//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: The Vagabond // by trooper7051 //------------------------------// VAGABOND PART 9 Arabesque smiled at the figure before her. The colt she knew in life stood before her now, a proud stallion. His body was no longer emaciated and thin, but full and strong, covered with lean muscle from his years of walking. His mane and tail were thick and full, a handsome light brown that flowed down behind his neck and flanks. Gone was the look of suffering and despair. That look had been replaced with a confidence and assurance that spoke of leadership. He was, Arabesque had to admit, a good looking pegasus, if you could get past the missing wings and scar tissue behind his cutie-mark. His amethyst colored eyes shone brightly as he looked upon his oldest friend. Arabesque smiled, "You are whole once again, my friend." she said. The stallion looked at himself, from hoof to back, "As whole as I can ever be I suppose. I'm dead aren't I?" he asked. Arabesque nodded, "Your body could take no more. You barely held together until the end, but you succeeded. You saved the old mare. You died a hero." The stallion shook his head, mane flowing back and forth, "I am no hero, Arabesque, but I couldn't stand idly by while there was something I could do. I was the only one who could have done it, so I did. I didn't have a choice." Arabesque tilted her head to the side, "You could have stayed outside and lived." The stallion shook his head again, "That is not living. To stay put while others suffer? That isn't right. They were helpless, I wasn't." "You knew it would cost you your life, but you went anyway. That is who you really are. That is the colt I knew in life. It has taken you a long time, but you are him once again. Welcome back." Arabesque said. The stallion shrugged, "So what now? Do I get to learn the secrets of the universe?" he asked. Arabesque shook her head, "No, I'm afraid not." The stallion raised an eyebrow, "You know them. Why can't I?" he asked, "Who am I going to tell? I'm kind of dead here. You know passed on, bought the farm, kicked the bucket. I'm not exactly going to be spreading the secrets all over Equestria now am I?" Arabesque hadn't laughed in a long time, but she did then, "You could tell one of your friends." she said. "How? I don't plan on haunting anypony." he said. "What is the duration of your healing potion?" Arabesque asked. "Three days." the stallion said. "Did you know it works even after the body has died?" Arabesque asked. "I do now." the stallion said. Arabesque nodded, "It continues to mend the body post mortem. It even heals scars, if administered in time." "I fail to see your point Arabesque." the stallion said. "Your friends removed the piece of glass from your chest and your lungs healed. The doctor noticed that your burns were still healing, when he visited your body in the morgue. He informed your friends of the healing. They pieced everything together and convinced the doctor to give you C.P.R. while Twilight cast the spell you came up with, even though you had been dead for two days. It worked. Your body is alive. In the time you perceive we've been talking, three months have passed in Ponyville. Your body lives but you are not inhabiting it. You have to go back and live again. You still have much to do before you join me here." Arabesque informed the disbelieving wingless pegasus before her. The stallion groaned, "I don't want to have to die again. It was horrible beyond words. I want to stay here with you. I love you Arabesque." Arabesque walked up to him and nuzzled his neck affectionately, "I loved you as my best friend, and I always will, but I was never meant to be your wife. You have a full life ahead of you. I will be here for you when you return." The stallion began to fade, slowly becoming transparent, "Please, let me stay." he begged. "I am sorry but you have to live." Arabesque said The stallion focused his, now impressive, will and actually began to re-solidify, 'I WILL stay with Arabesque.' he thought, 'I will NEVER abandon her.' he opened his eyes and faced Arabesque, "Never again! Never again will I abandon you." he said. Arabesque took the stallion's face in her hooves, "You are not abandoning me. You have a purpose. You have others to help. Remember what you said about traveling and leaving a legacy? Don't you want to fulfill that? Don't you want to bring relief to those who are suffering? Do you want others to suffer like you did? There are many who can benefit from your potions. If you stay, you will be denying others the chance to have what I lost. You will be responsible for their misery. Do you want that?" she asked softly. The stallion sighed heavily, "I will go, but tell me one thing, first." "I may be able to tell you." Arabesque said. "Will I ever know happiness again?" he asked. "Do your friends not make you happy?" Arabesque asked. "Of course they do, but I mean, will I ever marry? Will I ever get the chance to have a family?" he asked. "Does the answer really matter?" Arabesque asked. The stallion had been about to say something, but he stopped himself. He had to be honest with himself, 'Does the answer really matter?' he wondered, 'If I can help others, do my desires really matter? I WANT to know, but others NEED my help. It doesn't matter what I want. If I can do something about the pain that others are experiencing, I have a responsibility to do it.' The stallion made his decision, "No it doesn't." he said, "You have been looking out for me for years. I want you to know I appreciate that." "I know." Arabesque said, "One last thing before you go." she said as the stallion began to fade, "I cannot tell you what the future holds, but I can tell you this: No matter what you see, no matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, through love all things are possible." she said. The stallion was fading fast, barely more than a wisp of a shadow, but he heard Arabesque say, "Go and bring hope to those who are in despair." The stallion floated away slowly. Away from where? He could not say, for he did not know. He felt like he was rising, falling, spinning, and twisting all at the same time. He had no concept of time, for he was incapable of being patient or impatient. He felt neither urgent nor casual. He simply existed. Eventually he perceived a mild disturbance that was both sound and movement at the same time. It was faint at first, but slowly, ever so slowly, the intensity increased. It was being produced by a heart beating. He slowly became aware of his body as the fog in his mind began to fade. His senses slowly began to crawl back under his control and re-created his physical perception. The first sense to return to him was touch. He felt his body being immersed in warm liquid and the feeling of somepony bathing him with a soft sponge. The second sense was smell. He smelled clean linens, and lilac scented soap. The third sense to return was taste. He tasted celery and radish broth. The fourth sense to return was sight. He slowly cracked open his eyes. His eyes felt heavy, like they were weighted down. He took in his surroundings, but didn't dare to try to turn his head, just moving his eyes wore him out almost immediately. He saw a white ceiling above him and the tops of white curtains around him on all sides. He closed his eyes and decided to try again later. Finally, his hearing returned in full force. He could hear two ponies talking, "I'm sorry Pinkie Pie but visiting hours are over. I have to ask you to leave. You can come back tomorrow morning." "O.K. I'll just leave this next to his bed." Pinkie chirped, "I don't want him to be hungry when he wakes up." The other pony, the stallion recognized as Dr. Mend, said "Pinkie please, you've left a cake here with him every day for the last three months." "But he never had a chance to taste one of my cakes." Pinkie pouted. The thought of a piece of cake woke the stallion up all the way, "Cake." he moaned slowly. Pinkie Pie and Dr. Mend stopped talking. The stallion waited for what seemed like eternity then decided to repeat his request, "Cake." he said again more clearly. Suddenly, there was a high-pitched explosion of sound, "HE'S AWAKE!" Pinkie Pie squealed. Pinkie Pie launched herself into the air, through the curtains, and clobbered the formerly comatose stallion off the bed and right onto the floor, in a giggling tackle. The stallion found himself laughing, despite the discomfort of having a fully-grown earth pony on top of him. He opened his eyes and beheld the pink pony who was framed by lights that seemed to be way too bright. Pinkie Pie bent down and enveloped him in a massive hug, eyes streaming with tears, "Oh my gosh! I've never been so happy in all my life! We've missed you so much! We all come to visit you every day. We read to you and talk to you and bring you things and . . . and . . . and . . . It's just so good to have you back! Oh, my gosh I have to tell Rainbow Dash, she just left!" Pinkie Pie sprung up off the stallion and disappeared in a cloud of dust which somehow materialized out of thin air. The stallion couldn't help but to laugh at Pinkie's antics, "I've missed you too Pinkie." he whispered. Big Macintosh plodded steadily against the weight that tried, in vain, to hold him back. An earth pony about Big Macintosh's age called to him, "Can yall hold it there for a minute Big Mac?" the voice belonged to Big Mac's cousin, Red Delicious, or just Red to his family. "Ayup." Big Mac responded. The entire Apple family had descended on Sweet Apple Acres, once the news of the fire reached them. Everypony pitched in to rebuild the destroyed house. The barn was filled to overflowing with the extended members of the Apple clan. In three months the new house was nearly completed. The builders were down to tacking on the roof shingles. The new house was even better than the old one. It was twice as big and far more spacious. The day was almost done, and night was falling quickly. The workers could smell the nightly feast of apple related foods that were being prepared for them. Red called to Big Mac again, after a few minutes, "Alright, take a couple of steps back, so we can land this here pallet." Big Mac backed up three steps and stopped when he felt the tension on the rope slack off. He was facing Ponyville and very much enjoying the sunset, 'Ah wish he was here with us. He'd love this sunset. He seemed like the kind of pony to be able to appreciate this kind of thing.' Big Mac's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a gleam of sunlight reflecting off a cyan blue body that was flying toward him from the direction of Ponyville at reckless speed. Big Mac threw back his head and bellowed, "Incoming! Hit the dirt!" Everypony within earshot, which meant dozens, instantly ducked and covered their heads with their hooves. A few short seconds later, Rainbow Dash collided headlong with an eight-layer thick weaved canvas with a bulls-eye painted on it. The Apple family had erected the canvas specifically for her, to minimize possible injury, but wanted to take no chances, and thusly were in the habit of ducking when anypony yelled. Rainbow Dash hit the canvas yelling, "He woke up! He's awake! Applejack, Big Mac come quick he's awake!" she yelled laughing. Big Mac turned his head and yelled up to his cousin, "Yall good up there Red?" he asked. Red looked perplexed, "Yeah I'm all set. Hey, Big Mac," he yelled back, "Who woke up?" Big Mac slipped out of the harness he wore and called back, "The pony that saved Applebloom and Granny!" Rainbow Dash sped away from Sweet Apple Acres and pulled to a halt, in mid air, hovering above Ponyville's square. She saw the citizens of Ponyville down below her going about their business, oblivious to what was coming their way. Rainbow Dash drew in a huge breath and yelled at the top of her lungs, "STAMPEDE!" The ground shook under the onslaught of heavy hooves striking the ground. The square cleared out almost instantly as ponies retreated to their homes. A cloud of dust came up over the hill between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville as the entire Apple family charged, one and all, toward Dr. Mend's Medical Care Facility. They all wanted to personally thank the brave hero that had saved their relatives. Dr. Mend could not believe the speed of the former Vagabond's recovery, "There is positively no reason he should be able to speak at all right now!" he said to the attending nurse, "By all rights he should be starring off into space, drooling and trying to relearn how to use his eyes! I've never even heard of this! Nopony comes out of a coma with full faculties! He was clinically dead for two full days! He was dead! Now he's acting like he was just taking a nap!" "I can hear you, you know doctor." the formerly vegetative pony said, smiling. "THAT!" Dr. Mend said expressively, "IS normal. Hearing is supposed to be the first sense to return, not the last!" he turned to his royal blue coated patient, "How are you speaking in full sentences?" he asked. Dr. Mend's patient only shrugged, "I have no idea. I feel fine though. May I have visitors now?" he asked. Dr. Mend walked over to the door to his office and tossed his whole clipboard into the trash, "I don't see why not. I can't find anything wrong with you." he admitted dejectedly, "I'm going to keep you overnight for observation then discharge you in the morning. Now I have to throw away everything I spent years learning," Dr. Mend ranted, "Twelve years of my life thrown away for nothing." Dr. Mend entered his office and closed the door behind him, still mumbling to himself. The nurse cast a worried look at Dr. Mend's office door and sighed. She turned and walked toward the double doors leading to the waiting area. She pushed open the doors and starred silently, in awe. A veritable ocean of faces turned ominously in her direction. The nurse let out a whimper, as the bodies attached to those faces rose from the floor, "Oh boy." The Apple family eventually departed, late into the night, leaving eight ponies to talk alone finally. "But darling you just woke up. You simply cannot leave now!" Rarity argued. The royal blue stallion shook his head, "I have to Rarity. There are ponies all over Equestria in need of the kind of help I can provide. It would be selfish of me to stay here. I consider Ponyville my home now. I will return someday, but the world can benefit from my potions." Nopony present could argue his words. The eight friends sat on and around the hospital bed silently. Nopony was happy about the former Vagabond having to leave. The double doors leading to the waiting area swung open and Dr. Mend walked in. He stopped a few short feet away from the eight friends and just stood there for a few minutes silently. "Are you going to go to Canterlot to study?" Dr. Mend asked. The royal blue stallion nodded, "That's my plan. I need to learn more." "I'm going with you then." Dr. Mend said, "I'm old school and apparently out of touch with recent medical breakthroughs. I can't help anypony with ignorance. I'll do more harm than help if I don't keep up to date, and I can't do that from here. I tenured my resignation to the Mayor just now. She'll see it in the morning. I'll go pack." Twilight shot up off her haunches, "You can't abandon Ponyville!" she shouted. "I haven't and I won't. I'll be back. I still have foals to deliver and broken bones to set. I just have to be sure I know the correct procedures when lives are at stake. For instance, I had no idea unicorns could force start a heart. That fact alone saved two lives. I intend to save as many lives as I can, it's my passion in life, and it's who I am. I abandoned that once and I refuse to do so again." Dr. Mend said with conviction. "Actually," the royal blue wingless pegasus said, embarrassed, "I came up with that concept." Dr. Mend was dumbstruck, so Twilight spoke for him, "You said you had seen it done. Did you lie to us?" "No, I didn't. I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence then, I was dying and kind of in a hurry. What I had meant to say was that I had seen it done in my mind's eye. I had thought of the possibility before and the theory seemed sound enough. I just never had the chance to tell anypony about it before. I never meant to mislead any of you. I apologize." the stallion said. Dr. Mend found his voice, "Then we must travel to Canterlot immediately! Time is of the essence! Countless lives will be saved by The . . ." Dr. Mend trailed off, "The procedure needs a name. As the one who invented it, tradition dictates the procedure have your name on it." Pinkie Pie bounced up and down excitedly, "I'm so excited!" she squealed, "We finally get to learn your name!" "Ayup." "Oh, my. I had completely forgotten." Fluttershy said. "How in the wide world of Equestria did we overlook that?" Twilight asked. "We can't just let yall go without knowin' your name." Applejack said. "Well then come on darling, tell us." Rarity urged. "Yeah," Rainbow Dash said taking to the air, "We're all, like, dying to know." The royal blue stallion smiled to his friends, "My name is Valiant." he said. Twilight could only comment, "Well that's poetically ironic." Dear Princess Celestia, I apologize for the late hour of this letter but your urgent attention is requested. A new lifesaving medical breakthrough has been discovered by Valiant, the former Vagabond. The Valiant-Mend procedure has already saved two lives and the sooner word is spread, the more lives it will save. Valiant and Ponyville's doctor Dr. Mend wish to begin teaching the Valiant-Mend procedure as soon as possible and are ready to depart at any time. I await your response. Your Student Twilight Sparkle. Dear Twilight Sparkle, "You did right to send the letter. No matter the hour, if lives can be saved by any action, it is our responsibility to take it. I already dispatched a carriage before I began writing this letter. The carriage should arrive within the hour. I look forward to meeting Dr. Mend and Valiant when they arrive. Princess Luna P.S.: Celestia has 1,000 years of sleep to catch up on, so I took the liberty of responding myself since the lives of our subjects hang in the balance. The wind whipped Valiant's mane and tail all over the place as the carriage flew, pulled by a pair of white pegasai. He and Dr. Mend were nearly invisible in the moon light, although Dr. Mend's ice white mane and tail did rather stand out. Valiant looked toward his traveling companion and chuckled lightly. Dr. Mend more resembled a flying ghost than anything else. Dr. Mend, for his part, noticed Valiant's attention and cleared his throat; he had something he needed to say, "I hate it when I have to admit that I'm wrong. But I must apologize for what I did to you Valiant. I misjudged you." the older stallion admitted. Valiant smiled and said, "That makes two of us." THE END OF THE VAGABOND THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIALS OF THE ELEMENTS