past solid week. Seriously, I did nothing else. This is not the last chapter. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR COMMENTS! I NEED YOUR OPPINIONS! Let me know, did I do O.K. or did this ending suck? As always enjoy! (reads comments . . . or don’t, I guess.)

Chapter 11

Trials of the Elements

Part 11

The door to Lemon Lime's apartment cracked open slowly revealing the large frame of an impressively built Earth pony. Big Macintosh held the door for his smaller friend. The yellow unicorn backed through the doorway levitating the rogue in the air behind him. Big Macintosh quietly closed the door as the little physical therapist set the rogue down on his couch gently. Big Macintosh unbuckled his saddle-bags and slipped them off, several bottles of Valiant's sleeping potion clanked quietly inside.

"I wonder how long it will take for her to recover? I have no experience with this kind of thing. I mean, I've heard of C.M.E.S. and I know about it, but only in a basic sense." Lemon Lime sighed, "Having her summoned construct destroyed may have had an adverse effect on her total magic potential. If she retains all her power, I'm no match for her. Before the fight I thought I was, but I was wrong, very wrong. I am to her, in magical ability, what a mouse is to you, in strength. In all my calculations I'd forgotten to take one big factor into account. When a unicorn is suffering from stage 3 'Caster's Stroke' it's nearly impossible to keep casting spells. She was not only able to keep using it but to do so with more raw power than I have in total. While she was suffering from C.M.E.S. her magical power kept increasing every single time she used it. I'm not sure I'm making myself clear here. She's phenomenal. I've never heard of a unicorn this powerful except in ancient Equestrian legends. At least she's asleep now." Lemon Lime paused and turned his head toward Big Macintosh, "Any idea what Dr. Mend, Valiant, Trooper, and Sea Blue are going to do with Princess Luna?"

The huge earth pony just shook his head,
"Nope." the random change of subject no longer disoriented the larger work pony.

Lemon Lime blew out an exasperated breath,
"I'll put a pot of coffee on so I can stay awake and keep an eye on her. You can get some sleep if you want. I'll wake you up when I need to go to sleep. Sound good?"

Big Macintosh yawned hugely,
"Ayup." he said over his shoulder as he made his way to Lemon Lime's back bedroom.

*******************************

Princess Luna felt her senses return to her slowly. She felt slightly cool from a gentle breeze, it was getting along toward winter after all. She felt a tiny bit fatigued. Her subconscious had taken over her magic when she had been engulfed by the chimera's flame. Her instinct had hardened the outermost layer of her skin and protected her easily from the intense heat. She had never been in any real danger. Even a dragon could little to harm an alicorn aside from making her look like she had been in an oven way too long. She opened her eyes and was greeted with three questioning faces, 'Guess the secret is out.' she thought sourly,'Might as well explain.'

The Moon Princess raised her head slowly. Trooper lent her a leg as she rose to her hooves. Sea Blue was nowhere to be seen. Dr. Mend and Trooper bowed respectfully, but Valiant simply stood in place. He had a disbelieving look smeared so far through his face, it might have been natural. Princess Luna opened her mouth to speak, but Valiant rudely held up a hoof. He turned around and began walking away without a single word.

The Moon Princess was flabbergasted, nopony silenced her,
"Stop." she commanded.

Her voice held an air of command which nopony could easily deny. She was one of only two alicorns in Equestria; hers was a power not to be trifled with. She knew her station and even though she rarely used it to force her will, she did so then. Valiant was far out of line in even thinking to silence her, 'Who does he think he is?' Princess Luna thought to herself, 'I'll have to be careful with him. He had NO RIGHT to try to silence me, but he does deserve answers.' she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, 'Remember Luna, patience is key. He's not whole yet, you know that. Be firm but don't be overbearing. Balance and restraint, always balance and restraint.'

Valiant obediently halted, but did not turn around. He was angry and he didn't wish to risk snapping disrespectfully at a Princess; especially the Princess who had been so kind to he and Mend when they first arrived in Canterlot. He sighed curtly, still refusing to turn around. He felt a hurricane of emotions and feelings boiling inside himself. In his mind, Evening Star was dead. He couldn't be frank and open with a Princess; he couldn't be friends with her either. It was improper to even think such a thing, 'She's an alicorn, a Princess of Equestria. She's seen countless generations come and go. We are nothing more than the blink of an eye to them.' Even if there was no romantic connection between them, his friend was gone. He hated himself for not figuring it out earlier, 'She never actually said she was a courier. She had insinuated it and let me draw my own conclusions. I should have seen it!' he thought, 'Everything was just too perfect. Her knowledge, her experience, she knew too much. Why didn't I see it? She said she didn't have any friends, she mentioned her duty. How could I have been so blind?' the answer came to him almost immediately, 'Because I trusted her.' he thought bitterly, 'I trusted her. Should I expect the same thing from Celestia too?'

Princess Luna spoke again disrupting his thoughts,
"Look at me Valiant." she ordered quietly.

Valiant turned his head toward her,
"Yes, your majesty?" he asked in the most neutral tone he could muster.

Princess Luna took a step toward him,
"I had to ensure you would discover the truth. I felt it within you and Mend when we first met. I knew what you were, even if you did not. I did what I did for the good of Equestria. There are many things you do not yet understand. If I hadn't shown you the book, you would have never figured it out; none of you would have. Celestia had Twilight's entire lifetime to mold her mind and set her in the proper direction to discover the Elements of Harmony. I had a couple of days."

She took another step and stopped,
"I cannot see the future, but I can sense souls and spirits. It is one of the fundamental differences between Celestia and I. She works indirectly, from the background. I intervene on a personal level, even if it happens to be in disguise. Our personality differences are reflected in the Elements we created. The Elements of Harmony are subtle and have far-reaching effects; the Elements of Peace are obvious and direct. The perfect balance, one to compliment the other. Nopony can deny their nature. I don't blame you for being upset, but have the strength of character to look past your feelings and think. How else could I have manipulated events to this end?" she asked.

Valiant remained silent so she continued,
"Do you presume to know better than I? Celestia and I ruled for centuries before you were born. We will continue to do so after your descendents have passed on. Ten, twenty generations is but a breath to us, however the smallest of events can have lasting effects on Equestria. We ensure that Equestria survives by whatever means necessary. Sometimes that means misleading, sometimes that means manipulating; I can assure you it is never done in malice. This is your time to decide. Do you run and hide or do you stand and face reality? Do you harden your heart, or do you look past your feelings and work toward the greater good despite how you feel?"

Valiant turned his whole body toward Princess Luna and bowed stiffly,
"I need time to think, your majesty."

Princess Luna nodded,
"Very well. When you are ready, you know where to find me." turning back to Dr. Mend and Trooper she said, "You all have done very well. When the rogue awakens send word to the Royal Palace. If you need me, you can find me in my Tower Library. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again."

With those final words Princess Luna took to the sky and soared off toward the Royal Palace.

******************************

Sea Blue burst through the doors of Avalon's clinic. He had been to his home and not found his daughter. Logic dictated that the only other possible place for Ev . . . Princess Luna to take her would be the clinic so she could be given a clean bill of health since her ordeal was over.

Sea Blue galloped up to the receptionist's desk and leaned over it,
"Was a little, pink unicorn filly brought in here earlier?" he asked.

The receptionist leaned her head back away from Sea Blue since his muzzle was a mere inch from her own,
"Yes. She's with Dr. Avalon right now . . ."

"Take me to her. I'm her father." Sea Blue interrupted.

******************************

Dr. Avalon had never been particularly comfortable with youngsters, but Patch was easy to deal with. Dr. Avalon had given her a checkup and checked her records, then decided to give the pink little unicorn her booster shots. Most fillies and colts cried and screamed when they saw a syringe, Patch just sat there quietly. She hadn't said much and had gone to sleep in Dr. Avalon's office within ten minutes.

Dr. Avalon was sitting quietly at her desk when Sea Blue burst through the door. He scanned the room and spotted his daughter sleeping peacefully on Dr. Avalon's visitor chair. He snuck over to her and knelt down in front of the chair. He leaned over and brushed her mane out of her face with his left fore hoof. The little filly stirred and cracked her eyes open. She smiled and leaned over, hugging her father.

Sea Blue hugged her back, holding her tightly,
"I missed you baby." he whispered, eyes leaking.

"She's fine, Sea Blue. You're both free to go home." Dr. Avalon said quietly.

Sea Blue turned his head toward the Earth pony mare,
"Thank you."

Dr. Avalon nodded uncomfortably,
"It's fine. Go on home." she said in a quiet voice.

Patch eased back on the hug and regarded her father, smiling,
"Come on Daddy. Let's go home."

Sea Blue couldn't agree more,
"Right," he said kissing her forehead, "Let's go home."

*******************************

Valiant closed up Mrs. Soothe's apothecary and locked the door. He turned up the street and headed toward Lemon Lime's apartment. He thought to himself as he walked, 'I'm glad the owner of the ice cream parlor got compensated for the damage to her shop. I'm surprised the fight two weeks ago wasn't talked about in Equestria Daily. That news paper scoops up every possible story around here. I wonder if Princess Luna had something to do with that?' the thought of the Moon Princess set his nerves on edge, 'Stop thinking about her!' he scolded himself, 'She didn't actually lie to us, but it's a slim difference either way. She wasn't truthful with us in any case. She deceived us! I can't say she doesn't care, she did save my life. I thought she was our friend. She was just maneuvering us into doing what she wanted. She was using us. Why didn't she just order us to do it? We would have done it. Why didn't she just go after the rogue herself with the Royal Guards instead of us? I have to find out. First though, it's time to deal with a long-term problem.'

Valiant climbed the stairs to Lemon Lime's apartment and knocked on the door politely. Big Macintosh opened it and let the royal blue pegasus in. Valiant's eyes went straight to the other ponies already in the front room. Trooper and Dr. Mend stood on either side of the couch, keeping watch over the rogue. Sea Blue lay in front of the couch with a pad and paper in front of him. Lemon Lime stood in the doorway that led into the kitchen leaning on the frame casually and Big Macintosh walked calmly over and stood right in front of the couch. They were preparing for the rogue to wake up.

The six stallions had discussed the scenario in great detail. They had prepared for every likely possibility. Lemon Lime had already cast a warding against powerful magic over the whole apartment complex. Simple spells would be easy to do but anything more than a minor levitation of less than five pounds would be impossible by any save for one of the Princesses. Lemon Lime had Sea Blue try several spells just to make sure. Lemon Lime had learned a new spell to gauge her power while she was asleep and had confirmed his suspicion. The backlash from having the chimera destroyed had damaged her magical potential to one fourth of what she originally had at the time. Lemon Lime estimated that he would be almost an even match for her but still didn't want to take any chances. They had discussed having a mare present to make the rogue perhaps more comfortable, but had decided against it. They didn't have Evening Star around anymore and Dr. Avalon had to work.

Valiant was in a bit of a foul mood,
"Is everypony ready?" he asked curtly.

"Ayup." Big Mac said.

"I am indeed." Trooper acknowledged.

"Yeah." Dr. Mend sighed.

"Let's get to the bottom of this." Sea Blue said.

"Get on with it." Lemon Lime said, apparently in a mood also.

Valiant nodded to Dr. Mend. Mend pulled out a syringe and injected the contents into the rogue's thigh. He removed the needle and capped the tip then put it back into his saddle-bags. The six stallions waited. They had already checked her eyes. The rogue's coloring had been back to normal for three days, they wanted a margin for error.

The rogue no longer looked emaciated, just thin. Her coat was light blue, her eyes were purple, and her mane and tail were such a light shade of blue as to almost look white. The six stallions had been taking turns keeping an eye on her. They had fed her well and she was filling back out nicely. The vast majority of the time after the first day they had been monitoring her in pairs for accountability sake. They had Dr. Avalon come in and check up on her and bathe her every couple of days. Dr. Avalon was only too happy to help.

The rogue stirred and moaned quietly. She raised her right fore hoof and rubbed at her eyes. The stallions stayed utterly silent so as not to startle her. She cracked her eyes open, wincing at the light. She blinked several times and opened her eyes completely. The first thing she did was to look around. Six grim, serious faces starred at her in silence. Sea Blue cleared his throat quietly but the rogue spoke first.

Her tone was haughty and snide,
"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know what she is doing here."

Trooper pursed his lips and addressed her in a direct manner,
"You would do well to keep a civil tongue right now. We are going to ask you some questions and you are going to answer them in a straight forward manner. Do I make myself clear?"

"Who are you to dare to speak to the Great and Powerful Trixie in such a way!?" she asked.

Trooper's face darkened significantly,
"My name is Trooper. You broke all four of my legs when I saved an Earth pony mare you were levitating and threatening for her bits." Trooper pointed to Sea Blue, "You foalnapped his daughter after you gored him with your horn." Trooper then gestured to every stallion in the room, "You summoned a chimera and nearly killed us all. You were suffering from Critical Magical Exhaustive Stress. We risked our lives because of your irresponsibility! So, I reiterate. Mind. Your. Tongue!" he spat.

The so called 'Great and Powerful Trixie' kept her tone haughty but her eyes gave away her fear,
"What is it you want to know?" she asked.

************************************

"So you came to Canterlot to gain more power and learn forbidden spells just to humiliate Twilight, but you pushed yourself too hard and ended up with 'Caster's Stroke'?" Valiant asked angrily, "We nearly died because of your ego! Your wounded pride and lack of self control damn near murdered us! You've traumatized a filly, stabbed her father, caused severe injury to several ponies, AND almost destroyed half the city! What the hell is wrong with you! What were you thinking?" the wingless pegasus stomped his hooves on the floor angrily, "Are you crazy or just stupid! What kind of a unicorn are you? Unicorns are supposed to help other ponies with their magic not torment them with it! Good grief! A blind goose in a hailstorm would have more sense than you! We risked our lives to help a halfwit, idiotic, self-absorbed, egomaniac!"

Trixie opened her mouth to give a retort, but Valiant rounded on her first,
"DON'T!" he snarled, "Don't say anything! You've done enough already." he stopped and took a deep breath, "I'm leaving. I can't stay in the same room with this pathetic excuse for a unicorn anymore. She knows what she did and still doesn't care about who she hurt in the process! I'll see you back at the dorm Mend."

Valiant was furious. He felt himself welling up with rage. He knew he needed to leave or risk losing control. He had never wanted to hit something so badly in his life, 'How can she be so callous! We saved her from becoming a Vagabond and she doesn't even care! I did what I did by accident and I lost five years of my life!' Valiant broke into a gallop. He didn't know where he was going and he didn't care. He needed to let off some steam before he really lost his temper. He ran until he was exhausted.

Valiant stopped to catch his breath and looked around, 'Oh great.' he thought sarcastically, 'Exactly where I don't want to be.' He looked up at the Tower Library and snorted angrily. He blew out a heavy breath, 'You know what? Fine. Let's do this!' he thought.

Valiant walked up the stairs into the Library and shoved the right-side door open roughly. The librarian looked over at him and shushed him. Valiant motioned that she could stuff her notion of 'quiet' into an impolite place. The irate pegasus took the steps to the second floor two at a time. He spotted 'Evening Star' sitting in her usual spot next to the window. He strode up to her boldly and plopped himself down in front of her.

"Yes?" Princess Luna asked quietly without looking up.

"Since you look like Evening Star, should I address you like Evening Star or as Princess Luna?" Valiant asked shortly.

"Address me as you see me." she responded.

Valiant chuckled humorlessly,
"If I were to do that, I would say quite a number of things I would never say to either a Princess or a friend."

Princess Luna set her book down and closed it, starring at Valiant levelly,
"The way others treat you never dictates how you have to respond. That decision is yours alone. I never said you had to stop treating me like a friend. You assumed that yourself and this time I didn't mislead you in the slightest. If you can't be civil, then I don't have to listen to you."

"Go ahead then, run away. That's your option as a Princess." Valiant retorted bitterly.

Princess Luna in disguise rose to her hooves,
"I do not have to explain myself to you, nor do I require your approval. I would have thought that as one outcast to another we would have a common ground. We can still be friends Valiant, but I refuse to take insult from you or anypony else. You can treat me as an equal or as a Princess, I don't care which."

Princess Luna stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to address Valiant one last time,
"Ask yourself this question though: why are you angry?"

The Moon Princess departed, leaving Valiant alone with his thoughts.

****************************

Dr. Mend opened the door to the dorm room and stuffed the key back into his saddle-bags,
"Valiant?" he called.

The room was silent and the hour was late. The five stallions had spent the remainder of the day dealing with Trixie and the official paperwork which was included in the event of turning her over to Princess Celestia. Celestia had explained that she and Luna had discussed the whole issue with the rogue over the course of a week and Celestia had eventually agreed to keep the news from the Royal Guards. Said Guards were not happy to find out they had been left out of the loop but refrained from treating the stallions poorly. They had taken Trixie into custody and departed quickly after all the paperwork had been completed, 'Who knew Celestia already had official forms for the apprehension of dangerous ponies?' Mend wondered, 'Hmm, I don't see Valiant . . . ' he stopped as he noticed Valiant's belongings were missing.

Mend stopped dead in his tracks and looked around the dorm room. Valiant's bed had been made neatly and his desk was devoid of any personal effects. Mend saw a piece of parchment on his own bed and walked over to it. The paper was not rolled or sealed. Mend read the parchment, eyes growing wide. He turned and galloped off back to Lemon Lime's apartment with the note held in his muzzle.

*******************************

Mend read the note aloud to the gathered stallions in the apartment,
"To Mend, Live Wire, Big Macintosh, Trooper, and Sea Blue:
I spoke with 'Evening Star' in the Library after I left the apartment. She presented a question to me that I hadn't the mind to think of myself. I'm furious, but I don't know why. I spent several hours in the Library trying to figure it out but I came up with nothing. I feel this is something I have to figure out on my own. Please don't be upset with me. I just need some time to think. I won't say where I'm going and please don't come looking for me. Don't worry, I'll be back when I figure this out. I simply need some time for 'me' right now. I know it's selfish but this is something I need to do. I'll come back and do the courses when I'm done. If you speak to Princess Luna, tell her I'm not sorry for being upset, but I do apologize for being rude.

Best Wishes,
Valiant"

Sea Blue's eyebrows furrowed together in thought; he began pacing, giving voice to his thoughts,
"He repeats himself in different words several times. He's trying to convince himself, not us. He feels like he's been robbed of several years of his life because of a mistake, while Trixie seems to have gotten off free for everything she's done, even though he has no idea what her punishment is. He was looking for a reason to be angry. He probably realized that, and he doesn't want to risk taking it out on us by mistake. He feels betrayed by Princess Luna and doesn't know how to deal with it. He doesn't want to be angry with her but he still feels angry in general and she's the only one who he can be upset with right now. He's got a lot of bitterness pent up inside him, but instead of staying here where we can help him, he runs away. He feels inadequate and doesn't feel worthy of the effort. He's been acting like he has confidence, but it's all been an act so we wouldn't worry."

Sea Blue paused and turned to the rest of the stallions,
"So we have two issues here. One, he doesn't want to risk exploding on us because he's angry, he wants to protect us. Two, he doesn't feel that he's worth the effort of us helping him. I think there's one more aspect here; the root of the problem is his identity. He's been helping everypony else around him, like he's good to go but in reality he's been balancing on the edge of a knife this whole time. He spent so much time hating himself he lost his own identity. He lost it until he did something right. Once he succeeded at something, he found a temporary sense of it. He thought he was alright and wanted everypony to think that as well. He went off only partially healed and went back into the world until he encountered a big let-down . . . "

Sea Blue looked up quickly,
"He was in love with Evening Star!" he said suddenly, "No, he was in love with the thought of having somepony to love. He needed to feel loved so he could find out who he was. If foals have a solid support system they can find themselves, it's like getting your cutie-mark, but on a more profound level. He used Arabesque as his support system, but when she died, he lost that. When he met 'Evening Star', he found it once more. When she turned out not to be real, his false support system came tumbling down around him. He realized, on some level at least, that he'd been lying to everypony, himself included. The realization caused a chain-reaction of anger that he unknowingly projected outward at everypony around him who did something he saw as wrong. He knows what happened; he's out trying to find his support system again."

"But why not just use us and his friends back in Ponyville?" Mend asked, "We're here for him too."

Lemon Lime's eyes popped open wide,
"If he feels that he can't trust the pony he loved then maybe he thinks he can't rely on us either. In his mind we might let him down just like she did."

Sea Blue nodded and continued,
"That makes sense. He lost his identity when he became a Vagabond. When somepony took his cutie-mark, that compounded the issue. He got a small part it back when Rarity tattooed it back on him, but he's still missing something. He has no sense of his original identity because nopony here has a true sense of who that was. A type of love is what destroyed him in the first place. He wants love, but a type that he doesn't think we can give him. He wants the love of a family. He's only known one family in his whole life . . . Haysburg! He's gone back to Haysburg to find the love that he lost! The whole village was his 'family' and they rejected him! He wants that back! Instead of using us to find that love and support, he went back to the first ponies he saw as family! That's it, it has to be! They loved him for . . . what, fifteen, twenty years? He has a stronger connection with them than he does with us! The disappointment may have been greater, but one instance vs. two decades of acceptance is a big difference."

Big Mac's face drained of all color,
"Ah don't see that reunion ending well."

Trooper agreed,
"Neither do I. If they treat him poorly though, wouldn't he come back to us because we didn't abandon him?"

Sea Blue shook his head,
"Nope. Not if he doesn't trust us. What we need to do is gather everypony who cares about him and find him. We have to convince him that he can use us as his support system. We have to show him that we're his family now. Once he sees that he's already loved, he'll be able to come around."

Lemon Lime was the first one to break the silence,
"I have to go pack."

***************************

Trooper landed on the draw bridge of the Royal Palace, it was considered extremely rude to fly over the threshold. Earth ponies and unicorns had to go in on hoof so equal treatment dictated that pegasi do the same. Trooper trotted up to the two Royal Guards who stood flanking the huge wooden doors leading into the Royal Palace.

Trooper cleared his throat,
"I would like to request an audience with Princess Luna as soon as possible."

The two white pegasi in golden armor didn't move a muscle so Trooper repeated himself,
"Excuse me. I would like to request an audience with Princess Luna please."

The two guards remained still as statues.

Trooper bristled,
"Look, she knows me. Just tell her that Trooper is here to see her. She said we could visit her. This is important."

The two guards still didn't move.

Trooper was starting to become rather upset,
"I say, you two blighters are not the least bit helpful at all are you?" Trooper sighed heavily, "Look gents' I am one of the bearers of the Elements of Peace and I need to speak with Princess Luna immediately."

The guard on the right of the door suddenly spoke,
“We’re not stopping you.”

Trooper blinked, dumbfounded, and strode right up to the doors. He looked left and right. The guards hadn't moved. Trooper shrugged and pushed the doors open and strode inside closing the doors behind himself.

Trooper marveled at the interior of the Royal Palace. It was beautiful. High vaulted archways made for wide open corridors, all made of white marble or covered with golf leaf. Trooper had no idea where to go so he just kept going in a straight line. Up ahead of him was another pair of double doors, these seemingly made of solid gold and inset with extravagant patterns of jewels. Trooper pushed open the doors and entered a massive throne room. Princess Luna sat on the throne on a raised dais at the far end of the chamber.

Trooper trotted up to the base of the throne and observed the two Royal Guards standing motionless on either side of the stairs leading up to the throne. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly realized that Princess Luna had descended to meet him face to face.

Trooper bowed deeply and waited to be acknowledged,
"Rise Trooper. What is it you wish to talk about?" she asked.

Trooper rose and addressed her politely,
"Your majesty, what is the proper manner with which to address you?"

Princess Luna chuckled lightly with a wing to her mouth,
"You may be informal since we are already friends."

Trooper nodded politely,
"Valiant's gone. We think he went back to Haysburg."

"I knew he would. I saw it in him when we last spoke. I must change the subject though. Tell me Trooper, why do you still consider me a friend?" Princess Luna asked.

Trooper gave the question some serious thought before answering,
"In all truth, it is rather difficult to consider you a friend. I first knew you as . . . somepony else, then I discover you are in fact . . . who you are. It makes it difficult to relate to you."

Princess Luna cocked her head,
"What do you mean? I've never treated you differently nor have asked for you to treat me differently. You have to learn to take me at my word. I may mislead sometimes, but I do not lie. I don't want any of you to treat me any differently then when you knew me by another name. Do you understand what I mean?"

Trooper nodded,
"It is still difficult to think of you as anything other than a Princess. The simple fact is that there is a difference now. You are an alicorn. Not a single pony knows the lifespan of an alicorn; leastwise not that I have ever heard. That fact alone makes it nearly impossible to relate to you. You have nearly infinite magic and you have wings. You can suffer the most terrible injuries and apparently shrug them off as if they were nothing. You are a goddess for all intents and purposes. How can a mortal possibly relate to an immortal?"

"Neither Celestia or I are immortal, but I'll thank you to keep that to yourself. Trooper, we share the same needs as regular ponies: air, food, water, sunlight, and a place to live. The only real difference is that we have a few more natural gifts and we chose to watch over regular ponies." Princess Luna paused briefly, "I initially thought you were here to ask about what Celestia and I did with 'the Great and Powerful Trixie'"

Trooper scratched his head,
"Now that you mention it, I have been wondering."

Princess Luna smiled mischievously,
"We decided that a large dose of the proverbial 'humble pie' would do her some good. We set her to work as a janitor cleaning the entirety of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She is free to leave at any time but we placed a nullifier collar on her horn to limit the amount of magic she has access to. If she faithfully works in the school for one full year we will review her progress and consider lifting the collar off her horn. She knows that if she tries to remove it by herself or have somepony else do so it will nullify her magic entirely until one of us restores it to her. I think she'll do well and I see her having it off in one year. She's not nearly as confident as she acts. She feels the need to belittle other ponies to make herself feel better when she's actually quite talented. I have to admit she developed a great deal of finesse and control over what magic she was born with and her current potential is quite good. She'll never equal Twilight but neither will Live Wire and he deals with it just fine."

"So what should we do about Valiant?" Trooper asked.

Princess Luna put her right wing over Trooper's shoulder,
"You already know the answer, you're just second-guessing yourself. Have some faith, Trooper. Follow your heart, as cliché as that sounds. You've followed your heart thus far in life and while you don't have your cutie-mark yet, you will find it. You did the right thing when you saved that mare from Trixie and you will do the right thing now."

Trooper nodded as if he had been expecting her answer,
"Thank you Pri. . . Thank you Luna. Till next we meet." he finished with a flourishing bow.

"Till next we meet Trooper." Princess Luna said, inclining her head slightly.

As Trooper galloped out of the throne room, Princess Luna sat back down on the throne,
"And good luck to you Valiant. We will meet again someday, my champion." she whispered.

*****************************

Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I am afraid I have yet to make your acquaintance, but rest assured I am a friend and we also share a mutual friend. Valiant has disappeared but we think we know where to find him. I am of the belief that we should meet in Ponyville as we have much to discuss, not the least of which is the location of our, afore mentioned, friend. I am being accompanied by four stallions and one filly all of which, I believe, will end up taking up residency in Ponyville on a long-term basis. We will arrive in seven days and we wish to meet you and the other Elements of Harmony as soon as possible afterward. We look forward to meeting you in person.

Sincerely yours,
Trooper

Chapter 1

The Trials of The Elements
Part 1

The chariot landed smoothly in the inner courtyard of the Royal Palace. Valiant helped Dr. Mend unload his suitcase and black doctor's bag. Valiant guessed the hour to be close upon midnight; the chariot had made remarkably good time.

Dr. Mend sighed and looked around,
"Canterlot," he sounded relieved, "It has been a long time since I set hoof here." he paused for a moment and looked around as if he was only just realizing where they were, "I wonder why we set down in the Royal Palace?"

Valiant glanced sideways at his companion, Dr. Mend. The good doctor was an older looking jet black Earth pony stallion with ice white mane and tail, both grown to lengths one might think would drag the ground. His mane and tail stood out in the moonlight, making him look more like a ghost than a living, breathing pony and his cutie-mark was that of a stethoscope with a scalpel and tweezers crossed behind it.

For Valiant, on the surface he appeared to be a young Earth pony stallion as well, probably in his late teens to early 20's at a glance. In truth he was 25 years old and a pegasus. He had lost his wings to a hungry bear some months previous. He was royal blue in coat and his mane and tail were light brown and worn long. His cutie-mark had only recently been given back to him by a particularly generous, perfectly groomed, white unicorn. The mark was of a gem rimmed mortar and jewel encrusted pestle with a mushroom, a root, and a flower inside then a trio of Dock leaves behind it.

The night was pleasantly cool and comfortable. The sky overhead was clear of clouds and a gentle wind blew almost constantly, cooling the four stallions in the Inner Courtyard of the Royal Palace.

Valiant surveyed the courtyard. The entire affair was circular, as far as he could tell. From one side to the other, Valiant judged the distance to be roughly 600 paces. Green, healthy plants grew in overabundance covering every wall. Tall trees, blooming flowers, and fruit-bearing plants surrounded the two stallions and their white pegasus escorts. The grass under hoof was soft and lush, like a gentle cushion for them to walk on. Fireflies lit the entire courtyard with a dazzling display of flashing lights while an orchestra of crickets chirped out a hypnotic melody that Valiant could only describe as chaotic, yet utterly melodious.

"It's so beautiful." Valiant said distantly, "Like the perfect dream you never knew you longed for."

"Times have indeed changed since my exile. At least one pony can appreciate the night." said a confident feminine voice from behind the two stallions.

Dr. Mend and Valiant turned slowly toward the voice. Behind them stood a dark blue, almost black alicorn with a mane and tail only just barely a few shades lighter. Adorning her hooves were a quartet of opaque crystalline slippers, around her neck hung a shining obsidian-link sash emblazoned with a crescent moon. Crowning her head, around her horn was a simple yet regal onyx tiara. She stood slightly taller than any adult mare but her voice indicated a regal confidence, one used to giving orders and having them followed. Her folded wings looked abnormally long compared to the rest of her body and her cutie-mark was that of a crescent moon.

Neither stallion harbored a single doubt about who they stood before. They both quickly bowed deeply to Princess Luna, muzzles pressed firmly to their hooves. The courtyard was silent for the briefest of moments before the prostrate stallions heard another set of hooves come running toward their position.

"Rise." the Princess of the Moon said simply.

Both stallions were quick to do as they were told. They saw a bright yellow unicorn mare, with veridian mane and tail setting up a writing table next to Princess Luna. The unicorn worked with precision and speed. In mere seconds she had the table set up with parchment, quill, and ink vial at the ready.

"Topaz, write down every word they say exactly." Princess Luna ordered the unicorn. Turning toward the two silent stallions she nodded, "Describe the Valiant-Mend Procedure and how to perform it in as great a detail as you are able."

Dr. Mend began the description, with Valiant adding bits as needed. Valiant didn't know the proper terms used between medical professionals so he happily allowed Dr. Mend to take the lead. After Dr. Mend had described it as accurately as he could, he asked the unicorn to repeat it back to him so he could make double sure everything was accurate. The entire time, Princess Luna simply stood by watching and listening. Valiant felt nervous, being so close to the Princess.

"Everything sounds good. I believe that's as good as it's going to get." Dr. Mend said after two run-throughs of the directions.

Princess Luna turned her head toward Topaz,
"Thank you Topaz. Take the document to the courier's office, have them copy it, and send a copy to every city, town, and village in Equestria with instructions that every medical practitioner is to have a copy by noon today. After you are done with that, have the scribes at the University put it directly into the Medical Curriculum by royal decree."

Topaz bowed deeply to Princess Luna then turned and sped off carrying the document in her mouth.

The Moon Princess turned her head and addressed the two white pegasus escorts who had flown the chariot,
"Thank you, you may depart." she said.

The two white escorts took to the air and sped away into the night. Valiant watched them go and longed to be able to fly again. He subconsciously flapped his nearly invisible wing stumps a few times, his body remembering the natural movement. Valiant realized what he was doing and stopped immediately. He dug at the ground a couple of times and snorted in aggravation, shaking his light brown mane around.

"Don't be rude!" Dr. Mend hissed quietly, "Remember you're in the presence of royalty."

Princess Luna cleared her throat,
"Ahem. Twilight Sparkle's letter indicated you both wished to provide personal instruction to the medical community regarding the Valiant/Mend procedure. Is that correct?" she asked.

"That is only part of the reason we are here your majesty." Dr. Mend began, "I can't speak for Valiant, but I'm here to catch up on recent medical breakthroughs."

Princess Luna nodded, apparently accepting Dr. Mend's explanation. She turned her head toward Valiant,
"I take it you are Valiant? What brings you here?"

"I'm here to learn about pharmaceuticals and alchemical formulas." Valiant said simply so as to not seem braggadocios.

Princess Luna regarded Valiant seriously for a brief moment before asking,
"To what end do you seek to study at the University?"

"I've made some discoveries about potions and salves and I want to learn more. I want other ponies to be able to benefit from what I've learned. After I've learned enough, I plan to buy a wagon and travel around from city to city to teach other ponies how to make potions for themselves." Valiant explained.

"How do you plan to fund this venture of yours Valiant?" Princess Luna asked.

"I was hoping to get a job at an Apothecary while I was studying at the University." Valiant said.

"Why not a pharmacy? You would make more money." Princess Luna ventured.

Valiant scuffed his right fore-hoof on the ground, his head slightly lowered,
"I have no formal education and I'm not certified. Besides, not everypony can obtain the types of ingredients needed for pharmaceutical drugs, but anypony can get a hold of apothecaric ingredients."

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow,
"So you plan to make your fortune selling your potions and knowledge as you travel?" she asked.

"No your majesty," Valiant said, "I plan to provide my wares free of charge, but be willing to accept donations."

"Why?" Princess Luna asked.

Valiant took a deep breath,
"Several ponies, including Dr. Mend here, provided for me when I had nothing. I want to pass that selflessness on to every pony I can."

Princess Luna gave Valiant's words some earnest thought before turning to Dr. Mend,
"Is he being truthful?" she asked.

Dr. Mend took a small step forward, toward the Moon Princess,
"I don't know. I can only tell you what I've witnessed from him."

"And what would that be?" Princess Luna asked.

"I've seen him look past his own feelings to do what he believes is right. I've also seen that he is willing to take any action he can, to help others, no matter the cost to himself, and I have personally seen him die to save somepony's life." Dr. Mend explained.

Princess Luna's gasp was nearly silent,
"He died?"

Dr. Mend nodded solemnly,
"From injuries he received while saving three little fillies and an older mare from a burning house. He suffered a shard of glass through his left lung and sustained second and third degree burns all over his body."

"You said he died though." Princess Luna repeated.

Dr. Mend nodded,
"Valiant was dead for a day and a half. A combination of one of his potions and the Valiant/Mend procedure brought him back. I will give him this much, he's a walking testimony to his own skills. He came up with the idea for the Valiant/Mend procedure. His potions work well too. The potion he took before dying, heals the body so effectively he doesn't even have any burn scars and by some miracle, the day and a half his brain was without air, he suffered no brain damage."

Princess Luna processed the information for several long minutes before moving on to the next topic,
"Twilight's letter also mentioned that you used to be a Vagabond yet you use your name freely. I take it you have been forgiven?" she asked.

Valiant nodded,
"Yes your majesty."

Princess Luna smiled warmly at the two stallions,
"Excellent. The current semester is half over. Enroll in the upcoming semester. That should give you ample time to get settled in. Your first semester will be paid for out of the royal coffers, also you will be staying in the dormitories. Your lodging, text-books and food will be paid for but only for the first semester as well. In regard to providing personalized instruction on the Valiant/Mend procedure to the medical community at large, I cannot authorize such an arrangement. I have however arranged to have you two speak about the new procedure in a series of sessions which will be held twice a semester. Each session will be four hours long and should provide ample time for you two to demonstrate how it is done and so forth. I've had a dormitory prepared for your arrival. If you will follow me, I'll show you the University." she said trotting away.

Valiant and Dr. Mend scrambled so as to not keep the Moon Princess waiting. They grabbed a bag each and trotted briskly behind the regal alicorn. Princess Luna wound her way through a dizzying series of corridors, hallways and chambers, but finally, the trio emerged onto the drawbridge of the Royal Palace.

Princess Luna indicated a series of buildings in the distance, with her left fore-hoof,
"The Canterlot University. Home to more than seven thousand students each semester. I have arranged for a carriage for you. It will take you to your dorm room." turning to the two stallions behind her, Princess Luna said, "I'm afraid I must go now. If you ever have need of anything simply request an audience with either Celestia or myself. I may be easier to reach though, Celestia is often busy. Farewell good stallions, may your work bring peace and prosperity to Equestria."
Princess Luna took to the sky with a grace and elegance neither stallion had ever witnessed before.

Valiant watched her go, wondering how she could have recovered so quickly from her 1,000 year ordeal as Nightmare Moon.

Dr. Mend nudged Valiant's side gently,
"Don't go getting any ideas about her Royal Highness now. She has plenty of things much more important than a pair of ordinary ponies like us, to take care of. Come on, let's get settled in."

Valiant reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the sky and followed Dr. Mend down to the carriage waiting for them.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Princess Luna landed on the tallest parapet of the Royal Palace and looked down at the two stallions entering the carriage, far below. She knew of the deeds that former Vagabonds were known for, and hoped she had made the right decision regarding Valiant, but he was not her concern. The jet black stallion Mend worried her to no end. She had seen something deep down in his soul, something she recognized, something she feared. He had a wound deep inside him that had been festering for many years. Something deep and terrible that had eaten away at him for almost his whole life.

Mend's issue was old and profound and the wound ran deep, poisoning him to the core of his being. Princess Luna could only hope that Valiant was up to the task before him. Mend needed healing, or his soul would shrivel up and die very soon.

"His pain is already taking its toll on his body. The most powerful magic in Equestria was not made to handle things such as this. The Elements of Harmony cannot save Mend. He needs something more geared toward his type of wound." Princess Luna said as she spread her wings and leaped from the parapet, "There are other Elements which need to awaken. It has been 1,000 years and they have slept for far too long. As Twilight is Celestia's champion, so too is Valiant mine." she said, then whispered a prayer to the citizens of Canterlot, "Awaken soon sleepers. I pray you, awaken soon."

Chapter 9

Trials of the Elements

Part 9

Valiant and Dr. Mend walked back toward their shared dorm room watching every alley and shadow nervously.

They were nearly back to the dorm when Valiant cleared his throat,
“We've been so busy lately, I haven't had the chance to ask you how your appointment with Sea Blue went. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked cautiously.

Mend drew in a shallow, shuddering breath, then exhaled it slowly,
“He showed me exactly how much resentment I have toward my mother. We didn't even start on my father or me yet. I had no idea I was so bitter. He told me to tell the voices in my head to stop whenever they pipe up. I've been trying all day. It hasn't made a bit of difference. I got sick last night when I was in the bathroom and I've been feeling sick all day. I don't know why.”

“When was the last time you ate anything?” Valiant asked.

Mend gave it some thought before answering,
“Come to think of it, it was yesterday morning.” Mend chuckled harshly, “I guess that explains the stomach problems. I've just been so busy I forgot to eat.”

Valiant looked squarely at his friend,
“I don't think it's just that though. I think it's stress too. When was the last time you had a vacation?”

“I don't take vacations Valiant. I don't . . . “ Mend cut himself off and took a deep breath, “Maybe I do need a break.” he said realizing his voice had started to rise.

Valiant was internally pleased at the effort Mend was making,
“Yeah you do.” he agreed quietly, “So, take a break tomorrow. How many bits did you bring with you?”

“A couple hundred, why?” Mend asked.

“Go into the clinic tomorrow and tell your boss you can't come in. Explain only as much as you have to. Afterward go do something that is nothing like work or work related. Go see a show, go to the park, go to the library, have a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, go sight-seeing. There's a whole city here at your disposal. We're in the capital of Equestria for crying out loud. Have you even taken time to just enjoy it?” Valiant asked.

“Well no. I've always been to busy.” Mend admitted.

“You have every opportunity to be free for several months. Take advantage of that. Go do whatever you want. Have fun.” Valiant encouraged.

Mend gave the idea some serious thought,
“I only just started at the clinic. It wouldn't look good if I asked for vacation so soon.”

“Do what your heart tells you to do. I won't ask you to compromise your morals, but you need some time for yourself. Focus on Mend. What does Mend WANT to do? What did you find fun when you were little?” Valiant asked.

“I honestly don't remember.” Mend said sadly.

“Then this is the perfect time to find out what you like! Try new things. A wise pony once told me that life is meant to be savored and enjoyed, not rushed and remembered. Big Macintosh doesn't have anything to do tomorrow. Why don't you go with him and see what Canterlot has to offer?” Valiant asked.

Mend's face seemed a little brighter,
“You know what? I will. I'll need you to show me where Live Wire lives before you go to work tomorrow though.”

Valiant smiled hugely,
“That's the spirit!” he said noticing they had arrived at their dorm building, “Live Wire told me the address, I'll write it down for you. Now, let's get some rest and tomorrow you get to start your vacation”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mend found Lemon Lime's house easily the next morning. He and Valiant had walked to the younger stallion’s work-place and Mend went on alone from there. Dr. Mend wore his saddle-bags in case he decided to buy something. Lemon Lime's home was nice. It was a large apartment set nearly against the very walls of Canterlot. Mend made his way up the stairs to the seventh floor where the smaller unicorn's apartment was and knocked on the door to number 7b. Lemon Lime opened the door looking like a house-wife. The yellow unicorn wore an apron with a mixing bowl floating in the air next to him.

Lemon Lime's face lit up when he saw Mend,
“Good morning doctor!” he piped, “Come on in.” he said opening the door for Mend.

Dr. Mend stepped in and took notice of the color-coated front room,
“Is Big Macintosh awake yet?” he asked his host.

“Nope. He wakes up on his own. I think he has an internal alarm-clock or something. I can't do it. I need the loudest alarm I can get. I'm a really heavy sleeper and a big eater. I always make a huge breakfast. Would you like some coffee? I just made a pot. It's good and strong, but I could make another pot if you like it weak. Breakfast will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Do you like biscuits? I love biscuits! I make a huge batch every morning. Did you know there are more than seventy-seven types of biscuits? Oh yeah, I also make a huge batch of fruit salad every evening for breakfast the following morning. I let it sit in a honey-based syrup overnight. That way, even if I end up with under-ripe fruit it's still sweet. Sometimes I make oatmeal too. I have some dry cereals as well if you want. My rule is, when you're here you're family. So if you see something you like, go for it, just make sure you tell me so I can get more if you use the last of it. Come take a look in my kitchen and tell me what you want. I'll make it in a jiffy.” Lemon Lime said in a matter of seconds.

Dr. Mend's eye twitched slightly,
“I see now, why everypony calls you Live Wire. I could hardly keep up with you.” he said pleasantly, strained, but pleasantly.

“Oh, no. That's because of my condition. I tend to go off on tangents all the time, but that's just because my mind works so much faster than a normal pony.” Lemon Lime explained.

Dr. Mend arched an eyebrow,
“I wasn't aware you had a mental condition. You don't seem to let it bug you too much.”

“It used to. I didn't have any friends until I ran into Valiant. I mean I literally ran into him. Since we've met, I've made a lot more friends. Evening Star, Big Macintosh, you, and maybe Trooper; I have plenty of friends now. I just have to learn how to interact without being overbearing.” Lemon Lime machine-gunned off.

“And maybe a little patience too.” Mend offered.

Lemon Lime shot the doctor a sidelong look,
“Why does everypony say that? I'm actually very patient. Do you know how patient you have to be to be a physical therapist? I mean really! Sometimes you have to work with a patient for years before they're healed. I have to be patient. You can't rush therapy, no matter what type it is. Injuries take time to heal, especially really deep ones. You have to be willing to give everypony time to work out at their own pace. I don't rush it, I can't afford to. For an example, take a pony who has broken their leg and needs therapy because they've been bed-ridden for weeks. Minor muscle atrophy sets in and they don't need too long before they're ready to go. Now on the other hoof, if somepony came out a coma after several years, they would need a lot of time. They would need help learning how to use every muscle again, and that can take years in itself, not to mention the exercise so their muscles are strong enough to work normally. Then to top it all off, they will need time to learn how to interact with others properly. The mind is a muscle of sorts too. Patience is a must, when dealing with any type of therapy. Some heal fast, others take a long time. It all depends on the individual.”

Dr. Mend was amazed at the depth of knowledge Lemon Lime had in regard to his work,
“You seem to be an expert in the field. I'll bet your boss loves you.”

Lemon Lime winked,
“Oh yeah. Dr. Avalon says I'm her favorite.”

“You work with Avalon?” Dr. Mend asked, following Lemon Lime into the kitchen.

Lemon Lime smiled over his shoulder as he plopped balls of dough onto a cookie sheet,
“Of course! Why else do you think she never pestered us about how late we were at the clinic last night?”

“I thought it was because I work there.” Mend admitted.

“Oh, so you're the new guy who has her tail all twisted huh?” Lemon Lime blurted without thinking.

Dr. Mend's ears stood up on his head, ram-rod straight and facing forward, listening intently,
“Really? What did I do wrong?” he asked concerned, “She never said anything to me.”

Lemon Lime blushed deep orange,
“I shouldn't have said anything. It isn't my business.” he said hurriedly, which for him really meant something.

Dr. Mend pressed for answers,
“Please tell me.” he asked, “I had no idea she was upset.”

Lemon Lime sighed, sliding the cookie-sheet into the oven,
“She isn't upset, per-SE. See, she mentioned to me that there's this new doctor at the clinic who's a real genius. She's hot-to-trot for him. She's dropped several hints, but apparently he isn’t interested. I was wondering who it was. I've never seen her go for anypony before. I always assumed she wasn't interested in a relationship. I guess she just has certain standards . . . “

“I had no idea.” Mend said quietly, “I have no experience with mares. I mean, none at all. What should I do?”

“Well, are you interested in her?” Lemon Lime asked.

Mend had to give the question some serious thought,
“I . . . I don't know.” he said honestly, “She's smart and she's really good at what she does, but it would be a violation for me to date her. She's technically my boss.”

Lemon Lime blew out an exasperated breath,
“That's not the question. The question is: Are you interested in her? Do you have a romantic interest with her or not?”

“I have no idea. Until recently, I didn't have an interest in anything except being the best a medicine.” Mend admitted.

Lemon Lime raised an eyebrow, as he leaned against the counted next to his fridge,
“I hope that wasn't your motivation.” he said evenly, “Competition is probably the worst reason to get into the medical field. You should do it because you want to help injured and sick ponies, not for your own ego.”

“You've known me for a day and you're already passing judgment on me?” Mend asked becoming defensive.

“Not at all.” Lemon Lime said, unperturbed, “What I'm saying is that it's a poor reason to get into it. I'm not accusing you of it, I'm just saying that maybe you missed your true talent. There are so many specialties in medicine you might have missed your real talent and just ended up settling for something else for the wrong reason. It's just a possibility. Look, we're getting off track here. Do you, or do you not have an interest in Dr. Avalon?”

“I need time to answer that.” Dr. Mend admitted honestly.

Lemon Lime smiled,
“Good answer.” he said opening the oven and removing the cookie-sheet, “Breakfast is ready. Take a look around, see if anything strikes your interest.” he offered.

“Ah wasn't expectin' to see you here doc.” Big Macintosh said from the kitchen doorway.

“Until last night, neither was I.” Dr. Mend said rummaging through Lemon Lime's fridge, “Big Macintosh, how do you feel about going with me today. I'm taking a day off and I could use some company. I've never had a vacation and I'm sure I could use some pointers, besides I don't hate your company.”

“Ah guess Ah could go with you doc. Ah didn't have any other plans.” Big Macintosh replied.

Dr. Mend opened one of Lemon Lime's cabinets and looked around until he found something that caught his eye,
“Cream of Wheat!” he said excitedly, “My mother used to make this all the time! I haven't had it in years. Could you show me how to make it Live Wire?” he asked.

Lemon Lime smiled hugely,
“Sure thing doc.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend was acting nothing like his normal self, as he and Big Macintosh sat down for lunch at an outdoor cafe. The two stallions had gone to take a tour of the Royal Palace and had even seen Princess Celestia holding court. They had walked around Canterlot until Dr. Mend spotted something that caught his eye. In one of the many groups of shops, they had found a bookstore. On a whim, they had gone in and taken a look around. They perused the selections slowly until Dr. Mend had found a section that caught his interest: Romance novels. The pictures on the covers drew his immediate interest. Images of beautiful mares locked in the intimate embrace of studly stallions made his mind go places it had never previously gone. His imagination began to churn out potential situations and scenarios that made him blush like a school-filly. With his interest piqued, he cracked open one of the books and began to read. It contained a type of adventure he had only ever rarely dreamed of. Dr. Mend purchased the book and noticed Big Macintosh waiting for him with a thick book of his own.

The two had decided to take lunch at the closest café, which happened to be across the street. Dr. Mend had been surprised to discover that the book his huge friend had, was an adventure novel. The two of them ordered their meals and enjoyed a pleasant late morning reading quietly. Dr. Mend tore into his book with reckless abandon, finding himself drawn to the main character. She was a seamstress who had devoted her life to her work, never taking time to look for a love interest. She was awkward and uncomfortable in social situations. Dr. Mend sympathized with her.

Despite the book's cover, Dr. Mend found it not so much steamy as heartwarming. Her love interest was a poor potato vender who had been attacked one day. She had taken him into her home and helped him recover. Dr. Mend easily realized the author had no idea what they were talking about regarding medicine, but the story was engaging and sweet. The two had an attraction for each other but both were too unsure to say something about it. The situation caused a lot of angst and unnecessary awkward moments. Eventually the stallion admitted his attraction and the two had begun an elegant courtship. Dr. Mend was in the middle of a particularly intimate scene when he heard Big Macintosh clear his throat.

Dr. Mend looked up from his book, face flushed,
“Did you say something?”

“Are you alright over there doc? You look like you're about to start sweatin'.” the huge Earth pony pointed out.

“Yes!” Mend said a bit louder than he had planned, “Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking.”

“Did you tell your boss you wouldn't be in today?” Big Mac asked.

Dr. Mend shot up, out of his chair like he had sat on a tack,
“Shoot! No, I didn't. I completely forgot!”

“Might be a good idea. You run along, Ah'll get the tab. Ah'll wait for you here.” Big Macintosh offered.

Dr. Mend laid his book on the table and took off like a shot, heading for Dr. Avalon's clinic. He arrived, completely out of breath. The nurse at the check-in desk stood up quickly, throwing him a worried look. Dr. Mend held up a hoof to forestall any questions or concerns, while he regained his breath.

Dr. Mend finally caught his breath and trotted up to the nurse, he couldn't remember her name,
“Is Dr. Avalon in?” he asked.

The nurse nodded,
“She came in a few minutes ago. Do you need me to page her, Dr. Mend?”

Dr. Mend shook his head,
“No, I'll find her, if that's alright.”

The nurse smiled warmly,
“Sure, go on in.”

Dr. Mend pushed open the doors to the examination rooms where Dr. Avalon received her appointments. He glanced at a clipboard hanging up behind the first nurse's station. Dr. Avalon was scheduled to see a patient in exam room 4, for a regular checkup. Dr. Mend left her a note that he was waiting in her office when she finished with the patient. He headed toward her office and sat down in the same chair he had before. He estimated he had half an hour to wait before she joined him.

His mind began turning. He realized the voices were absent. He wasn't working, but they were gone for the moment, 'Maybe it's hospitals and clinics that keep them away.' he thought to himself, 'That book was a nice change. I had no clue, ponies wrote about romance. Reading it was like a dream.' he began to imagine the story in his mind, piece by piece until he reached the scene where the two characters were sharing their first kiss. Without realizing it, he began imagining the mare was Dr. Avalon and the stallion was himself. The mental picture was . . . interesting. Dr. Mend found himself enjoying the scene playing out in his head quite pleasantly. He imagined the feel of Dr. Avalon's coat brushing up against his own, the caress of his lips on her neck . . .

The door opened suddenly, snapping Dr. Mend out of his day-dream. Dr. Avalon entered her office and looked Mend up and down, frowning somewhat.

She took a seat behind her desk and folded her hooves politely,
“Was there something you needed to talk to me about Dr. Mend?”

Dr. Mend cleared his throat, licking his lips nervously,
“Yes, there is.” he began, “I'm afraid I won't be coming in today.”

Dr. Avalon's face fell, her expression worried,
“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing's wrong. I just realized I've never taken a vacation. I'm . . . “ he trailed off as his brain snapped a decision into place, almost without his permission, “I'm afraid I have to tenure my resignation. I can't work here anymore.”

Dr. Avalon held her expression, but her voice gave away her concern,
“Why?” it sounded choked.

Dr. Mend sat up and decided he would continue the route he was already following,
“If I continue my employment here, I won't be able to date you without violating policy. Would you like to join me for dinner, once all this mess with the rogue unicorn is over?” the whole thing spilled out in a rush.

Dr. Avalon's face went from hurt to puzzled to delighted in a matter of seconds,
“Very well.” she said, regaining her composure, “You can still volunteer your time here, you know. And yes, I would be delighted to go with you.” she said, cracking a smile.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Big Macintosh watched Dr. Mend approach the cafe with the world's biggest grim plastered all over his normally dour face. Big Mac decided he liked seeing Dr. Mend happy. The older Earth pony sat down across from Big Macintosh and picked his book back up without saying a word.

Big Macintosh leaned over the table, toward Dr. Mend,
“Are you alright there doc?” he asked.

Dr. Mend looked up from his book,
“Oh yes, I'm fine. I quit my job.” Big Mac's jaw hit the table, Dr. Mend continued on, “Avalon and I are going out on a date whenever we finish with this whole issue with the crazy unicorn.” Dr. Mend said it all like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Big Macintosh blinked several times before he sat back in his chair, closing his mouth,
“Ah have to admit, Ah didn't see this commin' but Ah'm glad for you.” Big Mac cleared his throat and continued on, this was new territory for him, “Ifn it ain't too much to ask, what kind of traits should a feller look for in a mare? What was it that made Dr. Avalon attractive to you?”

Dr. Mend was surprised by the unusual question,
“As of yet, I have no idea. I haven’t taken the opportunity to get to know her outside of work. I may not end up having an attraction to her, but I realized . . . recently, that I have to take that chance or else I’ll never know.” Dr. Mend sighed and scratched the back of his head with his right hoof, “If I had more sense in regard to romantic matters I would probably have been married a long time ago. I suppose the best answer I can give you is that I don't know anything about Avalon except that she's a brilliant doctor. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; just trial and error I guess.”

The massive Earth pony mulled over Mend's words for several quiet minutes before he spoke again,
“Ah'm wantin' to get to know a couple of fillies around Ponyville. Do you know anypony who has experience with love? Ah can't stand the idea of rejectin' a filly before Ah've given her a chance and there’s been plenty who seemed interested.” he said bluntly.

“I can only think of one. Sea Blue has a daughter, he's sure to know more than I do, but he's never mentioned his wife. It might be painful for him. You could try asking your Granny Smith, she obviously has good experience.” Mend offered.

Big Macintosh nodded,
“That there's a good idea, Ah should have thought of it mahself. Speakin' of family, didn't you grow up here in Canterlot?”

All color drained from Dr. Mend's face,
“You know what Big Mac, there's somepony I need to visit. I'm sorry to cut out on you like this but I really have to go. I'll make it up to you, remind me. I'll meet you in Sea Blue's room at seven.”

Big Macintosh was puzzled, but he could always go back to the Tower Library and take another look at the tome about the Elements,
“Well then, Ah guess Ah'll see you later doc.” he said pleasantly.

Dr. Mend left twenty bits on the table and was gone in a flash, stuffing his book into hit saddle-bags.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

He ran hard and fast, remembering the location of his destination more clearly with each turn. The way had been burned into his memory long ago. He knew the way by heart. He was following his heart, letting it guide his hooves. He moved like the wind, with every step he became more and more aware of how much he needed to arrive. His heart beat hard and fast, his thoughts raced, memories rushing back to the forefront of his mind. He realized he was crying. He needed to be there. He had never realized how much he needed it. Tears flew off in the wind as he came around the final corner, bringing his destination into sight. He never slowed down, if anything his pace quickened. He was desperate, frantic. Thirty paces to his destination. He could make out every detail, it made his heart ache all the more. He called out to his destination, crying out in earnest, desperate to be received. Twenty paces, it hurt to see, but it was a hurt his spirit yearned for like his body yearned for breath. Ten paces, his senses were overwhelmed with memories. His whole body shook, he felt weak.

Mend stood, frozen in place, weeping silently, trying in vain to blink away the tears. His chest felt tight and his mouth felt dry. His mind began bombarding him with memories. Each subtle color, every scent refreshed his memory, making the memories come alive. The reminders of the past tore through him like a hot knife through butter. Regret and pain washed over him like a tsunami, tearing away every barrier and hard place he had worked so hard to erect over the years. The wave of raw emotion subsided, leaving behind a wonderful sensation. It was an emotion he had kept at bay, actively working against accepting its embrace. He felt lighter, as if years of accumulated dirt and grime had been washed away. For a brief moment Mend had no name for the foreign, but now welcome, intruder in his heart. Its presence opened the floodgates of his soul.

Mend collapsed, his hooves giving out beneath him, and sobbed brokenly. How could he have never come back? How could he have neglected to return to a place that meant so much to him? Mend slowly became aware of being touched. A presence surrounded him, holding him like he was no more than an illusion, a phantom in danger of dissipating in the wind. He weakly called out, his voice choked by tears. Years of anger fell away, leaving him feeling naked and vulnerable, like a newborn foal. He reached out, grasping the only solid thing around him. He held on tightly. He never wanted to let go ever again.

Mend had no way of knowing how long he stayed there. It could have been seconds or days for all he knew. He didn't care, nothing else mattered. He looked up at his anchor, his refuge. His vision slowly cleared. There, holding him on the porch were his grandparents. For the first time in his life, Mend saw through his misgivings and read the expressions accurately. There it was, shining like a beacon in the darkness, just like in his heart. He saw it and embraced it with all his soul, holding his grandparents tightly. What he saw was something he had missed terribly. Love.

The two older ponies held their grandson, once though lost to them. He felt whole. For the first time in his life for as long as he could remember, he felt whole. Mend heard a voice. It was a voice that could have come from a divine being. The voice was soft and choked with tears, but Mend heard it as clearly as the ringing of silver bells,
“Welcome home.”

Author’s note: If you happen to see the name ‘Reighniz’ in the message box on the right, that’s me waiting for real-time feedback, complaints, spelling error notifications, ect. If I’m there, feel free to chat. I LOVE talking to yall.