//------------------------------// // The Visitor // Story: Renewal // by Artisan //------------------------------// "Is he going to be alright Nurse Redheart?" Twilight asked uneasily. Twilight watched the nurse as she tended to Ponyville's newest guest. The fur of the earth pony's white coat glistened in the overhead lights, complemented by a beautiful pale pink mane that she kept tied back in a bun. Redheart brushed a lock from her face, letting out a tired sigh as she wrote down a few notes on her clipboard. "Yes he'll be fine," she answered, "but it's a good thing you brought him here when you did. He was suffering from severe dehydration. He lost twelve percent of the water from his body, his pulse was out of control and his temperature spiked to 39 degrees. If he lost any more water it could have been fatal." Redheart turned away from the bedside and slowly trotted towards the unicorn. When she reached the couch Twilight sat on she placed her clipboard on a small wooden table nearby and took a seat alongside her. "Fortunately his condition's stable now. We're giving him water intravenously, though he'll probably be unconscious for a little while longer." For a long while the two mares sat in silence, watching the young stallion lying in bed. The four white walls and tile floor around them provided Twilight little in the way of distraction. Neither did the vase of flowers on any of the coffee tables dotting the room. There were no pictures to look at, no music to listen to, not even a roommate to talk to. The whole place was bland and sterile. Aside from the occasional good book nothing grabbed her attention. "Do you know him?" Redheart suddenly asked, breaking the silence. "I've never seen him before. We found him lying on the side of the road a little while ago. I asked Pinkie to come here for help and we brought him here." "I see," Redheart stated quietly, "I was hoping you could tell me who he is or where he's from, but I guess I'll ask him about it later. Right now there are other patients to attend to." She stepped up from the couch, grabbed the clipboard and headed for the door. "Feel free to stay and keep him company if you like," she told Twilight when she reached the door. With that she walked into the hallway outside. Twilight smiled at the nurse as she left and turned back to face the pale blue unicorn on the bed. However it wasn't long before a familiar voice echoed through the room. "Howdy Twilight," a deep, distinctly feminine voice greeted her. Twilight could recognize that southern accent in the voice anywhere. She looked over her shoulder to see a strong, fit looking earth pony with a bright, sun kissed orange coat trotting through the door. Her blonde mane was lightly brushed down her neck, all tied together at the end as it hung over her shoulder. The rest lay over her forehead with a slight wave at the tip. It was a simple style, used by one who favored hard work over prim and proper. Twilight smiled as the earth pony adjusted her Stetson hat; it was good to see Applejack again. "We searched the place you found that stallion at, just like you asked," another voice started, smooth and cultured, emphasizing each word as she trotted in next. This one stood in complete contrast to Applejack. The unicorn's gorgeous white coat shined in the lighting, not a single blemish present on her shapely, well-proportioned figure. Her deep blue eyes, unlike Applejack's round green ones, were elegantly curved, highlighted with the faintest touch of black eyeliner and light blue eye shadow. Her dark purple mane, similar in color to Twilight's, was regally brushed over the side of her face and down her shoulder. It was long and straight, but ended in beautiful curls, all without bending a hair out of place. It was a style that took hours to perfect, a style that emphasized her high standards demeanor. She was a true gem, just as her name described her, a Rarity. "But all we found was this boring old leather bag!" A high pitched, raspy voice finished. That raspy voice could only belong to one mare: Rainbow Dash. Flying into the room on a majestic pair of feathered wings, the light blue pegasus pony set herself down in the middle of the room. Like Applejack, Rainbow had a strong figure: sleek and athletic, yet still feminine in form. Her mane, naturally rainbow colored, lay worse than her orange counterpart's. The unruly mane barely followed a general direction as it stretched down her shoulder and over her forehead, strands of hair sticking out as if she hardly brushed it. It was a perfect reflection of her: fiery, competitive, wild, constantly seeking the thrill of the moment. "Hopefully whatever's in this bag can help you Twilight," a soft, gentle voice offered hopefully. A second pegasus flew in behind Rainbow Dash, this one with a pale yellow coat. She had a thinner, petite body compared to her friends, though she was still unquestionably beautiful. Her hazel eyes always showed others the kindness in her heart and the compassion of her soul, with none of the excessive flare of Rarity's makeup. Her bright pink mane was brushed to the side of her face. It was straight, yet was just close enough where she could hide behind those curtains if she wanted to. She had a mane style that truly expressed her awkward, shy nature, and a gentle face nopony could ever say no to. Fluttershy. As they all entered the room, each pony circled around the stallion. Rarity was the first to speak up. "I take it this is him?" Rarity asked, looking over the blue unicorn stallion as he lie peacefully in bed. He had a frail build, much like Fluttershy's and Twilight's. His short, dirty blonde mane lie disheveled along the pillow. "Looks like he had a rough ride," Applejack observed the bony look of his frame, "Ya know who he is?" "Unfortunately no, and there's no way to find out until he wakes up." Twilight answered. "Oh yes there is!" Rarity said with a bounce to her voice. She trotted over to the saddle bag they set on the couch. She reached over and unclasped the buckle, sorting through whatever was inside. "Rarity!" a shocked Pinkie voiced her dismay, "Didn't Sweetie Belle tell you going through somepony else's things is rude?" "Yes, she did," Rarity acknowledged, "but it did help us find out about her Gabby Gums business! It may help out here! Besides, he's not awake. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Twilight shook her head at Rarity's behavior. As Rarity toiled through his bag Twilight turned back to the stallion. She gasped, nearly jumping out of her skin in shock. One moment his eyes were shut, now they were very much alive. And staring at her. His large golden eyes met her violet ones, both staring silently as they tried to handle the uncertainty they saw in one another. He broke the stare first, shifting his gaze up to her horn. After a few seconds he began tracing his eyes along the rest of her form. Even confused he looked at her with a clinical eye; every sight meant to teach. His gaze shifted again to the other side of the room, towards Rarity as she continued rummaging through his bag. He frowned, his brow furrowed as confusion gave way to mild irritation. "Hey!" he called out sternly, a slight rasp in his otherwise youthful voice. Rarity barked in surprise as she whipped her head to him at the sound of his voice. "You're awake!" Fluttershy cheered, smiling across the room. She took off on her wings as she slowly glided to the bedside. A terrified scream resounded through the room. The blue unicorn grabbed his pillow and flung it at the yellow mare, smacking her square in the face. She dropped to the ground, squealing in fright as she buried her face in her hooves at the sudden outburst. "You jerk!" Rainbow Dash roared furiously. She flared her wings and bolted at him, crashing down on him with eyes burning in a wildfire. She tried to press a hoof against his throat, but he tucked his hind legs under her and thrust out, tossing her against the door. All at once the other four jumped on him, struggling to hold the stallion down as he flailed about violently. Twilight threw herself over his chest, holding his shoulder down with her hoof, as he battled against them. "Easy, easy!" Twilight reassured the stallion. His frantic thrashing slowed at her words. "Easy," she repeated softly, "it's alright. Nopony's going to hurt you." He stopped struggling against them, lying still on the bed. Twilight pulled herself up and looked down at him, the others following suit. He looked at each of them, uncertainty still present in his eyes. "Say you're sorry right now!" Rainbow snarled, glaring at him as she comforted the shy girl. He eyed them suspiciously as the two pegasi recovered. Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder, bidding him to relax, and his eyes darted back to her. He wasn't angry, he was scared. "My name is Twilight Sparkle," Twilight offered softly, hoping to break the tension, "This is Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. They're my friends." "F-friends?" the unicorn studdered as he looked at her. "Yes. What's your name?" "Frostbite," he replied, settling back into his hospital bed, "I'm sorry for throwing the pillow at you Fluttershy, you just startled me." "Scared you is more like it," Rainbow retorted, "What's the matter, never seen a pegasus before?" "I have. I've seen earth ponies before too, but where I'm from the three tribes don't...coexist very well." Rarity looked at Twilight quizzically. Tribes? What was he talking about? Twilight shrugged, there were, unfortunately, many regions in the world where friction still existed between the three races, but until Twilight heard more she refrained from answering Rarity's unspoken question. "And where exactly are ya from?" Applejack asked, voicing Rarity's thoughts for her. "Far away," Frostbite offered cryptically, his eyes staring into the distance, "I guess you might call me a visitor." "A visitor who doesn't like other ponies snooping through his bag!" he shot at Rarity, "Is that common here?" "No," Rarity offered sheepishly, "We had no idea who you were or where you came from. I thought something in your bag could tell us." Frostbite seemed to consider her reason, mulling over it in his head. If he believed it or not he didn't show it. After a moment he glanced up at her. "When you looked in my bag, did you find a gold necklace with a small green gem?" "Yes!" Rarity perked up at the change of subject. Turning to the bag, Rarity used her magic to reach out to it. Wrapping her spell around the necklace, she levitated it to the unicorn stallion and set it in his hooves. It was nothing more than a simple gold string with a green emerald dangling from it. A gold metal wrapped around the gem in a vine like pattern as it gave off a subtle green glow. "I must say it's a rather plain little thing," she commented, and then a bright shine surfaced in her eyes, "I have a variety of stylish amulets on display in my shop! If you like jewelry we could drop by when you're up and about!" "No, thank you," he answered as he clipped the necklace on, much to the white mare's disappointment, "I like my 'plain little thing' the way it is." He held it in his hoof, gazing fondly into it. Obviously this particular necklace was very special to him. "Now tell me something," he demanded softly as he looked back at the others, "Where exactly am I?" "Ponyville," Fluttershy offered from the foot of the bed. "A hospital in Ponyville," Applejack clarified, "Twilight and Pink found ya on the side of the road all passed out. They brought ya here while we went lookin' around for anythin' ya might have lost on the way." "And where is Ponyville?" "Just outside the city of Canterlot," Twilight chimed in, "On the eastern coast of Equestria." "Is that your capital?" he asked. Twilight answered with a nod. "I guess 'Equestria' is the name of the country. What's it like?" he asked, genuinely curious this time. ***** For hours they talked, touching on all sorts of things about their wonderful land. They chatted about all the kinds of foods Equestria bore for them, the hearty farmland across the countryside, and the warm and sunny weather Equestria was graced with. They talked about how the three types of ponies were peaceful and accepting of each other, they even talked about the recent wedding and how fun it was to be at the bride's side during the ceremony. Eventually the sun had set and Redheart had to shoo them out so Frostbite could rest. The mares trotted along the street as they reminisced about their conversation with the stallion. "Well that certainly felt rather one-sided," Rarity mumbled, "He hardly said anything about himself at all!" "We didn't really give 'im a chance Rarity," Applejack smiled as she defended the stallion, "He sat there and listened to us as we yapped on and on about Equestria!" "I don't think I've ever seen you so happy to tell somepony else about the farm A.J.!" Pinkie chimed in, "That was a lot of detail on farm life!" "He was such a good listener," Fluttershy chipped in with a sweet little smile, "and he didn't even interrupt when we went off on our own! Such a polite pony, I like him!" "Except for when he tossed a pillow in your face!" Rainbow dash quipped as she hovered over them. "Oh, don't hold that against him! He was just a little scared of me." Rainbow burst out laughing, eyes watering with tears at the mere thought of it, "Scared of Fluttershy! Imagine that!" "Careful Dash, even the most delicate rose can have the sharpest of thorns," Rarity warned playfully. Everypony laughed at the exchange, even Rainbow, but the laughter died down and the six continued their walk into the night. One by one each pony left for their homes until only Twilight was left. Reaching the door to her tree home, Twilight trotted in and ascended to the second floor. Spike was already asleep at the foot of the bed and she crawled in as well, laying her head on the pillow. Her thoughts briefly returned to Frostbite as she pulled the covers over herself. Fluttershy was right when she said he seemed nice, but Twilight couldn't get this nagging suspicion out of her mind. He felt "dark" somehow, as if the air itself froze over when he was near, though she couldn't explain how or why. Turning in her bed, she put the thought out of her mind. Perhaps, if she talked to him tomorrow, she could learn a little more about him. With that in mind, the mare closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. ***** Frostbite lay quietly in his bed, alone with the darkness wrapping itself around him. Awake, he patiently waited as it caressed his chest. Soaking into his coat its chilling, yet tender, touch reached into his chest and massaged his heart. Its passionate grasp, once soothing, squeezed in him and held the organ firmly. It changed itself before him, now adopting the form of a dark, but beautiful, mare. His chest tightened, lungs heaved and fear crawled through his head as she slithered up his neck. He shivered as she slowly embraced him, like a lover pressing intimately against her husband in the night. In his terror, a single tear fell onto the bed. His eyes slowly opened. Of course there was no darkness, no "demon mare". At least not physically anyway, they were just feelings. Still those feelings were there in his heart, just like the tightness in his chest and the tears on his face. He couldn't help it; they were always there when he thought of home. Of what it once was; what it had become. Being here only made it worse. The unicorn turned over to look through the window and found himself confronted with the very questions he hoped he would never face. This place, this 'Equestria', was perfect. Food was bountiful, and water too. The weather was warm. The ponies were friendly, with good homes to live in. And their was life here, real life in every measure of the word! The land was good to them, and they to each other. It was paradise. It was everything he ever dreamed of. He could be very happy here, couldn't he? Was there room in paradise for him? Would they let him live here? How would they treat him? And what of his home? How would they see him if he left? They probably wouldn't care. But what he'd learned, what he'd seen, he could help them...right? No, one pony can't help a dead society. He was left with one last question: could he live in his own land still? Not anymore. For the short term, maybe, but not for the long term. He arrived at these answers many years ago. To him they were all but certain. So why couldn't he do it? He held the crystal necklace in his hoof, staring into the faint glow, and he knew why he was here. Why she sent him here. He quickly hopped from the bed and grabbed his saddle bag, tying it to his back. Making his way to the window he lifted it open, feeling the cool night air rush in. For a moment he looked at the ground, only a couple meters below, and hesitated. It was so tempting, staying here, but after working up a small bit of courage he leapt out. Landing, Frostbite concentrated, drawing on his limited magic. He projected his energy outwards, forming a barrier in front of him. He pulled on its edges, struggling to meet the spell's basic requirements as he wrapped it around him. As the edges fused closed he let out a pulse of magic, his thoughts consumed by one word: Haste. Finished, he looked around and spotted a humming bird. Its wings flapped so slowly, like the wind eroding a mountain. Grateful, Frostbite took off galloping, unaffected by the difference in the flow of time. He knew where he had to go: the city in the distant mountains. Canterlot. ***** High above, in the Royal City, Princess Luna sat quietly on the palace balcony. The sister of Celestia closed her eyes and allowed herself to melt into the night air's warm embrace, her night blue coat and glittering blue mane flowing gently in the wind. As Luna enjoyed the darkness she tapped into the magic of her heart, letting the energy expand her mind's eye outward as she stood guard over the night. Forests, deserts and mountains raced passed as Luna's senses touched every corner of Equestria. As was usually the case the night was quiet and uneventful; every pony already sleeping in their homes. A sudden spark reverberated through her mind and her eyes shot wide open in shock. Somepony fired off a powerful spell. Somewhere close, too close. Her world fell silent, not even risking a breath as she focused on every sound and detail. Luna quickly snapped her magical gaze back, crossing an entire country in an instant. Taking up an overhead view of the city, she tried to pinpoint the spell's source. A spark flared through her again. She realized the spell wasn't powerful, it was very small in scale. What she actually felt was an aftershock. That would imply a novice casted the spell, a very dangerous one. It came from the castle, how is that possible? She should have caught this long before it reached Canterlot! Panic gripped the young alicorn as her gaze penetrated the castle walls. Frantically she search each room in mad desperation, never staying in one place for more than a second. Turning up nothing but empty rooms and patrolling guards, she shifted to the Archives across the courtyard. A burning pain ripped into her mind. Letting out an agonizing cry, Luna cut her Clairvoyance spell. But even that brief contact with the...disruption...caused fear to roil inside her. "Luna!" Celestia called out behind her, thrusting the doors open with a loud crash as she ran to the balcony. "I know! I felt it too!" Luna shouted back. Taking a deep breath she brought the full Royal Canterlot Voice to bear. "INTRUDER ALERT! ALL GUARDS TO THE ARCHIVES, IMMEDIATELY!"