//------------------------------//
// 264 - To Learn 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Silver peeked into the small room that had held PiPo once the diplomat had left. The walls appeared to be a sort of map. There were fine lines going from place to place, and he could feel the line he had followed went there to join it. He smiled a little, trying to follow it bit by bit. "This is the network," he sighed out with relief. It was what they needed.

"Where is that spell..." He floated out his spellbook and began flipping through it with his silver force, searching for a particular... "Ah here we are..." He played the spell carefully over his horn, like playing a flute piece he hadn't practiced often enough.

The first time he did it, it was too slow, and nothing happened. That was fine, he was practicing. He played the magic once more, a little faster. Almost. Once more. A bright flash lit the room and a paper fell to the ground with a picture of the map on it. With a smile,  he retrieved the photograph his magic had created. "That is a complicated one." There were times that reminded him that he was still an alien wearing a unicorn suit, even if he was quite comfortable in that suit.

He was certain unicorns did not think of their horns that way, but he was not born one of those, and it would always be just a little alien to him. Not that he begrudged the pointed organ. It was quite useful to have projecting from his brow as it was.

With the photo tucked away, he trotted away from the closet, continuing down the hallway. "Now where have they gotten off to? Did they find the center?"





Nefertari struggled to raise a hand against the rushing waves of fury. The bear had tired of their constant darting and weaving and shouted them both. Unlike the first time,  he kept it up with a tremendous show of stamina. There was a limit. She could see he could barely move while pressing them, but that just meant he was approaching her with his scimitar ready still faster than she would want, being unable to move.

"Your spirits," hissed Sheba, held against the wall and not even at the ground level. "Now would be a lovely time for them."

The bear had no words to share, only his unending boom that fully occupied him as he stepped closer to his pinned quarry, scimitar raising a little with every slow step.

Spirits were a fine idea, Nefertari quickly decided. She shrilly whistled for them, the sound piercing the veil between one world and the next. She couldn't do the other things she might have done, pinned as she was, but if any friendly spirit was paying attention, it would perhaps be enough.

His grasp on his weapon shifted, taking the hilt in both massive hands and turning the weapon so he could plunge it tip first. It was drawing closer, that dangerous end looking all the more ready to be brought down on her.

Nefertari tensed. She felt the presence of kin, but still clothed in flesh. She looked past the bear, as hard as that was becoming. There was another shape behind him, a plump one who's shape enticed her husband, despite how much he had insisted it had not. Was she there to help him finish the job, after they had let her go? Stupid diplomat. She would suffer for his foolishness.

Running Paw crept up behind the bear. Just before he was in position, she jumped on his back, throwing off his balance. His great booming shout ended as the two wobbled in place a moment before collapsing backwards. She let out a pained yelp, crushed by his weight, but was still holding on to him.

Sheba sprang free from the wall, springing off of it the instant she ceased to be pressed against it. "You jackals are hard to read," she spat, appearing beside the bear.

Nefertari was at his other side, claws crooked. "I believe you will read this." Neither warrior needed to ask questions, two sets of claws descending on the bear's lovingly exposed throat, his head held up by Running Paw, still trapped beneath him. It had been only a moment of being stunned, but he would sleep forever.

"Can you get him off, please?" asked Running from beneath him, her voice a struggle. "Can't... breathe..."

Nefertari crouched beside their defeated enemy and the one he held down even in death. "Before we do that, why are you here?"

"We set you free, little doctor with devil's blood," continued Sheba, the two of one mind for the moment. "And yet--"

"--here you are. Were you not proud to not be a fighter? Have you abandoned that?" Nefertari wrinkled her nose softly. "You will hurt his heart."

Running Paw shoved at the body that held her down, managing a precious inch and a moment to take a deep breathe. "While I... detest your war, you are still a sacred person, Nefertari. I knew they would kill you. I... can't allow that." She drew a hand back and only saw then that it was covered in blood, still warm and wet. She went tense. "Y-you..."

"Did what must be done." Nefertari rolled her shoulders. "He would not have accepted any other end to this battle. Doctor, this is not the first time you have have felt blood. Compose yourself."

Sheba laughed as she turned away. "What a curious thing, leaping into battle, then being shocked at the results, and after winning at that."

Nefertari kicked the body aside, though it was heavy enough that it barely rolled free of Running. "Rise and run away, if you like. Find a wash basin to clean your delicate paws."

Running scrambled to her feet, leaving bloody handprints where she pressed off the floor. "Where is he?"

As Sheba laughed, Nefertari scowled at Running Paw. "That is no concern of yours."

"I am not hunting your husband, you overly protective..." She bit back, almost speaking a terrible offense. "Look, why are you with him? He doesn't want what you want."

Nefertari flashed her sharp teeth. "And what would that be? We both do not want our people to be destroyed by zealots who think violence is the answer."

Sheba was at Nefertari's side. "Now you're lying. If they wanted violence, open and direct, you would have fewer problems."

"This is true," allowed Nefertari. "To bring death without a chance for defense, to warriors and babes alike? That is cowardly." She snorted softly. "Even in our lowest days, we came and stole and only killed those that struggled against our survival."

Running held up her dirty paws. "He wants peace, not just to avoid... this, but he wants to end this too. Why are you with him? Speak truthfully."

"As if I owe you anything." Nefertari rolled her eyes as she looked around.

"You called?" Nefertari's spirit companion slipped free of a glowing wall, ignoring the runes and marks. "This place is noisy and unpleasant."

Nefer thrust a clawed finger at the spectre. "Now you arrive?! You are late. If I had to rely on you alone, I would be joining you."

The ghost shrugged her shoulders. "It is not my duty to be your warrior, Nefertari. What do you want?"

Running gasped softly. "You really can..."

Sheba put a paw on her shoulder. "You did not even believe the stories of your own people?"





Silver followed his perked ears. He heard talking and went towards it. It was hard to make out exactly what was being said, but it sounded like a conversation, and that was good enough. He picked up his pace, eager to find the source, even if they ended up being hostile. Just in case, a silvery bubble wrapped around himself, only the burst a moment later as he came on an archway that led into a room.

There was a body on the ground, blood spreading from it. Nefertari, Sheba, and Running were talking. They had found the center of things, but were just talking over an injured person? He did not get it. Hastening to the side of the downed bear, he washed his magic over the prone form. Having one's throat be cut that way was certainly a root cause of his trouble.

"There he is." Nefertari was at his side in an instant. "And from his expression, he is already worried for the state of our enemies. This person tried to kill us, we simply returned the favor before he could finish."

"That doesn't make it right." He pulled a cloth from his saddlebag with his magic as he bound the injury, his magic  working into the torn flesh, trying to stop the worst of it. "Be magnanimous in victory. It's the easiest time to be."

Sheba grinned softly at Silver. "I like that line. I will take it, even if it suits you." She suddenly at the bear's other side, abandoning Running. "Doctor, why aren't you doctoring? My employer has spoken."

"Mmm? Oh!" She shook her head, coming out of one fog into a sharper focus as she hurried over. "Roll him onto his back, gently. I'll do what I can." She pulled a needle from a pocket and some thread followed. "He will not require sedatives, at least. Let's do our best to ensure he may again some day."

Nefertari shook her head as she faced her spirit. "This is what I face."

"It was your choice, stupid one." The ghost snarled softly before gesturing around. "What is this place? It reeks of unpleasantness. Destroy it and be gone."

"For once, you speak sense." Nefertari turned back towards the others, still fussing over their defeated enemy. "Is there any reason to not destroy this place? Have you found what you pursued, Silver?"

Silver's magic was focused on keeping the insides of the bear in the right place as Running worked. "I found it. Do what you want." He was far from a medical expert, or even medically competent, but holding the bear still and discouraging his blood from escaping he could do, just as he had once for Nefertari.

"You heard the man. Let's."

"Let's," echoed the ghost with a growing smile. "Finally, some fun." Nefertari vanished and the ghost was gone a moment later, the two off to wreck some havoc in mutual delight. The only hints of their actions came in the slow darkening of the room as the lines and runes fitfully gave up their glowing. If it were not for Silver's glowing horn, they would have been plunged into darkness soon enough.

Working by that glimmering light, Running frowned. "I know him... I know his name, have met his children. Adorable little things, eyes full of life and promise. I do not want to have to tell them that he... At my fault. I... I just wanted to hold him immobile. I thought... I wasn't thinking. I was just acting. Some small part of me thought they'd... tie him up, or something. I wasn't thinking. That was my fault."

Sheba shook her head. "If it makes you feel better, mmm, that would have been smarter."

Running perked an ear towards Sheba. "I did not expect you to admit that."

"What do you think I am, a jackal?" The cat's nose wrinkled in disgust before she barked out a little laugh. "Oh, sorry. I did not mean that as an offense to you, Doctor. I was acting without thinking as well, prompted by Nefertari, as if she is a person worthy of imitation."

"So you do not enjoy killing?" asked Running as she slowly stitched the bear's flesh closed.

Silver quietly perked an ear, interested, but daring not to speak at that moment, lest the moment between them be ruined.

Sheba softly huffed. "I enjoy fighting. The dance is the best part, the meeting of claws and skills. Death is just an end to that dance..." She looked towards Silver. "What of you? Do you know the pleasure of the dance when death is not on the line?"

Silver shrank a little. "I don't enjoy fighting." He never did, not as a human, or a pony. The idea of purposefully inflicting harm... "No."

Running smiled a little. "A fitting reply for a diplomat. I think he will survive..."