Ponyville Park roughly eleven am.

On a lone bench on the main path of the local park, a black coated unicorn wearing a red hoodie was looking around slowly, earlier several dozen ponies had passed by going along the different pathways in all respective directions to their daily rotines. The colt would run a hoof over the back of his blue mane slowly in thought, Could Night fury deleiver on her promise? Considering how strong willed Stream could be Spark wondered if she could truely get him to listen.
“Beg ya parden,” The sound of the cowpony drawl hit his ears. He turned seeing a mare he did not recognize right away,
“Morning,” He said calmly.
“What are ya'll doing here alone this early in the morning Mr.” She asked calmly.
“Waiting for somepony,” He said looking around again, as the blond maned Mare took a seat beside him on the bench.

“That's cool I guess, mind if I wait with ya?” He blinked confused.
“No, I suppose I don't,” He said confused looking at the mare from her cowpony hat, to her long thick tail. He noticed the trio of apples making up her cutie mark and remembered easily that the farm Sweet Apple Arces, was a prodominate piece of ponyvilles history and long running economics.
“So you are the unicorn from the other day if I recall, the one who helped that injured shadowbolt.” She said there was a hint of eager curosity that got Spark's attention.
“Yes, I am, and you are?” Applejack smiled lifting her hat.
“Name is Applejack head of Sweet Apple Arces, I saw you save that stallion's life and I must say, I am mighty impressed.” Spark felt a slight flush rise across the back of his neck as he coughed against the side of his hoof calmly.

“Nothing to be impressed about, it was simply the right thing to do, anyone with my medical trianing would of, and should of done the same.” Applejack smiled lightly, a modest unicorn, she sure did like meeting more of those.
“So, why are ya'll sitting here alone? Just who are ya'll waitin' for?” Spark looked at her calmly, as she smiled at him her green eyes showing brightly in the morning rays.
“Oddly I feel no harm in telling you,” He said calmly as Applejack nodded,
“Well I am not the element of honesty for nutin' if ya'll need to get something off your chest then I am the pony to see.” Spark nodded, feeling something like that about her.
“Well, I am waiting for, hopefully, my younger brother, and his second in command.” Applejack blinked,
“Well you sound oddly hopeful like you all ain't sure they are going to show up.” Spark would nod slowly,
“That is, exactly what is going on, I have not seen my brother in years, I am hoping that Night fury can, follow threw and bring him to me, if he will listen.” Applejack perked an eyebrow up slowly,

“Now why would ya'll seem so worried? I mean ya'll are family right?” Spark felt a frown slowly fall his lips looking down.
“Sadly we are the only family either of us have left, and because of events beyond my knolowage or control, my brother hates me.” Applejack felt her jaw slack and nearly drop open in shock. How could any pony come to hate their own brother? Family was ment to stick together through the best and the worst.
“Now why is that? Ta me that seems just wrong. Family is suppose to stick tahgether.” Spark looked at her nodding
“Yes, but because of the town we where in, after my parents passed they tried to hide it from me, wanting me to focus on my education in canterlot, but nopony informed my brother of this, so he thought I wasn't coming back cause I wanted to learn more then I wanted to be with him...” Aj clenched her jaw,

“What in tarnation kind of backwards stupid thinkin' is that! If ya parents had died they should tell ya! It ain't right to do thato anypony specially if he has family who need them!”
“I Agree” Said another mare as a pair of Pegasi neared wearing black and purple full body uniforms. The face hoods pulled down and back allowing the black wild blue maned colt, and the smoked yellow blue fire maned filly stand there as the two on the bench turned ot them. Cosmic Spark got off the bench and neared them slowly.
“Wow... you have grown so much sense I last saw you...” He felt pain in his chest

Stream would nod feeling weird, last he saw spark the older unicorn was towering over him having hit puberty, but now he sat a good two or so inches taller then his own older brother before suddenly hugging him knocking the two to the ground. Stream let tears fall from his eyes as Spark slowly hugged him gently rubbing his upper back gently
“It's okay bro, i'm here, it's going to be okay,” the two mares where smiling Nightfury was sad to see Stream breaking down but Applejack was just glad to see a happy ending for the two. After a few minutes to calm down properly standing up Stream inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly,
“Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,” He was not sure how to start this. Spark inhaled,

“I understand the idea that I could fix this is, not easy, cause of how doctors have failed to do more then just tell you are doomed, but I have put my life into this brother, I will not be content if I do not get to try to save you.” Stream nodded tears returning to his eyes as Spark gently brushed them away. “I would like to take this to the hospital, if you are okay with it.” Stream slowly nodded as he and night fury got their saddle bags properly as they began to move as Spark turned
“You are welcome to follow miss Applejack,” He said smiling as they began heading ot the local hospital, Applejack would get off the bench and follow.

Spark was sitting with his brother having talked with the local doctor about what it was he needed, and what it was he planned to do, Applejack at watched more then heard and noticed said doctor was very uneasy about what ever it was Spark was asking for, but he eventually relented to Sparks request. Stream was fiddling some having removed his shadowbolt uniform night fury packing it in her saddlebag for now.
“So yeah, thats why I left home,” Said Stream having been explaining how he felt everypony was smothering him, and had left him to believe Spark had choisen his education over coming home. Spark would rub his back as Stream laid his head down slowly on his forlegs.
“I am truely sorry Stream, I,” He got cut off by his younger brother,
“For what? You didn't know, this isn't your fault Spark, as much as I thought so at first, those letters, and Nightfury... I understand now that you had no clue, if anything, I am sorry. I am sorry I doubted you and ever thought you where putting education before family...” Spark gently laid his head over Streams neck gently,

“Yeah... I suppose you are right.” The two smiled confortable together as the two mares smiled Nightfury gently rubbing Streams side being with him as Aj was in a chair.
“So, bro, how exactly is this, whole, saving me thing going to work?” Asked stream as spark got up slowly opening his bag and pulling out the box that gave off the heart beat as the 3 of them blinked. Stream felt weird Nightfury was just confused and Applejack wasn't sure if this was even real.
“Yes this is what you all probably think it is, it took a lot of study to find magic that could substain a organ outside of a living pony, whichi think is why the operations are a lot harder to succeed at the first few I had.... I have worked hard at this, to refine this art not only for you brother, but for the betterment of equestria medical science...” Stream was a little weirded out as spark would then take out some sort of drawing utenzial,

“please roll over.” he said calmly as Stream slowly did blinking,
“what is that?” He asked pointing at the thing,
“Oh, it's a magic marker. Why do you ask?” Stream looked at him increjulously,
“Seriously? A magic marker?” Spark was rubbing the back of his head,
“What? Is there a problem with that?” Stream facedhoofed,
“Somewhere out there somepony is getting the joke.” The other three where a little confused as Applejack kinda found it funny the magically held and fueled art tool had magic in its name.
“Well then,” Spark gave a cough against his hoof getting back on topic,
“The key issue with this kind of surgary has always been the ribs,” He carefully drew a magic line across Streams chest from left to right.

“The barrel shape, and the over all healing manner makes it impossible to simply remove them, reach for the heart, or lungs if that was your target, and then put them back to heal. Because the ribs are needed for the contractions of inhale, and exhale of air, such a move will make properly breathing very difficult if neigh impossible.” He said as They listened.
“So what I have developed is a way to see through the ribs,” He pulled out a pair of goggle like, things, they had a simple but tight strap to fit to the back of his head, and looked like a pair of mini backwards telescopes cluged to a thick eye shade you would use during sleep.
“Of course this device only works with, well, magic.” he said sighing.
“Now why yah being down about that?” Asked Applejack which was a thought shared by the two pegasi in the room.

“Well, mostly because it means that this can only be done by Unicorns, and being someone who perfers the unity and progress of Equestria, it feels as much a step backwards as it does progressive because of this.” Stream shrugged,
“So what, I mean pegasus can fly unicorns do magic, and earth ponies are able to do work that would break the other 2, has kinda been that way all this time bro, even if it has never hindered some jobs from being cross species, some things just have to be, the others lack what that 1 has.” Spark laughed lightly,
“I go away for nearly a decade and you become all introspective and insightful and stuff, and here I was hearing you where just the same old adventure seeking young colt you where when we where foals.” The unicorn would put the goggles down smiling as he put an X over his heart and then drew a line to his neck slowly,

“Back on topic” He coughed.
“The heart has 4, to put it simply, paths that help it pump blood in and out, though that is basic anatomy, the problem is reachign them.” Night fury nodded,
“Even if you can see it, how do you get at it?” Spark nodded,
“I have to open up a way into the rib cage, here, at the buttom fo the neck, to allow the tools in, once they are in my magic will have gotten inside, From there I can apply the clamps and cut the pathways, and use magic to teleport the old heart out, in one move, then bring the new heart in, and use magic to reattach the pathways, and unclamp them, this part however is something that is very time spesific, if I dont properly heal all the paths onto the heart while it is still beating, it will begin to fail and there is no garentee it will restart with eletric shock magic.” He said as the unease in his voice was creeping in. Stream slowly nodded before groaning as spark gently put a hoof on his chest, feeling the heart straining.

“I trust in ya big bro... You put a lot of thought and work into this... and,” He sat up as the marks from the marker vanished as he hugged his big brother tightly.
“If, it does not work, atleast you tried, and you will be able to use this for other ponies... I am lucky to even be alive for you to find me, so I am glad I managed to hold out long enough to see you again.” Spark felt tears running down his face hugging his younger brother.
“I need to have them prepair the O.R. So, I need to get up.” He said as they slowly let go as Nightfury would sit with Stream conforting him gently with a wing over him as Spark stood up gathering his materials slowly.
“I will have a nurse come and fetch you when the time is ready, just try to relax and take it easy.” He walked off as Stream would kiss Nightfury's cheek.
“I want you to know, what ever happens, to move on if, well...” She cut him off with a kiss gently parting their lips as she smiled weakly.
“It will go fine Stream, I know it will, I will be here when it is over okay?” She felt her heart in her throat trying to stay strong for him, knowing the idea alone had to be terrifying him worse then it was her. Applejack could only try to fully understand not only what Spark was talking about but what this must feel like for all involoved. Spark would prepair the Operating room quietly, there was no backing down now though.

Stream laid there his wings and legs carefully pinned by restrains as the face mask had him fast asleep thanks to the gas.
“Okay Ponies, this is going to probably be one of the hardest things you have ever done, and I thank you all for joining me on this task.” He said to the fellow surgeon and 2 nurses that he had gained the support from. He started slowly cutting the buttom and top of streams neck carefullly, then cutting a line down and opening the way up, exposing his wind pipe and vocal cores. He slowly used his magic to move the first tools through the gap that now appeared, into his rib cage slowly, not wanting to risk a stray cut on anything.

“I am in, nurse, clamps,” He said calmly as the nurse brought the tray with the 4 clamps that he would use his magic to lift up and bring in though the top of the rib cage as he carefully latched them around the Arteries cutting blood flow to and from the heart.
“Clamps are secured, beginning to server the heart.” he said as they watched best they could as Spark felt the scaple slowly cut each of the Arteries as he wrapped the heart with his magic and focused teleporting the still beating muscle out as one of the nurses nearly fainted as the surgeon had to cover his mouth a bit in shock as the muscle was losing its speed quickly as it had no blood and now no eletrical current, Streams body began to shut down. He ploped the old muscle into the tray as he manually picked up the box that still gave the rythmic sound of a freash heart. He opened it using his magic to lift it out as it squirted a bit of the blood from its container around getting it on Sparks surgeon gown.

“What a mess” he said as he focused, he had to be careful warping the new heart in, one inch to far, he could hit the lungs, or merge it with the ribs themselves, screwing all his work up. It vanished in a flash as he felt it in his brothers chest.
“Begining to graft the Arteries to the new heart.” he said uneasily, this was always the dangerous part, as the new heart was still beating strongly he had to carefully use his magic to merge its tissue with the previously servered arteries. One, Two, Three, Spark was going cold and the heart was slowing down. “Come on bro, just a little longer, don't leave me now.” he said merging the last one. Oh man the heart was losing speed fast as he losened the clamps in hopes that freash blood would. No. something was wrong, it stopped! He quickly removed the clamps from the arteries to get blood flow and retrived them and his tools from the ribs through the entrance in the neck as he grabed a pair of stones from his saddle bag that had eletrical energy flowing in them rubbing them together.

“Clear!” he pressed them on his brothers chest as a shock ran through him making his chest jolt upward. Spark didn't hear his heart beating rubbing them again with his magic trying to get a stronger charge,
“Clear!” Shock! This couldn't be happening, not like this, he had come so far, was so close!
“Stream don't leave me!” Panic filled the unicorns tone as he tried again....

To be continued.

Author's Note

The end of From the Shadows, but that is not The end of the story, comments still welcomed.