The rooster sounded and his ears flicked back to listen as it crowed. He heard Sasa growl as he gave a low groan. “I really hate that bird.” He said aloud. Magic flowed over him as he gripped the blanket and tossed it back as he pushed himself to his hooves. Pain tore through his back and sides as he gasped and dropped to his knees. Sasa was by his side a moment later as he panted for a moment.
“Chosen!”
Oblivion panted as he waited for it to pass. “Easy girl.” He whispered to her. He inhaled slowly and got to his hooves and moved away from the bed, pushing Sasa gently out of the way. “I’m okay. I moved too fast.” The tiger mewed at him as he waited for his body to relax a bit before he moved further. A hard knock went through the room as the door opened, Applejack put her head into the room to look at him.
“Ah heard something hit the ground. Ya okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Just very sore.” Oblivions aid to her as he reached for his swords.
He pulled the baldric onto his back but he cringed out from under the weapons. He laid them back on his back and he pulled them up, unable to let them sit in place.
“Ya might wanna leave them off fer the day.” Applejack said to him.
“Dammit.” He muttered as he opened the wardrobe and set then inside of it.
His magic flowed as he locked the wardrobe to secure them. He raised his head up and he winced as his neck popped. The muscles across his back tightened and he winced as they pained him as well. The Witcher looked up and he saw that Applejack was watching him closely, her eyes held concern.
“I’ll be fine. Just sore and stiff.”
Applejack looked at him. “Just take it slow and easy. Ah think Ah’ll take Apple Bloom ta school. No arguin’. Ta are in a bad way and it will hurt ya more ta move about. Ah need ta get ya yer pain killers anyway. Which ya need by the look ah ya. How long can ya go without a meal of meat?”
Oblivion stood in silence as he considered her question. “It’s been a couple of days so maybe a couple of days more.”
“All right. Come down when yer ready. Take it slow today.”
Oblivion nodded and waited as the mare left the room. He waited for her to be gone before he moved further. His shoulders were stiff and a dull ache went through him with each step. “Must be from flying.” He commented to the feline.
“That was the first flight for you?” Sasa asked him.
“Yes. I copied Rainbow’s knowledge of flight and how it works, so I knew how to fly I just had never done it before.” He explained as he stepped out of his room as Apple Bloom came down the hallway.
He watched as she stopped and her eyes went wide at the sight of the bandages on his girth. Fear showed in her eyes as he looked at him. “It’s all right Apple Bloom I stopped a monster from coming into Ponyville and it got a lucky hit. Applejack will be taking you to school today.”
She looked crestfallen at his words but she nodded in understanding as he finished explaining what had happened to him. The filly walked past him to the stairs and trotted down them to the kitchen below. He reached the top of the stairs and he looked down them, considering the angle that he would have to hold to go down them. He made a slight noise before he took a step down and his back, shoulders, and side cried out for him to stop. He looked back at the feline behind him, she looked down at the stairs and then back to him.
“Chosen?”
He looked back down the remaining steps and then back to her. “Can you grab my tail and pull me back till I have all four hooves on the landing? I am not walking down these stairs.”
The feline stepped back and her teeth gripped into his tail. She leaned back on her haunches and slowly pulled his tail until he was back on the top of the stairs. She waited till he was steady before she dropped his tail and waited. His body lit up as magic flowed over him and he teleported to the bottom of the stairs. She chuckled quietly as she bounded down the steps after him. He stood by the table as he considered sitting down by the table in his usual place.
“Not going to sit down?” Sasa questioned.
“Do you think I could easily stand back up?” He questioned.
“Oh… That’s a good point.” She agreed.
He looked behind him as Mac came down the steps and he moved to the side to avoid the red pony. Mac paused at the sight of the bandages on his body. The red stallion looked from the wrap to him and then back to the bandages.
“Applejack mentioned that ya got hurt, but Ah didn’t think it was this bad.” He commented.
“To me, it isn’t. But other ponies disagree with me.” The Witcher replied.
Oblivion was having to remind himself that he had actually taken a bad hit from the Ursa Major and that he was now paying for it. His body complained at the slightest movement. He turned to leave the kitchen when a hoof gripped his tail and he stopped in place.
“No, ya don’t.” Applejack said to him. “Yer gonna stay in here fer a moment. Granny wants ta talk to ya.”
“Oh no,” Oblivion grumbled under his breath.
He flicked his ears as the old mare started down the stairs. He looked over his shoulder to the stairs as she got to the bottom of the stairs, her eyes settling on the Pegasus.
“Ya got yerself in trouble again? What did ya do this time?” She asked as she walked up to him.
“I stopped an Ursa Major from hitting Sasa.” He told her, his voice flat.
The green mare looked at the Spectral Tiger, who hung her head. “Ya did?” He nodded in reply. “Well, ya saved her then. Ah’m proud o’ ya.”
Oblivion’s head spun to look at her, even as pain raced through his neck at the action. “Pardon?”
“Ya did a brave thing protectin’ ‘er. Not many ponies woulda jumped in front of a big critter.” She said as she gently put a hoof on his shoulder, careful to keep her touch light. “Ya care bout ‘er. Ah’m proud of ya fer acting as ya did. Ah, maybe upset that yer hurt but Ah understand why.” The old mare walked up to his neck and wrapped her hooves gently around his neck. “But be careful ya hear? As proud as Ah am, Ah hate seein’ ya hurt.” She said and released him to go to the table.
Oblivion stared at the old mare for a moment before he turned to walk outside. His ears flicked back as Applejack spoke up in his wake. “Hey, Mac? Can ya take Bloom ta school while Ah got get the pain killers from the Doc? Ah think ‘e needs ‘em.”
“Eeyup.”
Oblivion listened to them but didn’t comment. He walked out to his usual tree and stood under it. The Witcher let his body lean gently against the tree trunk as he waited in silence. He closed his eyes for a moment before he opened his eyes and looked to the side as a purple light came into view. He recognized it to be Twilight and he stayed still as she approached. He watched as they came through the gate and her purple eyes landed on him and Spike waved from her back. He leaped off her back and ran up to the Elder Witcher.
“Wow. You really are all bandaged up.” Spike said to him.
“Brilliant observation Spike.” Oblivion deadpanned to the baby dragon.
Twilight snickered as she reached him as well. Her magic gripped her saddlebags and set them on the ground close by him. “How are you this morning?”
“Sore and stiff if I am being honest.” He replied to her.
“That bad?”
“That bad.” He conceded.
“It must be bad if you’re admitting to it.” She said as she drew up close to him. “Are you sure you should be outside leaning on a tree instead of being on a soft bed?”
“I’m okay to move a bit. Nothing strenuous.” He stopped when AJ came out of the house and broke into a lope as she went by him.
“Ah’ll be right back with yer medicine.” She hollered as she went by.
He nodded as she went through the gate. He kept watching as a royal purple light came into view and he watched as Rarity came into view. She was carrying something in her magic as she approached him. She paused at the sight of him. She had been present the night before but she had left with Rainbow before the wounds had been seen.
“Oblivion darling! What happened to you?” She cried out as she neared him.
“He fought an Ursa Major that was coming into town after the baby that the colts drew into town. It would have left Ponyville in ruins if it had not been stopped, he drove it back into its cave. It tried to hit Sasa but he jumped into place and took the hit for her. Applejack and I took him to the hospital to get him patched up.” Twilight explained to the white mare.
Sasa came out of the house and joined him and the mares. “What can I do for you Rarity?” Oblivion asked her.
“I was hoping you could send this letter for me.” She said to him and held it aloft. “Blue Blood could use more encouragement from me and I made another letter for him.”
Oblivion called on his magic and it rolled over him and gripped the letter from her magic. A second later a flash of aqua magic went out as it vanished. “Sent.” He said to her.
“Thank you, dear.” She said with a smile. “You should lay down and get some rest.”
“I know. But I have no desire to lay down since I am not certain that once I do lay down that I will be able to get up from the ground.” He admitted.
Twilight grimaced and nodded. “Well, Applejack went to get the medicine from the pharmacy.”
“Pain killers.” Oblivion clarified as he leaned on the tree.
“Oh my. Well, I hope you feel better dear.” Rarity said as she excused herself and left them behind.
Twilight and Spike stayed close by him as they waited for Applejack to return. Mac came walking out of the house with Apple Bloom, who ran over to the Witcher and hugged his lower leg for a moment they left for the schoolhouse. Spike leaned against one of his legs while they waited for the farm mare to come back. They didn’t wait long before she galloped through the front gates and headed for them, a small bag gripped in her teeth. She came to a stop close by them and she took the bag from her mouth and held it in her hoof as she walked up to them.
“Okay. Ah got ya covered.” She reported and stopped close by them. “Ya need ta take one o’ each o’ these in the morning and night. One is the antibiotic ta keep away infection and the other is fer pain.” She opened each bottle and pulled out a small pill from each one and held them out to him.
“Ya might want water to down them with,” Twilight advised as he looked at the two small pills.
“Do I need it?”
“It makes it easier, I think.” She replied.
“Very well.” His magic flowed over him as he summoned a glass of water.
He took the two pills from the farm mare and tossed them both into his mouth and then swallowed a mouthful of water to push them down his throat. He knew that for the most part infection was not something he was worried about at that point. The wounds had been cleaned and due to his natural resistance to poison and other afflictions he was sure he would have been fine but he understood their desire to have him medicated. He sent the empty glass back to the kitchen and he saw them both smile as he swallowed the medication he had been given.
“There ya go. That should help ya.” Applejack said to him.
Minutes ticked past him as the mares seemed to be waiting for it to take effect. “Not sure how long it will take to go into effect,” Twilight said to him.
“Not long.” He replied. “My metabolism will run through it fairly fast if my experience tells me anything.”
“How long do you think it will last then?” She asked.
“I am not sure. How long should it last?” He questioned.
“Eight hours.” Applejack said to him as she looked at the pill bottle.
“Hmm, maybe half that.” He said to them.
Several more minutes ticked past and he raised his head slightly as the pain he had been enduring began to fade. Twilight saw the change in his posture and she smiled.
“It kicked in?”
“Yes, I believe so.” He said to her.
“That’s good. Now ya can lay down and rest.” Applejack said to him.
Applejack left them where they were and went into the house. He lowered himself carefully to the ground and flicked his tail to land over his hooves as he folded his legs to lay under him. The cat nuzzled him as she came to stand by his head. He lowered his head to the ground and laid it across his folded legs.
“Chosen? Are you alright?” Sasa asked as she moved to lay down beside him.
“I’m fine Sasa. Just tired.” He said aloud and Twilight grinned while the cat laid down.
Twilight gave a quiet giggle as she nodded. “I am pretty sure most medicines like the ones you just took have a side effect of causing drowsiness.”
“Yup.” Applejack said to them as she approached them with a blanket and pillow laying across her back. “Ah thought it might so Ah checked the bottle and it had that warning label on it. Ah figured Ah should get these fer ya so ya can take a nap outside.”
She unfurled the blanket and laid it across his back and over his tail. He raised his head as she placed the pillow under his chin and he laid his head back down on it. She gave his shoulder a gentle pat when she was sure that he was comfortable. The purple mare laid down with him and she pulled two books from her saddlebags. She set one of them down on the grass and used it as a prop for the one she wanted to read.
Oblivion glanced sideways at her. “You don’t have to sit here with me. I’m sure you have better things to be doing.” He commented to her.
Twilight gave him a kind look before she shook her head. “Better than sitting here with one of my best friends who was hurt protecting the town and his companion? Hardly. Nothing I have on my schedule is more important than this.” She assured him.
The black stallion said nothing in reply to her for several seconds as he watched her. “Very well.” He said to her as he looked ahead of him once more.
He closed his eyes for several seconds as he relaxed on the soft grass. Beside him, Sasa gently rubbed her head on his shoulder as he managed not to groan at her. The Witcher allowed himself to remain still as he felt fatigue building up and he looked away from the farmhouse he had been staring at and down to the ground in front of him. His mind began to fade as he laid still and he allowed his eyes to close.
“Get some rest Chosen. You have earned it.” Sasa said to him as she ran her rough tongue over his neck. He gave a slight groan in reply as he felt himself fall into sleep.
His eyes opened slowly as a bite of pain jarred him from sleep. He saw Sasa asleep next to him and Twilight was reading her book as Spike laid against her side. He was a bit surprised to see her still at his side. He would have thought she would have left once he had fallen asleep. Though when he thought about it he wasn’t as surprised that she had remained. He slowly raised his head and a hiss of pain escaped him as his neck popped when he moved. Twilight looked over at him and waited for him to stop moving.
“Are you all right?” She asked him, her voice gentle.
Oblivion looked over at her and gave a slight nod in reply to her. “The soreness is coming back.” He stated to her and the mare gave him a concerned look. “So I’m finding that I can’t move as easily I would like.” He admitted to the purple Unicorn as Sasa got to her paws and nuzzled his head gently.
“Do you think another pain killer would help?” Twilight asked him.
“As nice as that would be don’t they have a time limit on them?” He questioned.
She looked thoughtful for a moment before a determined look crossed her face. “Applejack saw the bottle. We need to ask her.” She said as she started to stir, but a look at Spikes sleeping form gave her pause.
Sasa gave him a gentle nuzzle and then moved away from him. “I will be right back Chosen.”
Oblivion nodded at her and then looked at Twilight. “She will find her.”
Twilight smiled as the cat loped away from them. “Don’t move too much. We will just wait until AJ gets back here.”
“How long was I asleep?” He questioned as the cat vanished from sight.
Twilight thought about it for a moment before she replied. “About four hours, give or take a few minutes.”
“Longer than I thought,” Oblivion said as his eyes widened slightly.
“That’s not too shocking in my opinion.” She said to him as he looked at her. “We were up late getting your wounds tended and you still woke early today. So I’m not surprised that you fell asleep so quickly. With the help of a strong pain killer, you fell asleep easy anyway.”
He gave a light chuckle at her comment and looked back the way Sasa had left. The bones in his neck were grinding as he moved but he ignored the discomfort. Minutes ticked past as Applejack and Sasa came into view and he simply watched them approach.
“Ya woke up. Ah been by a couple o’ times ta check on ya and ya were fast asleep.”
“Did you need me for something?” He asked the orange mare.
“Nah. Ah was just checkin’ on ya. Though Twilight has been staying wit’ so Ah might not have need ta.” She replied.
“His fast metabolism might be working against us Applejack,” Twilight said to her and the other mare waited for her to explain. “I think the pain killer that should have lasted for another four or more hours has already worn off.”
Applejack looked at him as he grimaced and he moved his legs under him. “Yer startin’ ta hurt some?” He said nothing in reply and she nodded. “Ah’ll go ta the hospital and ask about another one.
“Ah fergot all about how fast ya work through things.” The orange mare said to him as she broke into a gallop and left them behind.
“No, it's fine… Gods dammit.” He said and a deep sigh pulled from him as she galloped through the gate.
Twilight looked sympathetically at him as he grumbled under his breath about the fuss. “You know she was gonna go anyway. Soon as we mentioned that the pain killer had worn off. Hopefully, the doctors have an idea for how to get you through until the next time you need to take one. In the meantime why don’t you put your head back down and relax? You looked as though your neck was bothering you earlier.”
“It’s nothing to worry about.” He said as he put his head slowly back onto the pillow. Sasa laid down and rubbed her head on his shoulder as Twilight went back to her book. “Perhaps I can use magic to heal my own injuries?”
Sasa looked at him as his question reached her. “No.”
“No?”
“No. The World Spirit can heal anything that is attached to it. You healing others means you heal them through that connection. It should in theory also work on you but as its wielder, it can’t go back as it were.”
“So it can’t work?”
“It’s actually possible that it would make things worse.”
Oblivion gave a low grumble but acquiesced to the Tiger's logic. He glanced at the gate as Applejack loped through hit with another small bag gripped in her teeth. Twilight heard her hoofbeats and looked up as the other mare slowed to a walk and walked toward them. Oblivion started to raise his head but stopped when the grinding echoed in his ears. “I’m beginning to think I need to get that looked at.”
“Okay. Ah got ya taken care of. The doc said that the medicine we have is okay ta take more often but he said at most every six to seven hours. But he also gave me one that you can use as needed when ya are out and about wit’ us.” She said as she showed him the small bag.
Twilight was quiet as she looked at the black pony. “Well, that takes care of that for you.”
Applejack opened the bag and pulled out a small pill bottle for him to see. He glanced at it and she pulled one pill out for him as Twilight summoned a glass of water for him. He was fairly certain that he didn’t need water to swallow them but it seemed to make the mares feel better when he used water. He swallowed the pill and the water with it while Twilight took the glass from him and it vanished in her magic.
Oblivion sighed and looked to the sun. It was early afternoon if he had to guess and he laid in silence as Twilight went back to her book as Spike continued to snore. Time went by him and he felt the pain fade and he relaxed a bit under the blanket. Sasa watched over him and nuzzled him occasionally. He looked to the gate as his ears picked up on Apple Bloom running through the gate with Mac on her heels. The filly ran up to Oblivion and stopped in front of him.
“How are ya doin’?” She asked the black Pegasus.
“I’ll be fine little one.” He assured her. “In time.” She looked unconvinced and sat down by his head. “Sasa can you take her to play?” He thought to the cat who stood up and she walked to where Apple Blooms ball sat by the house.
The cat batted the ball until it bumped in the filly’s tail. The filly looked at the big cat and a smile went over her muzzle as she got to her hooves and got up to play with the cat. His wings flicked against his sides as he allowed them to slip from their position on his sides to the ground. He watched as Sasa and Apple Bloom played with Sasa batting the ball further away from the filly and then chasing after the filly and batting at her hooves, causing Apple Bloom to erupt in giggles.
“Thank you.” He thought to the cat as they played.
Twilight watched them and a smile went over her mouth as she looked sideways at him. “That’s so cute.” She said as she turned her head to look at him, a smirk on her muzzle. “You asked her to get the filly away from you didn’t you?”
Oblivion said nothing as he looked at Twilight a wink telling her all she needed to know. The mare giggled and she hid her laugh behind a hoof as Mac approached them. Mac came to stand by his head and he looked down at the injured pony.
“Ya all righ’ layin’ on the ground?” The red pony asked.
Oblivion glanced up at him and gave a light shrug. “Will have to be for now. I have no intention of moving.”
“Can ya move?”
“Slowly,” Oblivion replied. “I have no desire to test it right now though.”
“Call me when ya gotta move. Ah, don’t want ya pullin’ stitches or nothin’.” Mac said to him.
Oblivion started to raise his head to nod when pain went through him and he simply let it fall back to the pillow and he gave a slight nod from that position. “Got it.”
Mac nodded and walked back to the orchards behind them. He saw Twilight watching him out of the corner of his eye.
“Are you all right? Aside from the obvious.” She said and then amended her statement at the blank look from the Pegasus.
“I’ll live.” He said and she gave him a stern look. He opened his mouth to assure her that he was fine and nothing was wrong but something gave him pause. He sighed and chose to be honest with her. “My neck is bothering me.”
The mare looked at her book and then back to him. “Is it grinding or something like that?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Is it just the sound of grinding or the pain itself?”
“A bit of both.” He replied after a moment of thought.
“Whole neck?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, so you need an orthopedic doctor.”
“A what?”
“An orthopedist. They specialize in bones. If they think that you need something realigned then they are the ones to do it. They might prescribe physical therapy to help or they might recommend a chiropractor since the issue with you is not something that is chronically long term.” She explained.
He raised an eyebrow and she looked at the book in front of her. She pulled the second book out and he saw that it was a book on anatomy and bone structure. He nearly rolled his eyes as she looked sheepish.
“Read up on this, haven’t we?” He teased.
“Only a little bit. I figured it if I can be of… Your teasing me aren’t you?”
He chuckled and gave a slight nod. “We would probably need to wait to have it checked while the rest of this heals.”
“I doubt they would pull on you too much aside from the basics. A chiropractor might pull on you a bit more but that can be done later.” She replied.
“Might take a while though… Gods I’m a fool.” He cursed at himself as the mare tilted her head at his outburst. “I have a potion that can help me heal faster. I forgot all about it last night.”
“One like what you gave Pinkie and the others?”
“No. That one is designed to be used by normal ponies. The one I am thinking of is called Swallow and it is meant for a Witcher.” He informed her.
“Do you think it would help?” She sounded incredulous at his description.
“It has in the past. Depending on the wounds it can heal them in minutes.” Her eyes widened at this piece of information.
“Would it work that fast for this?” She asked as she motioned to his side.
“No. That would still take two to three days, maybe four.” He replied.
“I remember you mentioning Swallow before now that I think of it. Do you need it?” She asked.
“I can heal on my own without it but it will hasten it. Witchers heal quickly anyway but Swallow multiplies it many times over. Granted if I use it now I’m not able to replenish it easily.”
“Why not?”
“The herbs and monsters ingredients are not found here.” He replied and she made a face. “They are needed. You can’t argue with their results.” He pointed out.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I like what they were made of.” She argued gently. “But if you can’t make a new one then should you really use it on something… kind of… small?”
“That’s a fair point.” He agreed. “I’m not sure what ingredients I have for it. So using it might be ill-advised.”
“Just let yourself heal at your normal pace and use it at a later date for something else.”
He gave an agreeing sound and they fell quiet. Spike snorted suddenly and he sat up as smoke came from his nostrils. He shook his head and yawned wide as he rubbed his eyes. The baby dragon looked around and a smile went over his face as he saw Oblivion watching him.
“You’re awake.” He said as he looked at the black Pegasus.
“For now,” Oblivion replied.
“You were out cold for a while. Are you feeling better?” Spike asked as he sat up. “Twilight said that we had to be quiet so that you could rest and start to heal. But now you are awake so I can talk to you.” Oblivion glanced at the dragon and waited. “I need your advice.”
Oblivion slowly raised his head slightly and waited before responding. “What could you possibly need my advice with?”
Spike looked away then over to Twilight. “Hey, Twilight?” The mare looked at him. “Can you go for a walk? I wanna talk to Oblivion. Ya know, guy stuff.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and got up. “I want a drink anyway.”
Spike watched till she went into the house. “Okay, perfect so I need your help with Rarity.”
Oblivion looked to the dragon and tilted his head. “What about her?”
Spike looked uncomfortable and fiddled with his claws in his lap. “Well, ya see, I kinda… Umm...” Spike stuttered over his own words. Oblivion snorted. “I have a crush on Rarity.”
Oblivion stared at him for a moment. “All right. So what do you need my help with?”
“How do I talk to her? I mean I want to see if she likes me. What do ya think?”
Oblivion was silent as he considered. “Spike, I am not the best one to judge what the best way for you to approach her is. I’m sure she cares for you as well. But I cannot say for certain what kind of care it is. Trying to impress her and whatnot is probably a waste of time.” Oblivion said to him. “That being said I am not certain that Rarity sees you as a romantic interest, as much as a friend of hers. That is simply my take on the situation.”
Spike frowned and slumped. “But ya think there might be a chance?”
Oblivion said nothing. “I suppose it could be possible, but the chance is also remote as well. But again, that’s my opinion.”
Spike looked away from him and then back, a wide grin. “So I have a chance. I mean she isn’t with anypony.” Spike beamed at the black stallion, who sighed and laid his head back down on his pillow. The dragon turned to the house and waved. Twilight walked out the door and came back over to them.
“Get the advice you needed Spike?” She asked as she folded her legs under her.
“Yep!” He chirped happily as he reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a book. He leaned back against her side with a content sigh.
Oblivion saw quiet as he let his eyes close. The pain was fading again as he let his shoulders and back relax as his wings remained on the grass. What he thought were minutes passed and he opened his eyes at the sound of hooves on gravel. He looked up to find Mac standing close by him, his hoof almost touching the black Pegasus.
Mac smiled and set his hoof back on the ground. “Time ta get ya inside. Supposed to be a storm tonight, so we need ta move ya.”
Twilight packed up her books and Spike jumped onto her back. Oblivion’s magic picked up the blanket and folded it off to the side and laid the pillow on it. Sasa stood on the other side of Big Mac and waited. Oblivion moved his neck slowly and slowly got his forelegs out from under him and got them in front of his chest. He pushed himself up and sat upright. Mac moved to stand beside him in case he fell so he could catch him. Oblivion tried to pitch forward but hissed when his wounds complained. Sasa walked behind him and started to push his flank with her shoulder. Mac held his leg and they pushed, pulled him to his hooves. Oblivion had stiffened when Sasa had begun pushing him but went silent as they got him to his hooves. The black pony sighed and nodded to the others. His body ached as his skin trembled.
“You okay?” Sasa asked as she came to stand up by his head.
“Let’s not do that again.” He said to her and she chuckled.
“Well. I will go into town to ask about an orthopedist and when I find one I will let you know. I know you are more than capable.” She said quickly as the stallion gave her a look. “But while you’re resting I can do some hoof work. I will let you know.”
He wanted to argue with her but the earnest look in her eyes gave him pause. He finally sighed and nodded. Both stallions acknowledged what she had said as she teleported herself and Spike away from them. Mac picked up the pillow and blanket and followed the Pegasus inside with Sasa on their heels. Oblivion led the way into the house and he went for the couch in the front room and collapsed onto it. It was soft and gave under his weight.
“Hopefully it will be easier for you to move tomorrow.” Sasa said to him as she laid down on the floor close by him. “How are your wounds?”
“The pain has dissolved into more of a dull ache. It sharpens if I move, but if I take it slow then it's fine. Though you will be doing the hunting for the both of us when we go in the next couple of days.”
Sasa looked over her shoulder at him and nodded. “I understand. Just let me know when you wish to go to the forest and I will be with you.”
Oblivion leaned back into the couch and sighed. His right side was still sore so his breathing was shallow. He laid his head on the armrest and he closed his eyes. The stallion looked up as he heard hooves on the floorboards. He opened one eye to see Granny Smith walking slowly up to him. The aged mare came up to him and a smile graced her muzzle.
“Applejack told me about the big critter ya stopped. Ya didn’t mention it this morning.” She said to him.
“It was pure luck that we ran into it.” He replied as he turned his head to face her. “It could very easily have turned out differently.”
“But it didn’t.” She said back to him. “Ya are a rare pony. Ah’m proud o’ ya.” She said as she patted his cheek with her hoof and then turned to walk away from him.
He watched her leave and his gaze fell on the feline on the floor. “It just happened to be that we ran into it.”
“That may be true, Chosen. But to them what you did is a feat of courage and strength. They admire it and wish to praise the pony that accomplished the feat.” She said to him.
Oblivion leaned back and thought over what Sasa had said. “Still.”
“To you, it was nothing to be admired for. You’re used to monsters of similar size that put up a bigger fight.” Sasa said to him. “I was in awe of your swift action and was only able to act at your command. I had no way of knowing what to do, in your stead we would have been fighting it into town.” She said with a chuckle. “It is considered a good idea to preserve one’s own life and run away from the danger of that size. But not you Chosen. You have been trained and taught to run into the flames while others run away. To the ponies of this place that courage is to be admired.”
Oblivion blanched and his nose wrinkled at the thought of being admired and revered for the act he had accomplished. “I only acted when it went for the town. Otherwise, I would have left it alone. It’s hardly admiration worthy.”
Sasa purred and rolled onto her back, batting at his hoof with her paw. [i]“That’s just how you are Chosen.”
Oblivion gave a quiet snort and waited. The others finished making dinner and Apple Bloom walked into the front room.
“Ya want me ta bring ya yer dinner?” The filly asked.
Oblivion's ears flicked back as he looked at her. “No, it's fine. I'll join you in the kitchen.” He said to the filly, who looked unsure of his statement.
“Are ya sure ya should be moving?”
“I’m sure. I’m sore, not crippled.” He replied and pushed himself slowly to his hooves.
Applejack looked into the room and found him walking up to the kitchen. “What in tarnation? Ya need ta stay down.”
“I’m all right to move a bit, AJ. As I told Apple Bloom. I’m sore, but not crippled.” He said to the orange mare, who looked even less convinced.
Big Mac watched as the Elder Witcher walked into the room and sat down in his usual place. Applejack grimaced at the bandages around his body. She went to the counter and pulled his medicine forward and gave it to him. She set a plate of spaghetti in front of him. The stallion took the medicine and ate his dinner with them. He finished and instead of leaving the table as normal he stayed in place and waited. The rest of the family finished their food and Apple Bloom helped with the dishes. Granny Smith turned to face the black Pegasus.
“Ya head ta bed now. Yer body needs ta rest so it can heal. Ya can relax tomorrow as well. No arguin’ youngin’.” She said to the protesting stallion.
Oblivion groaned and looked at Sasa, to find the cat chuckling under the table. She hid her snout under her paw as she chuffed at his expense. He glared for a moment before he reached out one hoof and gripped her scruff. He used that grip to pull himself to his hooves as she growled quietly at him. He rotated his shoulders slowly when he stood and smirked at the grumbling cat. The Pegasus could feel the pain killer acting and decided that he would rather go to bed than argue with any pony or feline, so he teleported to his room. He heard Sasa growl as she bounded up the steps after him. His magic opened the door and she trotted inside. The door closed and the black stallion removed his cloak, laying it over the desk and stretching his wings. He winced and the joints popped, muscles pulled and he inhaled as he let them go back to his sides and then drop to the ground. Sasa watched him, waiting for an explanation.
“They hurt.” He said as he looked at her.
“Not surprising. You did roll over them and then landed on one of them. I’m just glad neither of them broke. Then you would have been in more trouble.”
Oblivion nodded slowly in understanding. His neck felt as though it creaked as he moved slightly. The black wings moved from the ground to his sides and stayed in place. It was early in the evening but his body was exhausted and he needed to rest. He knew that but he stayed standing for a moment. Sasa jumped up onto the bed and lay facing the window. Oblivion's magic pushed back the quilt and he slowly got into bed as well. His wings laid flat on his sides. The stallion looked over Sasa's body and out the window. He flicked his ears and listened to the storm outside. He laid his head down and let his mind drift to sleep.
“OBLIVION!”
A scream tore him from sleep and he sat up as his wings flared and the quilt was thrown off his back. Magic flowed over him and the letters for the Elder Speech flowed over him as he teleported into the room beside his own. Apple Bloom was clutching a stuffed rabbit in her hooves as tears flowed down her young face. He looked at her for a moment before he scanned the room for anything that might have made her scream as she had. When nothing seemed out of place he walked toward her bed.
“What is it little one?”
The filly sniveled and jumped out of her blankets as she reached out for his coat. Her hooves gripped his fur as she pushed her face into his black fur. He leaned into her bed to keep her from leaning out over the space between them and risk her falling to the floor. He flicked an ear back to listen behind him as Sasa came in through the door and she pushed it open. Behind her by a few seconds was Applejack and Big Mac on the feline’s heels.
“Wha’ in tarnation is goin’ on?” Applejack asked.
He looked over his shoulder and he shrugged at her question. He stiffened as his wounds complained at the movement. Instinct had moved him to get to the screaming filly as quickly as possible. Sasa jumped onto the bed from the other side and she rubbed her head along the filly’s back. Outside the thunder peeled and lightning split the skies. Apple Bloom flinched and whimpered at the sounds and sight that came from the window. Applejack and Mac came further into the room and drew up close by the Pegasus.
“Y'all alrigh’?” Mac asked him quietly.
Oblivion gave a quiet groan and nodded. “I’ll survive.” He commented dryly.
Mac patted his shoulder gently, then he looked to the trembling filly. “She never did like the big storms.” He admitted with a soft look.
“Why did she call for me then?” Oblivion asked. “You’re just as close to her as I am.”
“Well, yer the eldest o’ us. You’ll protect ‘er.” Applejack said to him.
Oblivion gave a low snort as the filly held tightly to him. He tried to shift his hooves but the filly refused to budge. His ribs complained and Oblivion had to fight not to growl at the sudden pain that stemmed from the wounds. Applejack saw his discomfort and a cringe escaped her as she could see the bandages were twisted due to his stance. She came up to the front of him and tried to get Apple Bloom to get her to release his fur to allow him to move. The filly burst into tears when her hooves were removed from his fur and he exhaled as he shifted and his wounds calmed, the pain faded as he stood still.
“Apple Bloom.” He said to the filly and she stopped crying long enough to focus on him. “It’s all right. Being afraid is not something to be ashamed of.”
She nodded and turned to her siblings and Sasa, who nuzzled her once more. “It’s just scary.”
He gave a slight smile and nodded. “I’m sure it is. But you can choose to be afraid or not. It’s your choice.”
Apple Bloom flinched when thunder peeled again. “Well Ah don’t wanna be scared but… Can ya stay here with me?”
His ears flicked to focus on her as he tilted his head slightly at her request. “You want me to sleep in here with you?”
“Yeah. Ah mean ya don’t; have ta but Ah’d like ya too. Mah bed is big enough fer the both of us.”
His ears flicked to her siblings and then back to her. “Sleep on your bed with you?”
Apple Bloom nodded and waited for him to move. He looked at her siblings and they were simply smiling in reply. He heaved a sigh and moved to stand closer to the bed. “Very well. You’re going to need to move. You are going to be in front, I’d rather you didn’t kick me.”
Apple Bloom moved away from the edge of the bed where he stood as he moved to lay on the bed behind her. She huddled tightly against his chest and her hooves gripped his black fur. Sasa laid down on the floor and Mac tossed a quilt over them.
“Night ya’ll.” Applejack said to them as she left the room with Mac, who turned out the lights.
“I’m going to feel this in the morning.” He commented to Sasa, who purred from her place on the floor.
“Most likely. Still, it is sweet of you to agree to her request. Thankfully she is small enough so you don’t have to worry about her falling off the bed. Her bed is wide enough for both of you to sleep without either of you falling off it.” She replied.
He could hear the humor in the cat’s voice. “True enough, I’m simply hoping I don’t end up regretting this choice. Hopefully, I don’t end up in the same situation as I did yesterday morning.”
Sasa stood up and her nose pressed against his hoof. “If needed I can wake Applejack in the morning to get your pain medicine in the morning.”
He shook his head, he knew that the cat could see him with her advanced sight. “I’ll be fine. I can teleport if needed.”
Sasa nodded and laid back down. He looked down at the filly that was huddled tightly to him and he watched her sleep for several minutes. The stallion laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. His ears flicked as thunder sounded outside and Apple Bloom, cringed and huddled tighter against him. He raised a hoof and cast Axii to calm her and it would allow her to sleep calmly, without any fear. Several minutes passed and he slowly fell back asleep as well.
Oblivion's eyes opened and he lifted his head, only to wince at the short stab of pain. He looked down at the sleeping filly and shifted to get off the bed. Apple Bloom’s grip on his fur had loosened and he pulled away from her easily. He used his magic to open her bedroom door to stop AJ from using a pan to wake them. He looked behind him to see how far the edge was and yelped when he fell off the bed. He landed heavily and laid in silence on his back. He heard Sasa grunt as she woke up on the other side of the bed. Oblivion laid on his back, panting. Pain stabbed through his body and he let his head fall to the ground as he tried to slow his breathing. He closed his eyes and started to roll over, but stopped when he realized that he would have to roll onto his right side, which was out of the question. The Pegasus’s eyes opened when soft fur rubbed his cheek.
Sasa was standing by him concern etched in her eyes. “Chosen? Don’t move too much. I doubt you can move around too much at this moment. It makes me wish I had slept on this side so you would have landed on me instead of the floor. Then you would have landed on something softer than the flooring.”
She looked back at the door behind her as the door was pushed further open and Mac walked into the room. He glanced at Apple Bloom, who was still asleep, and then to Sasa. The red pony walked to her and looked down at the black Pegasus. Oblivion simply gave him a blank look in reply to his concerned expression.
“Wha’ happened?” The farm pony asked him.
Oblivion bit back the sarcastic reply he had on the tip of his tongue and chose to simply sigh. “I underestimated the width of the bed and when I tried to get off of the bed without waking her I fell off the edge.”
Mac cringed at the description. “Ah’m guessing yer injuries are screamin’. Ya need some help?”
Oblivion closed his eyes as he exhaled and nodded. “I would appreciate the help yes.”
Mac reached out his forelegs and his hooves gripped the fur on the Pegasus’s shoulders. He used Oblivions fur to pull him away from the bed and out into the room. Once he was clear of the bed he was able to room onto his other side. He slowly hauled himself to his hooves and Apple Bloom was now standing on her bed watching them. The black stallion groaned in pain as he breathed and he worked his body to allow for the pain to fade. Mac stayed by him as he recovered.
“Mornin’ ya’ll.” Applejack greeted them as she came into the room. “So Oblivion how was yer… night?” Wha’ happened?”
Mac looked at his sister. “He fell off the side o’ the bed. He was tryin’ not ta wake the filly.”
Applejack cringed and came to stand in front of the ailing stallion. Oblivion closed his eyes as he breathed and pushed the pain into the back of his mind. His cat eyes opened and he looked at each pony as he raised his head.
“I’m all right. It was a bit of a shock to land the way I did but I am fine.” He said to them as Sasa nuzzled his chest and purred. Apple Bloom jumped off her bed and tapped his foreleg to get his attention.
“Ah’m sorry.” She said to him, her voice quiet.
“For what?” The Pegasus asked her as he was not sure why she was apologizing for. “You didn’t push me off the side of the bed. I fell due to not knowing where exactly I was laying. It was my own fault.”
Apple Bloom hung her head for a moment before she looked back up at him. “Are ya sure?” The stallion nodded. “All right. But next time jus’ wake me up and Ah’ll move.”
Oblivion nodded to her and started for the door. The rest of the family followed him down the hallway with Sasa bringing up the rear. He reached the stairs and he teleported down the stairs and he sat down at the table. He trembled for a moment before his body calmed and he fell still. The others reached him and Sasa edged her way under the table, into her usual place.
Oblivion declined breakfast and nopony argued with him. He took the offered pills and drank them down. He stayed with them as they ate and waited for them to finish. He stood up slowly when they finished and levitated the dishes to the sink and went outside. Walking was easier and the pain had lessened to a more manageable level. Sasa followed him outside and waited with him. His ears flicked as he caught the sound of hooves. A bright purple light came through the gate and trotted up to him.
“Oblivion!” Twilight shouted as she caught sight of him. “I have good news for you.” She said to him, her excitement was palpable.
“Oh?”
“I found an orthopedist in town. I set up an appointment for you after you drop Apple Bloom off at school. I’ll go with you since you don’t know where to go.” She informed the stallion who had his ears pointed at her.
“That is fine by me.” He replied to her. He had to admit he was glad to hear that she had been successful in finding somepony to look at his neck.
“They said they will look and see what they recommend.”
He nodded at the mare as Applejack came out of the house. “Hey, Twilight.”
“Morning Applejack. I just came by to let Oblivion know that I found an orthopedist in town to look at him. I’ll lead him there when he’s ready. Did he already take a pain killer?”
Applejack nodded. “Yup just a few minutes ago. It should kick in pretty quick. Ya’ll head over there after droppin’ Apple Bloom off.”
Twilight nodded. “That works.”
Oblivion nodded as the mares began to chat amongst themselves as they waited for the filly. He shook his mane out and He stopped as his neck ground out and he cringed slightly. Apple Bloom came out from the house and headed toward them with Sasa on her heels.
“Ready?” Twilight asked her.
“Ah’m ready.” She said to the group.
“Ah. Hang on.” Applejack turned and ran back into the house. She returned a minute later with a bottle. “Here are the other pain meds the doc gave ya. Keep ‘em with ya. I’d say put ‘em in yer saddlebags, but ya can’t wear them.”
His magic surrounded the bottle and held it close to him. There was a flash to the side of him as Twilight vanished. A minute later she reappeared with her own saddlebags around her girth. She took the bottle from him and set it inside her saddlebags.
“There. Now we can keep them with us and not have to use your magic to do it.” She declared.
Oblivion nodded and started for the front gate. He looked back to find that the others were on his heels. Applejack went back to the house and disappeared into the house. His pace was not as hurried as he normally was when taking her to school but his slower pace allowed the mare and filly to easily keep up with him. His head was lowered to avoid his neck grinding. Twilight looked concerned as they made their way down the road to the schoolhouse. Apple Bloom trotted merrily ahead of them as Oblivion sighed and stayed silent. Sasa stayed at his side, purring encouragement to him.
“Almost there Chosen.” She said to him, with a gentle nudge to his shoulder.
He sighed again, giving her a slight nod. The schoolhouse loomed up ahead of and Oblivions pace slowed as they drew up to it. Apple Bloom stopped as the two adult ponies caught up with her at the front gate. She trotted through it after giving Oblivion a hug and thanking Twilight for walking her to school. The foals waved to the stallion and he nodded back to them.
“You okay?” Twilight whispered to him.
“I’ll live. Simply tired. Apple Bloom woke us all up last night due to the storm.” He informed her.
“Yeah, it was a pretty violent one.”
“Yes, she woke up screaming and asked that I stay with her. She insisted that I sleep next to her. I obliged but this morning I tried to get off the bed without waking her and ended up falling off the side of it and wound up landing mostly on my back.”
Twilight cringed and looked at him, sympathy in her violet eyes. “That’s definitely a rude awakening. So, if you weren’t hurting before, you are now, I take it?” The stallion nodded, but stopped and cringed when the bones started grinding. He gave an annoyed snort. “Don’t worry. We’ll get that fixed.” She said, her voice quiet and sympathetic.
He looked at her, his eyes agreeing with her without moving his head. The black unicorn looked up as Cheerilee came out of the building. She reached the two ponies and stopped.
“Apple Bloom said that you fought an Ursa Major? I thought Twilight sent it to its cave?” She asked of the pair.
“I did. But I sent back an Ursa Minor, a baby. Oblivion met up with the parent when it was starting to come toward Ponyville. He and Sasa drove it back into the cave.” Twilight informed her.
“Oh, so that’s what she meant. She also mentioned that you got hurt and that was why you didn’t bring her to school yesterday.” She opened her mouth to speak when Oblivion turned slightly to the side to show her the shite bandages around his body. The dark pink mare gasped and put a hoof over her mouth. “Oh my. Should you even be up and walking?” The mare asked of him. Concern plain in her voice.
“I’ll survive. Twilight found an orthopedist in town so that is where we are going.” He replied.
Cheerilee looked at him. “Still. It must be painful to walk around like that.”
He said nothing and gave a small shrug. “It’s tolerable.”
The dark pink mare appeared unconvinced. “But how did you get hurt?”
Sasa growled and hung her head as she sat down. Oblivion glanced at her and stomped his hoof, calling the cat to his side. The ethereal cat walked slowly up to him and sat at his shoulder. He ran his hoof over her fur, comforting her. “The animal went into its cave, but then turned and swiped at Sasa. I pushed her down and was struck instead. She then finished pushing it into the cave.”
Cheerilee looked down at Sasa and found the cat still hanging her head. “She’s not very happy about that is she?”
“No, she isn’t. She was quite distressed by it.” He replied, as Sasa growled and pushed her head against his shoulder as firmly as she dared.
“Well just shows how much you care for her. I’m glad that you are okay. Or will be okay.” She said and then amended her statement with a smile.
“Thank you.” He said and Sasa remained at his side.
Cheerilee looked back at the schoolhouse and a slight bell tone went out from inside of it. “Well, I need to get the class started. Please get some rest and I hope your appointment goes well.”
Twilight patted his shoulder gently and he fell in at her side to walk with her into town. His wounds complained as he moved but he chose to ignore them as they walked. Sasa fell in at his side and he watched as they walked into town as the stares of a great many ponies were drawn to the enormous feline as she walked with them. Nopony came to say anything about her or approach them but he was sure that the questions were there, they were just unvoiced. Twilight slowed to a stop and pointed ahead of them to a generic colored building in town.
“There it is.” She said as he raised his head slightly to see what she was indicating.
“That’s it?” He said back to her and she nodded. “Very well. Let’s see how this goes.”
“It’ll be fine.” She assured him as they walked ahead.
The pair of them walked into the building and they emerged into a front room that held several chairs off to one side and a counter on the other. Twilight left him standing by the stairs as she went to the counter.
“Checking in.” She said, her tone merry.
“Name?”
“Oblivion.” She supplied with a look behind her.
The mare behind the counter stood up and her eyes widened at the sight of him. He had no doubt that he looked fairly pathetic or her gaze was on the large Spectral Tiger at his side. One way or the other she looked startled. She quickly sat back down and nodded. Twilight smiled and came back to sit close by him. She sat down beside him and he said nothing in response to her as they waited.
“Oblivion!”
A voice off to the side called out his name and he turned his head slightly to see where it had come from. A door to the back of the room was now open and he moved toward it with Sasa and Twilight on his heels. The new mare was wearing a lab coat and he could see her look cautiously at him and then to the others behind him.
“Is that with you?” She asked and pointed her clipboard at the cat on his heels.
“Yes.” He replied.
Twilight smiled merrily behind him as she let Sasa walk a bit ahead of her. “She’s harmless I promise.” The mare assured the nurse.
“Okay…” She replied, uncertainty in her voice as Sasa stayed with him. “Follow me, please.”
She led him down a hallway and pointed out a room for him to walk into. It was big enough to hold all three of them plus more if the need came. Her eyes fell on the bandages on his barrel and she seemed to decide to ask about them later instead of now. He stood next to a long table while Twilight took a seat and she tugged Sasa into the space between her and the wall to keep the cat from getting in the way or getting stepped on.
“Okay so tell me why you’re here with us today?” The nurse asked him.
“I can’t lift my head.” He said to her, his tone bland.
She seemed to be waiting for him to say more but when nothing further came she motioned for him to go on. He looked at her and she seemed to be at a loss. “That’s all?”
“Yes.” He replied.
“And any idea what caused it?”
“I was thrown to the ground by an Ursa Major the day before yesterday.” He explained.
“A what?” She asked.
“Did you see the constellation-covered bear that was in town the other night?” Twilight asked her and the mare gave a brief nod. “Imagine it much bigger and darker colored. That’s what he went against to prevent it from coming into town.”
“Oh my.” She said as she set the clipboard on the bed beside him. “Well, that’s definitely different than what we usually get in here.” She said with a chuckle.
“Any ideas how to fix it?” Twilight asked her.
“The doctor might he has more knowledge than I do but it’s possible that it needs to be aligned again.” She said in reply.
Twilight fell silent and Sasa rumbled a deep purr as the mare looked at her. She picked up her clipboard and walked toward the door. “I’ll get him and let him know you’re ready. Normally we ask for measurements but since you are not able to lift your head it defeats the purpose. So just wait a few minutes and I will bring him in.”
She left the three of them behind as the door closed behind her. “Measurements?” Oblivion asked as he looked at Twilight.
“Oh. Normally they would take your weight, height, temperature, etc., things like that.” She explained and he gave her a look in reply. “What?”
“Why?”
“For their records. They monitor any changes in those to see if you’re doing okay or not.”
“I think not,” Oblivion said to her.
“It’s not that bad.” She said to him. “What if you suddenly drop a lot of weight and they don’t know it since your records are incomplete?”
He said nothing for several seconds. “Twilight.”
“Hmm?”
“I need you to think about what I normally look like.”
“Okay…?”
“Now imagine if I dropped a lot of weight.”
He saw her thinking and he watched as understanding went through her. “It would be very obvious on you.”
“Exactly.” He replied and the mare gave a sheepish giggle as she looked at him.
They fell silent as his ears flicked to the door as it was slowly pushed open. A brown pony with a blonde mane and tail came into the room with the nurse on his heels. He looked at the black Pegasus and he then glanced at the mare and cat with him.
“She was right. That is a very large cat.” He said with a chuckle. “Okay, so I am Doctor Sunbeam. From what I have been told you were struck by a monster and thrown to the ground and that has resulted in a loss of movement.”
“Correct,” Oblivion replied.
“Okay, so I need you to hold still why I try a few motions and see if we can correct this now or if you need a different therapy.” He said as he approached the black pony.
Oblivion said nothing as the pony put his hooves on either side of his head and Oblivion allowed him to manipulate his neck. He managed not to wince when the bones ground in his neck and the doctor looked concerned as he moved. Minutes ticked past as his head was moved and his neck protested all the way into his back. His wings flicked with each movement and he was not sure if he could stop them from moving even if he tried. Sunbeam finally released his head and backed up several feet.
“Okay. So we have a few options. One is to put you in Physical Therapy.”
“And that is?” Oblivion replied.
“Basically its care that aims to allow for ease of movement through tasks. For example, for you, they would devise a treatment plan that will allow you to move a little bit at a time.”
Oblivion stared at him, then to Twilight and back to Sunbeam. “And to correct this would take how long?”
Sunbeam was quiet as he considered his answers. “I am not a Physical Therapist but a few weeks I would think, maybe six to eight weeks. Is my guess for it? They would obviously know more.”
Oblivion felt his eyes go wide as he stared at him. “Any other options?” Oblivion sked, his tone pointed.
“Well. There is an option of a chiropractor.” He admitted after a delay.
“Which is?”
“They work with the system of medicine based on the diagnosis and manipulative treatment of misalignments of the joints. So they would realign the bones and that might allow it to work out in a few days.” He admitted with a bit of a sour expression. “Though I do not recommend one.”
“Any reason for that?” Twilight asked.
He gave a low sigh. “I will usually go the PT route where they are more hooves on right at the start. I would mitigate pain with the use of painkillers and muscle relaxers. Where they strive to realign the bones and remove pressure on the nerves under the belief that fixing the bones and nerves will fix any issue the body has.”
Oblivion was quiet as he spoke. “And if this… PT… does not work?”
“Then surgery is an option,” Sunbeam admitted. “That’s of course the last resort.”
“So one will not allow me to move for several weeks while this is slowly corrected with the use of medications to stop the pain.” Sunbeam nodded slowly. “While the other is possibly able to fix the issue now.”
“Yes…” Sunbeam admitted slowly. His tone was reserved. “But again it’s not recommended.”
“I will take my chances,” Oblivion replied quickly. “Is there one locally?”
The doctor sighed and nodded. “Yes. They are at the Spa.”
“Do you know where that is?” He asked Twilight, who nodded.
“Are you sure you should be going that route? He doesn’t recommend it.” Twilight asked him.
“I need this fixed now. Or attempted at least. If it doesn’t work or makes it worse then I deserve what happens and we will go his route.” He replied to her and she gave a terse nod.
“I’ll write the referral.” Sunbeam sighed and turned to leave the room. “Good luck.”
Oblivion gave a slight nod in reply and the nurse quickly left the room as well. Twilight shook her head at him for a moment before she sighed. Sasa purred loudly from her corner of the room and said nothing in agreement or disagreement with him. Minutes ticked by as the nurse came back into the room to hand him the referral and Twilight put it in her saddlebags as she got to her hooves. The nurse-led them back out to the front waiting room and Oblivion led them out of the building.
“You know where it is?” He asked the mare and she nodded. “Lead the way.”
“This way. It’s not too far.” She assured him.
He followed behind her as she led him carefully through the streets and down the main thoroughfare.
“There it is.” She pointed to a nearby building with one hoof.
He looked up and gazed at the building. It was tan with a deep green roof with points jutting out from it. Small windows adorned the front and sides of the building. The door was a deep pink with hearts on the face. He looked sideways at Twilight who smiled.
“I know it doesn’t look like the right place, but trust me. It's the right place. It's a spa.” She assured him.
Oblivion walked with her and she opened the door to allow him inside first. Sasa trotted through the door after he and Twilight closed it behind her. A bright blue mare with deep blue eyes and a flower on her flank greeted them.
“Good morning.” She said. She had an accent that Oblivion couldn’t place. But he ignored it as she continued. “Welcome to Ponyville day spa. What do we owe the pleasure?”
“We have a referral from the orthopedist to have him looked at by a chiropractor,” Twilight said as she pulled the paper from her saddlebag and her magic set it down on the counter.
“I see.” The mare came out from behind the counter and opened a side door for them to walk through. “I am Lotus Blossom and please follow me.”
The ponies walked through the door and the blue mare led them into the back of the building. Oblivion glanced around him and saw ponies having their hooves filed and others sitting in an enormous tub. He looked away and refocused on Lotus Blossom. Sasa stayed close to the stallion as they followed the bright blue mare. Lotus stopped next to a room and opened the fabric curtains for them. Inside was a long table that was heavily padded and covered in a plush white blanket. The walls had shelves of bottles on them. Oblivion’s sense of smell was being overwhelmed and he looked back to the two mares with him.
“Okay, so what do I need to pass on to him so he knows what you need?” She asked him as he looked at her.
“I need my neck and possibly back adjusted.” He said to her.
“Understood. That should be no issue at all. According to this, we need to be wary of the wounds to your barrel and chest.” She said as she looked at the paper in her hoof.
“My chest is fine.” He informed her. “It’s the right side that needs to be watched.”
She looked at him as he pointed to the bandages around his body and she nodded in understanding. He looked to the side as Sasa found a corner and seemed to be intent on pushing herself as deeply into it as possible. Once she was situated she purred at him and licked her tongue over her front fangs.
“All right, just lay down on the table. Legs on either side of it. Make yourself comfortable and he will be with you shortly.” She said, hung up the clipboard, and left the room.
Oblivion looked at the table and then back to Twilight. “It’s fine. It just looks uncomfortable.”
“Really?” He replied, sarcasm dripping from his words. The mare gave him a stern look and he deflated a bit before walking over to the table and laying down on it with his legs on either side of it. “Comfortable my ass.” He retorted to the mare.
“Just lay quiet and relax. Or try to. Once you relax it will be fine.” She said to him as she pulled a chair over to sit on.
They sat in silence for several minutes before the curtain moved to reveal a large white pony. His mane was a blond Mohawk and a short tail. His body reminded Oblivion of Letho of the school of the viper. All corded muscle. His legs were short and he had a barbell on his flank. His eyes were a bright red. The pony turned to pick up the clipboard and Oblivion started to see that he was a Pegasus. His wings were tiny at best.
“Can he really fly with those?” Sasa asked him.
“I doubt it, but I am not sure. I’m more concerned with how he is going to help me with those tiny legs.” He replied through their mental link.
“Good point.” Sasa responded, her voice held doubt.
“Okay!” He yelled. Twilight startled and Oblivion pinned his ears, cringing. “My name is Bulk Biceps and I will be your chiropractor today. So you are here on a referral from Dr. Sunbeam?”
“Yes,” Twilight said for him. “Though he was a bit reluctant.”
Bulk gave a solemn nod. “He usually is.”
“Why?” Oblivion asked.
“Orthopedists and Chiropractors tend to not be thought of in the same realm. We work with the same parts of the body but our methods are what set us far apart. I am more than happy to send patients to him if I don’t think I can help them.” He replied easily. “So this says you were hurt in a fight of some kind?”
Oblivion glanced sideways at him. “Yes, that’s accurate.”
“Mind telling me what happened?”
Oblivion sighed and spoke. “I met up with an Ursa Major in the Everfree forest when I was out for a run with my cat, Sasa. She’s over there.” He pointed a hoof back. Bulk looked startled as the cat gave him a respectful bow of her head. “We drove it back into its cave, but it turned around and struck out at Sasa. I pushed her down and took the blow myself. I rolled a few times and I’m pretty sure that’s when I injured my neck.” He explained, he was glad to see that the first yell seemed to be the last one.
“So an impact injury.” The pony mused as he looked over the notes. “How would you describe the injury?”
Oblivion considered for a moment before responding. “If I lift my head it feels and sounds as though the bones or something is grinding and the pain could be described as sharp and lasting when it happens.”
Bulk was quiet for a moment. “All right. Sounds like you might also need to have your back aligned. I will gauge if that should be done today or later. Is there any pain in your back?”
“Yes. When I was thrown I landed heavily and rolled. So a back injury is not that much of a stretch.”
Bulk nodded and set the clipboard down. He walked up to Oblivion's back and set a hoof on it. The stallion flinched but didn’t move otherwise. “High pain tolerance?” He asked. Oblivion smirked in response.
“Very high.” Was Twilight's response.
Bulk nodded and applied easy pressure to different places on Oblivion's back. After a few minutes, he stepped back. “Well, I think that aligning your back would be beneficial. Having your back placement as skewed as it is will only lead to making your neck worse. So, we will work with the immediate pain first then look to the other.”
Oblivion gave a slight nod of understanding as he laid still. “So, what’s the plan now?”
“I will start out with your neck and get that tended to. What I need from you is to just relax and let me move it as I need to. I will not lie to you and say that it will not hurt or be uncomfortable. Just trust that I know what I am doing and will ensure that it is more comfortable for you in the end.” Bulk said to the black pony.
Oblivion looked back at him and considered for a few moments. “This is no time to be thinking of how to act, Chosen. Let the pony do his job. That’s why you are here.” Sasa barked at him. The stallion sighed and gave a short nod. He closed his eyes and relaxed as best he was able. He heard Bulk move to stand in front of him and then pick up his head.
Oblivion grimaced but was silent. The muscled pony turned his head and the bones grated and then turned it the other way. Oblivion stayed still and silent. Bulk suddenly jerked his head and a series of pops sounded in Oblivion’s ears. He kept his eyes closed, but he had to fight not to act. Bulk repeated the motion with the other side then ran his hooves up and down Oblivion’s neck. The muscles tensed under his hooves and he circled on them to relax them.
“How bad is it? Any ideas?” Twilight asked.
“Well, it’s not good. It may take a couple of more sessions to completely subvert the damage. Aligning his back will help. I’m hesitant to handle his back due to the injury to his ribs on the right side. So I may have to use a different method of aligning it than I would normally.” He informed the inquisitive mare.
Bulk went back to moving the black Pegasus’s head and shifted it to try to alleviate any further grinding. He lifted Oblivion’s head higher, only then did the black stallion react. He jerked back slightly and Bulk lowered his head. Oblivion’s orange eyes opened and he looked to the pony.
“Okay, that settles the range of motion question. So holding your head up high is the more painful position?”
“So it seems,” Oblivion replied.
Bulk started lifting his head in slow increments and Oblivion closed his eyes once more. It took over an hour to get it to where Oblivion could lift his head without the shooting pain. Bulk stepped back and let Oblivion move on his own. The black stallion shook his head and sighed in relief.
“Finally. Thank the Gods.” He breathed.
“Better?” Twilight asked him.
“Much. Thank you.” He said to the other ponies.
Bulk smiled. “Yeah!” He yelled. The other two cringed. “All right now we have to decide if we are going to start with your back. As I said, I would have to use another method versus doing it by hoof-like I would normally.”
“And that method is?” Oblivion inquired.
“It requires a certain amount of force.” Oblivion sent him a blank look. “Basically, I pull your tail really hard and then find the right angle to pull the bones into place. It’s usually only done with some ponies due to having to find a pony of close to the same height. The problem with you is, not your height, but the fact that your back itself is bruised badly. Anypony else would be unable to walk.”
Twilight looked from the black pony back to Bulk. “Is it dangerous?”
“If done wrong yes. I will not say that I am an expert, but I do know how not to hurt him. So long as we do not raise his head at the same time we will be fine. So you would need to keep your head down and try not to tense or move.”
Oblivion looked at him and considered his options. “So the only thing stopping you is the concern that it will cause more pain?” Both ponies nodded. “If it works then I’ll deal with it. Pain is not something I am unused to. So if you think it will help then I will cooperate.”
Bulk nodded and moved to stand at Oblivion’s tail. He picked it up and wrapped some of it around his hoof to hold onto it. He leaned back a few times to check the angles to ensure that it was done properly. Oblivion kept his head down on the table, cooperating with the other pony. He flinched when a slight tug went through him.
“All right. So if you can try to make sure that you do not move, then I will start pulling gradually. I’ll adjust as I need to so just stay as still as you can, keep your head down, and hold onto the floor if possible.”
Oblivion nodded and set his hooves onto the floor. He used them to grip the floor and looked back to Bulk and nodded. He set his head back down and waited. A slight tug went through him and he didn’t react. Bulk used a series of short and quick tugs to figure out the best angle to realign the black pony’s spine. He looked to the side and found Twilight and Sasa standing at the front of the table.
“Hold on.” Bulk warned.
A hard yank went through him and Oblivion grunted at the pull but remained still. His back popped a few times and Bulk released the pull. He leaned back again and started a slow pull. Oblivion’s hooves held fast and his body remained in place.
“Relax.” Bulk barked at him. Oblivion snorted and closed his eyes, focusing. “There we go.”
Another series of pops were heard as Oblivion's back began to realign. His wings rose from his back and their tips folded against the high ceiling. Twilight looked at the fully extended wings and her eyes were wide at their size. Oblivion growled quietly as his spine lengthened and he could feel the pressure dissipating.
“Okay. One. Last. Pull.” Bulk panted.
Oblivion snorted that he understood. Bulk leaned back onto his haunches and gave as hard a pull as he could, which considering his muscled body was considerable, and a series of loud cracks resounded. He began to slowly release Oblivion’s long tail. When he had finished he let go and sat back with a groan.
“That was more difficult than I thought it would be.” He commented. “So, give me a second and I’ll see how we did.”
Oblivion said nothing as he lay in silence. He opened his eyes and looked at the mare and cat. Both were looking between the black stallion and Bulk himself, the latter panting slightly. Oblivion laid his black wings back along his sides. It no longer hurts to move them. Bulk finally got to his hooves and stood next to oblivion’s back, applying slight pressure. After several minutes he stopped and smiled.
“Well, it worked. This will help keep your neck in place as well. Let me check that and see how it was affected, if at all.” He moved his hooves along Oblivion's neck, checking the location of the bones themselves. “That’s in perfect order as well. We will need to do one more session for your neck but I think that will be fine as well. I don’t anticipate any issues with your back. You have the muscle structure to keep the bones in line and stop any problems with it. You can get up when you’re ready.”
He barely finished that final sentence, before Oblivion was in motion. He rolled off the table and stood on his hooves. He raised his head and sighed when the pain was nearly gone. It was now more of a dull ache. He arched his back and despite the complaint of his ribs, his back was better, despite the bruising.
“How is it?” Bulk asked.
“It’s a marked improvement. Thank you for the effort.” Oblivion replied. His ribs hurt from the treatment, but he could ignore it without trouble.
Bulk looked pleased and smiled in reply to his words. “I’m glad to hear it. Your spine is surprisingly flexible. Even for a Pegasus, it moves in ways that most Pegasi cannot imagine. A normal spine on a Pegasus is still fairly rigid depending on how loosened up it is.”
“Is that bad?” Twilight asked him concern in her tone.
“Not at all. I’d say he has a large advantage over most Pegasus and ponies in general. Similar to how a cat can orient themselves in the air he can probably do the same. He can twist his spine to allow himself to land on his hooves while the rest of us would most likely fall on our backs or sides. While I was pulling on him his spine was lengthening as it should but it was also compensating for the movement of his legs as he held himself in place. I have never seen a Pegasus that can move like that either recently or while I was in school.” Bulk explained.
“Interesting,” Twilight replied and looked at the Witcher as he flexed his wings and they pinned to his sides.
The Witcher remained silent as he listened to them. “That’s what a Witcher is designed to do. Even before having wings, we can move almost unnaturally well. It’s one of the reasons why we are viewed as being so far from humans and seen as mutants. The mutations alter our bodies though I had never considered if it affected our bones as well.”
Sasa nuzzled him in reply. “It would make sense in a way. Musculature and even your blood were altered true?”
He gave a slight nod to the feline before he tuned his ears back to listen to Bulk once more. “Anyway now we should probably do one more alignment then you should be fine. We should only need to do your neck next time. Your back is fine and I doubt it will have any further issues now.”
Oblivion gave him a short bow of his head in thanks as he made for the door. Sasa and Twilight fell in behind him as Bulk sighed and he heard him muttering about how hard pulling on him had been. His ears flicked away from listening to the other ponies grumbling and back to the room he passed by. They paused by the front desk and Aloe waved him away telling him that there was no charge and it had already been taken care of. He looked over his shoulder to Twilight who shook her head. Aloe once more waved him off and he made for the door after pausing for a moment.
“Now I need to find out who paid for that. I refuse to be shown charity when it is not needed. I am capable of paying for what I need.” He said to her as they emerged into the sunlight.
Twilight shook her head. “How about you take it easy and I will ask around?” She said as she negotiated with him. “I’m serious.” She said as he gave her a look. “You look exhausted already from today. So how about I go around and ask around later and I will think about who knows you tended to the Ursa Major and might be watching out for you. I can get the answers probably faster than you can.”
He gave her a look and she tried to look stubbornly back at him. Seconds ticked by as he simply gave her a bland look and she finally sagged for a moment before she looked pleadingly at him.
“Please?”
He sighed and his shoulders sagged. “Very well. I’ll leave this up to you. It doesn’t sit well with me about somepony paying for me when I am perfectly capable of tending got my own affairs. Applejack rewarding me with a new sword was different. That had been partially agreed upon before it happened.” Twilight tilted her head as he explained. “She reasoned that instead of a spa trip I might prefer the blade. We had agreed on the trip during that harvesting fiasco.” He explained and she nodded in understanding.
“I’ll take care of this. You should get some rest. Are you in any pain?”
“Some. But not enough to worry about. That last yank pulled on me a bit and I braced for it more than was probably needed but not enough to cause any damage.” He replied.
Twilight magic lit up her saddlebags and she pulled out the bottle of pills that they had been given earlier. “Okay take two of these when needed for pain. I can’t conjure water so…”
“I am sure I can swallow them just fine.” He assured her as he took the pills from her and tossed them into his mouth, letting them hit the back of this throat. They fell down his throat and he easily swallowed them down. Twilight looked concerned as he brought his head back down and he nearly opened his mouth to prove to her that they were gone but he stopped before doing so. “Done.”
“I can’t do that,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “I tried once and nearly choked on them.”
He gave a low chuckle at her as he paused. “The first doctor didn’t say anything about paying.”
“I’ll look into it.” She quickly assured him.
He growled under his breath and gave his body a gentle shake to try to get rid of the persistent itching on his side. His ribs ached and he shook himself again as the itching intensified for a moment. Twilight watched him, sympathy in her eyes as she waited for him to still.
“I’m fine. When these bandages are removed I will refuse to have more put on.” He said to her.
“Why?”
“It itches. I can ignore it for a while but this is becoming maddening.”
Twilight looked at him as his skin trembled by his shoulder. “Hmm. Hold still.” The stallion waited as she walked up next to him. She could see that his fur was being pulled by the edges of the bandages. She brought up one hoof and laid it gently on his side. She rubbed that spot and watched as Oblivion turned to her. Her touch was light, but it was enough to help it seemed.
“A bit lower.” He instructed.
Twilight smiled and brought her other hoof up to his side and sat down at his side. She rubbed her hooves against his skin and he had to stop himself from leaning heavily into her hooves. After a few minutes, the sensation of relief began to ebb and he sighed. She looked at him as he looked back at her. “Better?”
“Yes thank you,” Oblivion said to her.
The mare got to her hooves and shook the dirt off herself. “It’s not permanent, but it will help for now.”
“It’s good enough thank you again.”
“No problem, back to the farm?”
“I was going to stop at the bank to convert a few Crowns but now I find that I do not need to. So yes, I suppose we can just head back to the farm.” Twilight nodded and fell in at his side as Sasa stayed at his other hip. “It is nice to finally be able to move my head without pain.”
Twilight nodded. “I can’t even imagine how that must have hurt. Bulk seemed pretty surprised by it and how you could move at all. Though I am wondering something.” She said to him and he waited for her to go on. “The reason why your back is so flexible is due to those Trials you underwent right?”
“Yes. It alters the body of the initiate. Apparently, that includes the bones as well.”
“It’s remarkable to me what it can do to the body. But it comes with a heavy price even if you manage to live through it.” Oblivion gave a slight nod in agreement. “Anyway enough of the gloomy subjects. What is a fun story that you have? Maybe about your fellow Witchers? You mentioned that you share stories all the time when you meet.”
Oblivion chuckled. “Such as? Most stories we have are vulgar at best.”
Twilight considered for a moment before she smiled. “There must be a fun experience in there.”
Oblivion chuckled again. “There are a few. Most of them are drunken escapades though.”
Twilight gave a bright giggle and looked at him, her purple eyes sparkled in the sun.
So let’s hear one of them. I am a grown mare and Spike isn’t’ here so I can hear them.”
Oblivion barked a laugh and nodded, he considered his options for a moment before he spoke. “All right. One of the times all of us were at Kaer Morhen together for the winter. It was Geralt, Lambert, Eskel and myself. Vesemir was there, but not part of this stupidity. We were up late playing cards and, of course, drinking ourselves stupid. So I was on one side of the table with Geralt. Lambert and Eskel are on the other side. After a few hands of cards, Lambert decided it was time for a contest. Of course, we knew he meant a drinking contest. So he told us about a game a student from one of the magic colleges taught him. One pony says ‘I have never...’ if the others have done that thing they take a shot, then it’s their turn. So we all decided to play. Cause we’re idiots.” Oblivion started. Twilight giggled and waited for the rest of the story. “Lambert started out since he was the one who knew the game best. He said ‘I have never had to jump out a lover’s window.” Twilight giggled and waited for him to continue. “I didn’t drink, Geralt didn’t, and Eskel did.”
Twilight barked a laugh and put one hoof over her muzzle. “Needless to say of course we had to ask. He was sleeping with the wife of a noble, who vehemently, hated Witchers and all non-hu... non-ponies. His wife did not hate Witchers. In fact, she was quite fond of them, especially Eskel it seemed.”
Twilight looked shocked. “So she was sleeping with one behind her husband’s back?”
Oblivion nodded. “Several times might I add. Hubby came back early one night and Eskel had to jump out a window to avoid getting her and him in deep shit. Granted he left a very expensive piece of armor behind. He went to the house a few days later and found it in the bushes outside. We assume that she saw it and tossed it out.”
Twilight laughed aloud and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Okay, so that means it's Eskel’s turn. What did he say?”
“He said ‘I have never fallen down drunk while tracking a contract.’ I expected Lambert to fall on his sword with that one. He surprised me by not drinking. Geralt however, did. So, of course, we had to ask. He told us about a monster that he had to bait by being completely and utterly soused. So he walked down the narrow streets of Oxenfurt singing the maids of vicavaro at the top of his lungs. And to answer the question it is a really vulgar and rude song that drunks will use to piss off guards. So he walked around the streets by the tavern since it seemed this monster, which turned out to be a katakan, had a thing for the blood of drunks.”
“Wait. What's a katakan?”
“A higher vampire. Not the worst of them but fast as hell and just as mean. So it took a bit, but it eventually came after him. So Geralt had to fight it, drunk off his ass. Thankfully he is no slouch with a silver blade, even tossed, so it fled and he had to sober up quickly to chase it down.”
Twilight smiled. “Good for him. Okay, his turn.”
“All right, so, Geralt looks at each of us and waits for a second. Now bear in mind that at this point all of us have been drinking for a few hours at least. ‘I have never taken fisstech.’ Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert didn’t drink, I did.”
“What is fisstech?”
“It’s a drug, a very nasty one. It’s highly addictive and in large doses is fatal.” He informed the mare.
“Why in Equestria would you take that?”
“It was not intentional. It was an accident. I took a contract to put an end to some bandits that were murdering and pony napping merchants and peasants.” Twilight waited patiently. “So I found their lair which turned out to be hidden in the underbrush and opened the hatch. I found them and after fighting a few of them, I turned to the others and got a face full of it. Of course, me being the fool that I was, I inhaled. And that’s how you ingest it. At first, I was not sure what they had hit me with.”
“How did it affect you? Your body has been altered.”
Oblivion sighed and a smirk went across his features. “Basically it induced a state of heightened attack.” Twilight looked at him. “Basically it made me angry, very angry. It hurt like hell and burned. My lungs were on fire, my nose bled and I was half-blind. A Witcher is not immune to losing their temper, though it takes a long time to get us to it. I have to admit it was one of the most unpleasant experiences I have been through.”
“How long did it last?”
“To damned long in my opinion. I ran out of targets and eventually just collapsed. The drug put my system into overdrive and ran through my store of energy in a half hour. Normally that lasts days. Needless to say, I collapsed among the bodies and came to the next morning, with a pounding headache and covered in the Gods knew what. I picked up a few pieces of paper and realized I'd been hit with a huge dose of fisstech. Hoping it would slow me down, or kill me. Should have killed me, but due to the enhanced Trial, it just hurt like hell. Never thought I would be happy about being experimented on.”
Twilight chuckled. “Okay, so now it’s your turn. Did anyone get Lambert to drink?”
“Oh yes. ‘I have never fallen on my own sword while drunk.’ Any Witcher with brains knows to keep the weapons away from yourself when you drink. Otherwise, it ends badly. Only Lambert drank on that round.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes. So we have to ask about the story. Lambert took a contract on a bunch of drowners. Nasty bipedal creatures that feed on the living. So he got rid of them, they run in groups, but aren’t a major problem for an experienced Witcher. So he took a few heads as proof and went back to the village Elder. This is one of the only times I have ever heard of a village being thankful to a Witcher. They led him to the tavern and bought the drinks.”
“Oh, this won’t end well.”
“With Lambert it never does. But it’s usually hilarious. After several hours and a few drinking contests later Lambert is so pissed drunk that he can’t see straight. The locals lead him outside so he can puke out there and leave him be for a few minutes. They came back to find one of the village children standing with Lambert's steel sword in his hands. He was smart enough to not have them on his back in case he fell, but he set them down by the fence and the little kid grabbed one to play with. Lambert looked up from the fence he was laying on and despite being tossed he saw that the sword the kid was trying to swing around was his own. Unfortunately, he stood up, yelled at the kid, scared the brat, who turned and Lambert found himself with his own sword in his leg.”
“Oh, ouch.”
“Yeah. The kid screamed and dropped it which made the injury worse and ran. Lambert would have followed if not for the ground coming racing up to meet him. Passed out and had to be taken care of by the village. He woke up with a screaming hangover and a heavily bandaged leg. Lesson learned. When you get yourself pickled that badly put the swords on your saddle first. Kids won’t go near it.”
“What if he got attacked in the tavern?”
“Use your fists and speed. A Witcher is able to fight without the swords, it’s just faster with them.”
Twilight laughed as they walked through the front gate. Apple Bloom was out front playing and she smiled at the sight of the two ponies. Twilight leaned into him for a moment and spoke. “Will have to hear more stories another time.” She chuckled and Oblivion glanced back to her.
Apple Bloom ran up to them as they came through the front gate. “Ya feel better Oblivion? Applejack said ya were gonna get fixed up.”
“I’m doing better Apple Bloom thank you for asking.” He said to her as she bounced on her hooves.
“Good. Can ya play?” She asked.
“Unfortunately I can’t yet, little one.”
“I got her.” Sasa said as she jumped forward and batted her paws at the now squealing filly. The cat chased her until they reached her ball and began to play with it as the cat batted it at her.
The feline remained with the filly while Oblivion and Twilight went to the tree and laid down under it. The mare folded her legs to lay under her as a sudden giggle pulled from her. The Elder Witcher looked at her and waited for her to explain. “I was just thinking about how that game would go if it was played with all of our friends.”
He thought about it for a moment before he snorted. “Gods. I don’t even want to think of how Pinkie would react to ending up drunk. She breaks enough rules of nature as it is.”
Twilight laughed and nodded. “That’s true. But I still think it would prove to be very interesting.”
“No doubt of that. The question is how can any pony get drunk on the weak booze that is here? I tried some of it in Canterlot and it was weak at best. It would take a barrel of it to end up drunk or even close to it.”
“I haven’t tried many drinks, but I wouldn’t think it would be that difficult to accomplish. It’s probably the same as the stuff you see where you’re from.”
He barked a laugh as he interrupted the mare. “If I gave any of you the alcohol that comes from my homeland you’d be under the nearest table in a matter of minutes.”
Twilight looked affronted at the stallion and she lowered her head slightly as he grumbled. “What makes you so sure of that?”
His eyes laughed at her as he quickly looked around and then magic flowed over his body and a bottle appeared in front of her. The bottle was a deep green and a simple cork blocked the liquid from escaping. “This is called Mahakaman Spirit. It’s on the stronger side.”
He removed the stopper with magic and his magic held it out to her. She leaned forward to sniff the contents and he watched as her nose scrunched up and she pulled her head back swiftly from the bottle. She rubbed her nose and coughed as he put the cork back in place and sent the bottle back to his saddlebags. “What in Celestia’s name? Oh, it burns.”
He chuckled at her expense. “I warned you.”
Twilight waited until she could speak without coughing before replying to him. “You drink that?”
“Of course. It’s a favorite of a good friend of ours.”
“Oh by the sun. That was awful.”
“Sasa sniffed it and had much the same reaction.”
Twilight coughed and seemed to finally fully recover from the scent. “How can anypony drink that? Oh wow, that hurt. Do you just not breathe when you drink it?”
“I breathe just fine. I’m not surprised it was so startling to you. The spirits here were like weak juice in comparison.”
“Anything is weak compared to that stuff.” She grumbled as a serious expression suddenly crossed her face. “You’re not drinking that in your condition are you?”
“Gods no. I’m many things Twilight but I am not stupid.”
“I thought not. But I figured asking wasn’t a bad idea.”
Oblivion looked away from her and his orange eyes fell on the feline as she and Apple Bloom kicked up dust as they played. He watched them and he laid his head down to watch them. Twilight moved one leg and put a hoof on the front of his shoulder, earning her his attention. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. It was terrible seeing you in so much pain. Even though you are a master of hiding it I can only imagine how much it truly hurt.”
“It’s fine. I’ll live through it and keep moving forward, same as always.”
She removed her hoof and folded it back under her. Oblivion closed his eyes and relaxed his body. His neck and back felt better so he ignored any lingering soreness in them. He knew that his back had been pulled on and he would feel that pull tomorrow. At that moment he only felt tired and a bit drained. His magic was fine, it was his physical strength that was lowered.
Oblivion’s head snapped up and he groaned at the sudden stab of pain from his right side. It faded in moments but he paused nonetheless. Twilight was still by him, but she had a book with her. The purple mare looked at him as he looked around him, startled. Sasa stopped playing with Apple Bloom and looked at the black stallion. He looked away from the mare and started to get to his hooves.
“What is it Chosen?” The cat asked as she could no doubt sense that he was suddenly on edge.
“There is something here.” He replied to her through their connection.
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure. It’s to the right of the barn, farther into the field.”
“I’ll check. You remain here.” The cat said to him as she turned and ran in the direction he had instructed.
“Gods dammit of all the bad timing.” He griped quietly.
“It’s fine Chosen. I can borrow power from you if needed. If I get overwhelmed I will call for you. You can use magic as a ranged attack if the need arises.”
“Agreed.” Oblivion said to her.
“Oh my, that stench.”
“Describe it.”
“Dirt, blood, and hang on…” Sasa went silent as she walked. He waited in silence for the cat to speak. “Water?”
“Drowner.” Oblivion said to her. “Can you hear how many?”
“No the scent is fading. There is no sign of it that I can see. Your eyesight is better suited to this than I. I am a hunter but you are superior to me in tracking. That is frustrating.”
“Yes it is. It has happened to me before.”
“Oh. How often?”
“This makes four. Nekker, Noon Wraith, Drowners. Gods. What is happening? It seems as though my world is bleeding into this one. The monsters are never close to ponies but close enough to catch my attention.” He considered something for a few moments before he went on. “Could it be due to the fact that I am here?”
Sasa was quiet as she trotted back toward the farm. “I do not have an answer for you, Chosen. It seems as though it is bleeding into it some. Seems to be minimal but that could change over time. I do not believe your presence has anything to do with it.”
“They appear close enough to me for me to notice but far enough that they vanish before I reach them. Is it possible that when I came here there was overlap? Similar to the Conjunction of the Spheres?”
“You’ll have to explain what that is later to me. I can get information from your memories but I choose not to since you do not like mind reading.”
“I’ll explain later. Just get back here.”
“Very well.” The cat agreed and began to move toward him at a faster gait.
Oblivion sighed and cursed quietly under his breath. He turned to find Twilight watching him closely.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You woke up suddenly and stared out past the barn. Sasa took off like a shot and you had this intense look to you.” Her eyes lit up as understanding came over her. “Was it another Wraith?”
“No according to Sasa could scent out it was probably a Drowner. Without being there myself I can’t be positive. But the scent she described is familiar.”
“What is a Drowner?”
Oblivion considered his options before speaking. “A drowner is a monster that lives in bogs and rivers. They are normally packed creatures. Groups of 4 to 10 are not uncommon. They are bipedal being that is normally cowardly creature, but every now and then they will become predators. If alone pony should wander off a trail, or stumble upon them then they better hope they can run fast. They are fast and will pull their victim under the water and drown them. Shall I continue?”
“No, no. I’m good,” Twilight said to him as Sasa walked up to them and flopped to the ground. “I’m glad you didn’t run after it yourself. I think that would have torn your stitches and caused your wounds to bleed.”
“It’s true that might have. Whatever it was had vanished by the time Sasa reached it. I am left chasing my tail just like the others.” He commented with a snort.
Twilight set her book on her back as she stood up. “Well, I am going to head back to the Library. I decided to wait until you woke up. I don’t want you to wake up alone. But now that your awake and have Sasa at your side I can head back and start asking around about who paid for your treatment. I’ll talk to you as soon as I find anything out.”
“I appreciate the help Twilight. Thank you again for your help so far.”
The purple mare look at him and smiled brightly. “Glad to help out. Get some rest Oblivion.”
The stallion nodded and the mare teleported away in a flash of magenta magic. Sasa rolled over and wriggled until she was closer to him. “I’m glad you don’t seem to be in any pain Chosen.”
“Whatever pain there is, it’s not dire.” He said as he looked up as a bright orange light off to the side caught his eyes.
Applejack came out of the orchard to find him matching her. She smiled and trotted over to him and stopped close to him. “Ya’ll are awake. Ah came by a couple o’ times and ya were out cold.”
“How long was I out?”
“Two hours or so.” Sasa supplied.
“Ah’m not sure. Twilight woulda knew the answer ta that.”
“Not a problem. Sasa knew the answer as well.” Oblivion said to her as the cat purred loudly.
“Well, ya gonna go huntin’ this evenin’?”
“I had intended to yes. I will wait till Granny Smith goes to bed then teleport to the forest.”
Applejack looked away from him for a moment. “Well, ya could just tell ‘er.”
Oblivion’s ears went back and he looked to the mare. “Oh?”
“Yeah. Yer gonna have to bring it up eventually. So why not now. Since yer injured she checks on ya at night ta make sure yer okay.”
Oblivion stared at her. “How do I not wake up?”
“You move a bit you do not perceive her as a threat. So your system does not react in a way to protect yourself. That little bit of movement you do is not enough to wake you.” Sasa said to him. “I wake up and see her but I am a light sleeper.”
“Hmm.” Oblivion chose to let that go and move on. “True enough. Would be simpler than trying to sneak off each time.”
“Exactly. Ah’ll take Apple Bloom with me ta do a couple o’ chores.” Applejack said as she called for her sibling to join her and led her away from the house.
Oblivion got slowly to his hooves and walked toward the old mare, who sat in her rocking chair on the porch. “Granny Smith. If I may have a moment of your time, there is something I wish to speak to you about.”
The old mare leaned forward in her rocker and smiled. “Ah course, sonny. Ah got all the time in the world fer ya.” She said to him as he neared the porch and stopped on the other side of it, the railing between them.
“I will be going into the Everfree forest this evening, please let me explain before you react.” He cut off the mare’s protests before she could start. “Where I am from ponies eat more than just hay and flowers. We are omnivores. Meaning we can eat anything. From plants to meat.” He paused and waited for the reaction, which if judging from her grandchildren, would be interesting. To his surprise, the aged mare waited for him to continue. “So I use the forest as a hunting ground rather than hunt around town and risk upsetting every pony.”
The mare considered what he said. “How are ya gonna hunt injured like ya are?”
“Sasa will be doing the hunting till I recover. I will stand back and let her take care of it. I would rather not make my injuries worse.”
“Well, that’s good ta hear. So ya need ta eat meat?”
“Yes. I did attempt to go without it while I was here and it resulted in me getting sick.”
Granny Smith nodded. “Well tha way ah see it if ya need a special diet then ya have to have it. Just be careful.” Sasa went up onto the porch and sat by the green mare, who reached down to hug her. “Let this here kitty do the work fer ya. Ah want ya ta be healthy and if ya need ta eat meat to be healthy then ah won’t argue with ya. Mah grandchildren need ta be happy and healthy.”
Oblivion stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. He opened them as he questioned the mare. “So you are not going to argue with me about killing animals?”
Granny Smith grimaced at his words. “Well, it is a lotta take in but ah want ya ta recover from yer wounds and be healthy. Ya have been tired and worn down the past couple of days. If this will help perk ya up then ah say git hunting.”
“I thank you for your understanding. Applejack and Big Mac are already aware of this so it was decided that this was the best time to mention it. The only one who does not know is Apple Bloom. I planned on keeping it from her till she is a bit older. Unless you object.”
“Nah. The filly needs ta grow up some.”
“I agree.” Oblivion backed up and started to turn away when he heard Sasa growl. He glanced back to see Sasa jumping away from the chair.
“Ah’m sorry pretty girl. Ah didn’t see yer paw there.” The mare bent over and the cat allowed the mare to pull her to her and console her. “Ah know. Ya stay right there. Ah’ll be right back.”
The mare slid out of her chair and walked into the house. Sasa walked over to him and waited for him to stop staring at where the mare had been. “You seem shocked?”
“I was expecting a similar reaction to her grandchildren. Disbelief and some arguing, but then acceptance after a bit of time. I was not ready for acceptant without any argument.”
“As far as she is concerned if you need to eat something different then that is what you need to do. So long as her family is healthy then so is she.”
“But I am not one of them. Not in the literal sense.”
Sasa laughed and swatted his leg with her paw. “You think blood is what ties you to her? You know better than that Chosen. Like the others, you are considered one of them. Despite you being from another world entirely. It does not matter to them.” Sasa stopped speaking as Granny Smith came out of the house on three legs.
Oblivion looked at the old mare and then to the little box on her hooves. She sat back on her haunches and put it up to her face. “All right. Ya turn ta look at me and hold still. Git that kitten a yers ta hold still and pretty fer me.”
“Oh! It’s a camera. Hold on Chosen.” Sasa jumped to him and pressed her forehead against his hip and pushed him until his side was facing Granny Smith. She looked at the bandages on his body and then at him. “Can you summon your cloak for this?” Magic flowed over him as the cloak appeared on him and covered the white bandages. With that finished Sasa jumped to sit down in front of his chest and looked at the camera. “It’s a small machine that holds an image and places it on paper. It’s a permanent image similar to a drawing you might do. It’s how ponies keep many memories of times past. Now look at her and don’t scowl.” The cat admonished the confused stallion as he listened to her.
He looked up at the aged mare who was now smiling from behind the camera. “That’s perfect.” She hollered and held the camera in her hooves.
A bright flash went off with a popping sound and Oblivion was stock still at the sound. White dots covered his vision and he shook his head to try to rid himself of them. “Gods below.” He muttered.
“Ah got it!” She waved a hoof through the air with a piece of paper clutched in her grip. She held up the camera once more and he bit back a groan as Sasa purred. The flash went off a second time and he cringed once the camera was lowered. Sasa growled as she walked up to the old mare and looked over her shoulder. Oblivion waited for the spots to fade a bit more before he did the same. Granny Smith reached up to his mane and pulled his head till he was around to the side of her to see what she was holding. In her hoof were the two photos. He managed to hide the surprise in his eyes as he found himself staring at two perfect images of what they had been doing.
“What do you do with them now?”
“Now? Ya follow me. Ah’ll show ya.” The green mare ambled off and the pair of them fell in behind her. She went into the house and into the front room. She pulled two thick books off the shelf and went to the couch. She sat down and set them both on her lap. The black pony watched as she opened one of the thick books. “This here is the photo album. Come over here and see.”
Oblivion walked over and looked over the top of the book. He could see several photos of the family and watched as she stuck the one of him and Sasa into the book and wrote the date and time on it. She closed that down and opened the other, laying it over her lap. “This one is the family album. The other is for fun and chronicles all the important events. Ah forgot ta get yer picture afore.” She opened the book and laid the photo inside it and made sure it stuck. She wrote on it as well and labeled it. She looked to the stallion and leaned forward. She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. Oblivion started and looked at her. “Now ah got all mah grandchildren in the book.”
Oblivion looked to her, having recovered from the kiss from the old mare. “Should I really be in that book? I have not grown up here nor am I related.”
Granny Smith laughed as she regarded the black unicorn. “Ya may not have been born and raised here, but that doesn’t matter. Now, be careful and safe on yer hunting trip.” She said as she got off the couch and started outside.
When she was out of sight Oblivion looked down at Sasa. “What just happened?”
She looked at him and a toothy smile came over her face. “You just came muzzle to muzzle with pure love. A parent feels such a thing for their offspring and in this case, Granny Smith is happy to call you one of her own. Even if you are her senior.”
“That’s another thing. They know very little about me. I am hiding that I am not of their world, made to wield a World Spirit, and I am Immortal. To name a few.” He argued.
“You can tell them any of those things Chosen. I am certain that they would not cast you out for any of those things. Love is many things. It just means that they are attached to you and cannot imagine their world without you. You are limiting yourself by the secrets you hold.”
“Perhaps. But I do not think I am ready for them to know at this time.” He admitted to the Spectral Tiger.
“I can understand. Eventually, you will be ready to let them in.”
The stallion said nothing in reply to her. He made for the door while the rest of the Appel family was coming indoors. He watched as Apple Bloom went to the table to do her homework while Applejack and Granny Smith moved to start cooking. Mac sat down by the table in case they might need him to help. Sasa moved to sit under the table and stayed silent and still. As dinner began Oblivion declined. The elder ponies gave a knowing look as they sat in silence and ate.
“Why do you not use your magic to hunt?” Sasa asked him.
“Where is the sport in that?”
“That’s true, but in your state it would be safest.”
“I have you for the hunting this evening. Besides would you like me to grab our dinner or work for it?”
Sasa was quiet as she lowered her head. “Good point.”
Oblivion looked down at her for a moment as they finished their meal. Oblivion stood up with them and teleported upstairs. Sasa bounded after him as he walked into his room. He would wait until Apple Bloom was in her room asleep before he left for the Everfree. He laid down on his bed and picked up one of his books and began to read through parts of it as he waited. Equestria's history flowed from page to page and he read through it carefully, ensuring he understood it. He did find the tale of the Windigo’s foolish but he supposed that since he was not from here that it could be true. Even if it did make no sense to him. Applejack leaned into his room and got his attention.
“Have a good night. Be careful.” She said to him, a smile on her muzzle.
“I will AJ.”
“So how did Granny take the news?”
“Surprisingly well actually. You and Mac looked frightened for a time, but there was none of that with her. She even decided she needed to take a picture of Sasa and me for an album.”
“Ahh, she finally did it. That’s good. Ah was beginnin’ ta think Ah would need ta do it fer her.”
“Not needed.”
Applejack chuckled and moved to pull her head back. “Well, have a nice walk.”
“I will, thank you.”
She left the room and Oblivion went back to his book. His ears flicked as he listened to the rest of the family begin to go to bed after a couple of hours. It took some time but he was rewarded for his patience. “Come Sasa.” The cat grumbled as he stepped off the bed and teleported himself to the Everfree, then he called on Sasa.
“All right so how are we going to accomplish this?” The cat asked him.
“You know how to hunt. I’ll show you a few areas that are usually inhabited.” Oblivion moved ahead of the cat and led her into the forest.
“I have to admit. The ponies were not kidding when they said this place was creepy.” The cat commented as she followed the Black Pegasus.
“It doesn’t seem that way to me.” Then again I have spent my life in forests far worse than this one.” He replied to her.
“That’s true.” She said as she pulled up next to him as he stopped and he pointed ahead of her.
A small herd of deer grazed far in front of them. Sasa gave him a slight nod as she slowly began to slink toward them. He watched as she minded the wind and adjusted as needed. Her paws were silent on the soft tall grass as she stalked ahead, she paused and looked back at him and he nodded that he would wait in place for her.
They returned several hours later to the farmhouse and Oblivion climbed into his bed with the cat by the window. He sighed and laid quietly as his wings lazed at his sides and he pushed his head into his pillow. He closed his eyes for a moment before he looked past Sasa to the window. The moon was high in the sky and he looked out as it lit the grounds around them and cast them in soft light. He laid his head back down and his wings flicked as they fell to the mattress and he said nothing as he let his mind drift until he slept.