//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: All That We Are // by Marezinger Z //------------------------------// Fluttershy worked with Discord and Faye to craft a large supply of extract which she used to treat reptiles; with some magical help from Twilight and Luna they were able to feed it to Aestus to help him regain his sapped strength. As they labored, Celestia went to Tirek and Chrysalis who sat in a quiet spot with the still slumbering Cozy Glow. "How is she doing?" Celestia asked as she sat with them. "She's completely exhausted." Tirek could hear her rhythmic breathing in his ear. "She'll be out for a day or so." "Did she say anything before she fell asleep?" She asked. "Only that she was sorry." He answered. "Are you set on punishing her once again?" Chrysalis eyed her. "Locking her away again, alone... would serve only to make things worse." Celestia admitted. "Agreed." Tirek nodded. "I offered to ask that I be able to take her back with Scorpan." Celestia smiled knowingly. "I imagined that you might. To be honest, I was placing my hope in that; she needs guidance but she has shown that not even the Princess of Friendship can get through whatever blockades she has constructed in her mind and heart. She will listen to the two of you however; I know that you yourselves are still adapting to a new life but I ask that you help her to do the same. If we are to build, at the very least, a stable understanding between us; then it must be built upon trust. I am willing to trust the two of you to guide her away from her villainous life and learn to function in the world peacefully." "We shall." Tirek promised. "Although, to do so properly, I will require that I be allowed to leave my hive without my son attached to my hip." Chrysalis added. Celestia laughed lightly. "Of course, you have greatly demonstrated your committal to your new life and I will gladly trust you to come and go as you please." "My." Chrysalis forced a smile. "How gracious." "Chrysalis." Tirek gave her a judging glance. "It is alright." Celestia assured. "Chrysalis and I have a long history and I do not expect it to disappear overnight." She stood. "I doubt that you and I will be having a spa day together anytime soon, but I do hope that one day we can at least call one another friend." With that, she left them and returned to check on the others. "She's right." Tirek slid his eyes over to Cozy Glow. "If Cozy sees that you continue to harbor your anger, then she will not fully abandon hers either." "I know that." Chrysalis huffed. "Don't worry about me, I've far more experience with the young than you." Tirek laughed with an accepting nod. "That is true." Within about two hours, the massive dose of extract had taken effect and Aestus was back on his feet. With everyone well, they prepared to make their return trips. Aurelian assembled his friends once more before they headed off to see to their tasks. "Are you well enough to cross the sea, Aestus?" Aurelian asked. "I will be fine." He nodded. "I'll travel with him." Brayok informed. "Just in case." "Very well." Aurelian accepted the idea. "While you travel to the Dragonlands, I will return to the sea and restore the Sea Pony's city. Once that is tended to, I will seek you out again soon." "I'll go with you, love." Faye flapped her way over to his side. "Except for the underwater part, I'll leave that to you; not really my thing." "Till then." Aestus began to turn his body. "Come, Dragon Lord." He called to Ember. "I have much to teach you. By the time I am done with you, you will truly be able to consider yourself the lord of dragons." Ember flew up and landed on his head. "Sounds like a good deal." She pointed out to sea. "Homeward bound!" With Brayok at their side, they made their way into the water and began the trip home. Aurelian landed before Celestia and Luna as Faye circled above them. "Faye and I shall return to your Canterlot once we see to the Sea Ponies." "I look forward to it." Celestia smiled. "Thank you again for helping them." Aurelian merely nodded and returned to the sky, he and the Phoenix heading in the opposite direction from the others. "Does this mean we can return now?" Discord asked as he and the others gathered around. "I've done enough for one day." "Yes." Celestia nodded. "Please take us back home." "Finally." Discord raised his claw high and snapped his fingers; the group vanished and returned the ancient island to its eerie silence. Cozy Glow woke up in a strange bed, panicked by the chaotic dream her mind crafted from the fuzzy memories of her intense fight. Looking around the room in fright, she calmed as she saw Tirek asleep against the wall beside her bed. The haze of what they had discussed before she fell asleep lifted and she realized she must be in Scorpan's home; it was then that her reviving senses made her aware of the lingering pain in her foreleg. "Tirek." She shimmied over to the edge of the bed and shook his arm. "Tirek!" His eyes quickly opened and he lurched forward. "Cozy?" He rubbed the back of his neck, stiff from the position he had been seated in. "Finally awake then?" "How long has it been?" She asked. "About 36 hours." He guessed. "Have you... been here the whole time?" She sat back on her rear. "Yes." He nodded. "Given how you passed out, I figured I should be here when you woke up." Cozy Glow looked down at the sheets. "Thank you." "How do you feel?" She checked her bandage. "This still hurts." He nodded. "It will, for a while. Fluttershy gave us everything we need to take care of it until it heals." "She did?" Cozy asked in surprise as he picked her up and laid her on his shoulder again. "Brother said he would make whatever you'd like to eat once you woke up, you need to regain your strength before anything else." He left the room and headed into the main workshop where Scorpan was handling his repair jobs for the day. He smiled as they entered and quickly set his tools down. "Well, we were beginning to think you would never wake up." He went to them. "How are you feeling, young Cozy." "Ok." She quietly answered. Scorpan ushered them back into the house. "Then let us see if we can improve that even more; what is your favorite dish?" "My favorite?" She struggled to think. "Spicy black bean chili." Tirek glanced at her with a surprised look. "Spicy chili?" "Yeah." She started to smile. "I used to eat it all the time when I was on my own. It was cheap to make and I like spicy food." "I see." Scorpan headed into the kitchen. "Then spicy black bean chili it shall be." As the day progressed, Tirek took note of how docile Cozy Glow had become since her defeat. Her voice was calmer, she was far less aggressive and in many ways she was acting the way one would imagine a Pony her age to behave. More so, he noticed that she refused to leave his shoulder; even as she scarfed down bowl after bowl of Scorpan's take on her favorite dish. It was as if that spot had become the only place in the world she felt safe and she seemed adamant about not abandoning it. A long yawn escaped her after she had stuffed herself and Tirek took her back to bed; he sat at the bedside, pulling the blanket to her shoulder as she curled up. "Are you certain you're alright?" He asked. "You don't seem yourself, not that it isn't a bit of an improvement." Cozy Glow sighed and laid her head to the pillow. "I'm just waiting for whatever is going to go wrong." "What do you mean by that?" "For when the Princess comes to lock me up again." She bunched the sheets under her chin. "Or Aurelian to come after me for attacking him... or for you and Chrysalis to disappear again. Something like that always happens, it's been happening my whole life." Tirek nodded, having had a glimpse of how far her emotional scars actually ran. "That isn't going to happen this time; you have my word. The Princess has entrusted you to us and we're going to do what we can to help you live the normal life you should have been living in the first place." He reflected on recent events. "Chrysalis and I are far from perfect and have a lot to learn and answer for ourselves, but we've dedicated ourselves to moving on from our pasts and you need to do the same." He looked to her sternly but understandingly. "No one is going to harm you, but you have to be as dedicated to this as we are or we cannot help you; you need to decide once and for all if you're truly willing to turn your life around and be a part of the world." Cozy Glow's tired mind tried to make sense of things. "Do you promise you wont go away?" She asked meekly. "I do." He patted her head. "Okay, then I promise too." Her eyes slowly closed and she returned to her recuperating sleep. Tirek dimmed the room and left her to rest. "Did she go back to sleep?" Scorpan asked as Tirek returned to the kitchen. "Yes." He confirmed. "This is quite the new role for you, is it not?" "I don't know how suitable I am for it." Tirek admitted. "I'm not exactly the mentor type, at least not like you seem to be." "You don't have to be a mentor, or a teacher or anything special." Scorpan assured. "All you need be is her friend. She looks up to you and will do as you do; as long as you remain true to your new path then she will follow." Tirek laughed. "No pressure." Scorpan patted his shoulder with smile. "The finest gemstones are formed under the greatest pressure. Endure it, and the results will be spectacular." As promised, after repairing the damaged Seaquestria, Aurelian and Faye made their way to Canterlot. The city had yet to fully adjust to the sight of a new Alicorn, much less the sight of one in the company of a grand Phoenix. "Look at them all." Faye smiled at Aurelian as they walked the streets. "Can't keep their eyes off me." "For reasons far different than you imagine." He reminded. "Would it kill you to stop being so pragmatic?" She looked down at him with a twisted beak. "I am not inclined to find out." He smirked as they continued on to the castle. The guards were given word of his impending arrival and let him pass without call for ceremony. The duo proceeded to the throne room where the next line of guards announced their presence. "Princess." The pair of guards held the doors open. "Your guests have arrived." "My, sooner than I expected." Celestia noted as she left her throne. "Thanks, loves." Faye slapped the guards' rears with her wings as they entered the room. The pair of stallions shared odd looks as they closed the doors behind them. "Welcome back." Celestia greeted as she and Luna met with them. "Did everything go well?" "Their homes have been restored and they are settling in as we speak." He confirmed. "That is wonderful news." Luna praised. "We have already received word from Ember, Aestus and Brayok arrived without incident." "Good." Aurelian nodded. "Ember and Aestus seem to be getting along quite well." Celestia added. "Aestus is many things." Aurelian informed. "But above all else, he is a Dragon; his pride and love for his kind is without equal." "He may act all grumpy about it, but I know he's getting a right kick out of being able to teach the Dragons what he knows." Faye laughed. "We've already heard all his stories, now he's got fresh ears to carry on into." "Well, since you've just arrived, can we offer you anything?" Celestia asked. "That is not necessary." Aurelian shook his head. "Actually." Faye bounced over to Celestia, taking her under her wing. "I know this isn't proper, but one lady to another, would you mind if I had a go at your harem? Been ages, you know." "My... what?" Celestia flustered. "I can assure you I have no such thing." "Oh come on now, love." Faye jostled her. "You've got over a thousand years under your tail, surely you've been around the way a few times?" "Yes sister." Luna looked to her with a smarmy grin. "You remain often silent about your life while I was on the moon, do tell." "Luna." Celestia grumbled with narrow eyes. "Faye." Aurelian called her. "We've more important matters to tend than your loins." "If I had a coin for every time he said that." Faye roughly patted her side. "Ooooh, hoo hooo!” "We will travel back to the Dragonlands." Aurelian continued. "Ah, well then allow us to accompany you." Celestia offered. "From what Ember has written, they are already making improvements with what Aestus has taught them." "Very well." He accepted. After making some arrangements with the castle staff, the four of them set out for the Dragonlands. Even from a distance, they could see that much had changed. Towering spirals of sculpted rock adorned the landscape in a meticulous pattern and the lengthy breaks in the surface had been patched over with fresh rock. Rudimentary domes dotted the area as the Dragons crafted themselves personal dens using their newly acquired molten breath. Aestus and Brayok stood out starkly and they flew down to join them. "Looks like you lot have been busy." Faye took her spot on Aestus' head. "Quite." Aestus nodded. "As you can see, they already make great strides of progress." "We can indeed." Luna landed beside Ember. "Yeah, check this out." Ember reached down and scooped up a claw full of rock, tossing it into her gullet and swallowing. Her belly swelled as she internalized her fire and after a few moments she threw up a molten putty into her claw. With a few quick motions, she molded it into a nearly perfect ring and it slowly hardened; she slipped it onto her wrist and held it up proudly. "My word." Luna eyed the stone bracelet. "I know, right." Ember chuckled. "That's how we've been patching the ground and building those neat little houses." She looked up at Aestus. "The big guy here made all the spires." "She is a fast learner." Aestus brought his head down to them. "Her skill has already improved a hundred years worth." Aurelian surveyed the area. "It seems you have a deal of effort ahead of you." "I do." Aestus returned his head to the sky. "I will be remaining here for the time being." "I thought that you would decide so." Aurelian nodded. "If that's the case, then I'll be on my way." Brayok came in. "I don't much care for this volcanic scenery." "Really now?" Faye asked. "We just got back together, now you want to split up again?" "It is alright, and perhaps for the best." Aurelian looked them over. "We must each become accustomed to living in the world again and it would be to our benefit to do so in our own manner." "Aurelian?" Celestia and Luna flew up to join them. "If I may, why do you not go out and spend some time seeing the world. After all that has happened, I am far more at ease and I do trust that you have no ill intentions for the world." She smiled warmly. "The world has so much more to offer now and you can decide what kind of life you want to live. You can learn about modern culture, make new friends and even perhaps find love again; you needn't be the last male Alicorn." "Good luck with that one, love." Faye laughed. "Spent three thousand years barking up that tree." "I... didn't mean me of course." Celestia clarified. Aurelian merely laughed. "It is true, this peaceful world offers many opportunities that were not available to me in the past. Perhaps that would be the simplest route to take." He spent a moment in decisive thought. "I believe I will." He looked to Brayok. "What of you?" "I'll be fine." Brayok promised. "The seas are much more vast than your lands and I should see what state the marine world is in; the Sea Ponies cannot be the only species to have survived all this time." "Then I suggest we allow ourselves a year." Aurelian proposed. "After which, we shall again meet at Elder Island to share what we've uncovered." "A year it is." Aestus agreed. "Fine with me." Brayok nodded. Aurelian turned back to Celestia. "After which I will return to you, Princess. At which point, I will teach you what I know." Celestia washed over in shock. "You shall? But, I thought you felt that doing so would be a mistake." "I did, at first." He admitted. "But seeing what occurred with the child, it is clear that the world must always maintain a strongest. I no longer have interest in the title, so I will see to it that you become the strongest. Power like mine has never been wielded by one with a heart like yours, it will prove an interesting experiment. In the end though, what you do with what I give you is your choice; continue to guide the world as you have been or become its new master, either choice is of no consequence to us." Celestia nodded soundly. "I would be honored to learn what you are willing to teach." "Ready yourself." He warned. "It will be neither simple or painless." "I shall." She vowed. "Faye?" He glanced up at her. "Would you accompany me?" Faye's eyes widened a bit. "Oh? After all this time are you finally asking me out?" She scratched her beak with her wing. "Well, maybe I'm the one who's busy for a change." Aurelian nodded. "As you wish." He began to fly off. "That was a joke, love!" Faye quickly righted herself in the air and flew after him. "Always so serious." She huffed. "Only to compensate for your lack of it." He smiled. "Hmph." She turned up her beak. "Just for that, I'm not going to let you hold my wing." "I did not ask to." He noted. Brayok laughed as he began to drag himself towards the shore. "Those two deserve each other." He looked back at Aestus. "Till next time." "Take care." Aestus called back. "I don't need it." Brayok chuckled. "I was talking to the sea." Aestus laughed. As the four parted ways once more, Celestia and Luna began their return trip to Canterlot. "Sister?" Luna looked at her unsurely. "It is safe to allow them to wander freely?" "It is not as if we could stop them." Celestia pointed out. "But, I do have faith that they will not bring us harm. I know nothing of the creatures they once were, but I have seen the ones they are now and I think they will be able to find their places here in time." "And what of Aurelian's intent to teach you his magic?" "That is indeed a surprise." Celestia confessed. "I am not fully certain, a part of me is actually scared to have access to the type of power he wields. I suppose that is what he meant by it being an experiment, he intends to see if my choices agree with or defy his existing philosophy. Suffice to say, I will work to prove him wrong. It is true that power can corrupt; but with you and my friends at my side, I will not allow myself to embark on the dark path Aurelian once did." "It will definitely be an interesting new chapter in our lives." Luna surmised. "May I suggest you start by learning the magic of order? If only to see the look on Discord's face." The sisters giggled at the idea as they soared over the ocean. It had been nearly a week and Cozy Glow's leg finally completed the healing process. Up and about on her own, she was ready to start exploring her new locale and get a feel for things. Scorpan worked in his shop, halting at the sound of a sharp knock; he answered the door to find a strange mare. "Oh, hello miss." He greeted. "It's me." Chrysalis stepped past him and returned to her normal form. "I see." He closed the door. "You know, you needn't hide yourself any longer." "Force of habit." She looked around. "They are in the back." Scorpan guessed her aim and began escorting her into his home. Tirek and Cozy Glow were going through the daily paper, the young Pegasus' eyes cheering when she saw their visitor. "Chrysalis, there you are." Cozy Glow flew up and met her in the doorway. "Well, you seem to be doing better." She noted, observing her leg. "Yeah." She nodded. "You're just in time, Tirek said he was going to show me the city today." "Care to join?" Tirek asked. "I can think of worse things." She and Scorpan joined them around the table. "How are things at the hive." Tirek inquired. "It turns out that Thorax's play was only part one of five." She informed. "I'm told I have much to look forward to when I return." "You try quite hard to pretend such things hold little meaning to you." Scorpan smiled. "It isn't... unpleasant." She admitted. "So where should we go?" Cozy Glow asked. "Well, there appears to be a trade bazaar advertised." Tirek tapped his finger on a page of the paper. "That sounds like a fine idea." Scorpan said with a pleased hum. "There are always new goods coming in from the trade ships." "We can shop for chilies." Cozy Glow suggested. "No offense, but yours could be hotter." "Your stomach is lead, girl." Tirek chortled. "Excellent." Scorpan rose. "Then we can try to create our own recipe." "Yes." Cozy Glow pumped her leg as she followed him into the kitchen. "Spicy chili!" "Did I miss something?" Chrysalis asked. "It's her favorite." Tirek shrugged. "That is Cozy, right?" She further asked. "It is." He nodded. "I don't fully understand what happened, but something left her after we fought; as if she shed some part of herself along with that monstrous form." "I wish it was that easy for us." "I know." He agreed. "But, my brother said that she will follow our lead; as difficult a time as we might have, we have to show her that we keep moving forward." He smirked. "So try and enjoy yourself today." "I can enjoy normal things like shopping." She pointed her hoof at him. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" "Oh, shut up." She rolled her eyes. "Ready to go?" Scorpan asked as he and Cozy Glow returned with a list. "Indeed, brother." Tirek nodded. The four of them headed out onto the road and began making their way into the city. Cozy Glow sat on Tirek's shoulder with Chrysalis at their side, an excited and happy smile on her face as they set out to face life together.