Cure For a Toxin

by RadBunny


Chapter Five: Detox

“Thank you for your help, Gelliana,” Celestia said quietly, the pair sitting outside the warehouse and temporary control room. “Luna filled me in on a few things, and I’m glad you were there to snap Toxic out of it.”

The gryphoness nodded, gaze drifting to the massive metal decontamination chamber where the afore-mentioned stallion still sat. Her curiosity was piqued to say the least.

“Cycle five complete. Beginning final cycle, step one,” Professor Varti relayed, the large yak adjusting the half-cloak half-lab coat around his massive barrel.

“You’re welcome. I mean, all I did was talk to him, not really that big a deal,” the herbalist replied, turning her attention back to the Alicorn.

“Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” Celestia chuckled. “A scene that froze my legionnaires and rendered the control room speechless and yet you were able to stay calm…” she then smiled gently at the gryphoness, a rather knowing look in her eyes then glancing over to the stallion in the decontamination chamber. “and be kind to somepony in need.”

Blushing slightly from embarrassment, Gelliana mumbled another ‘you’re welcome’ back, even as Celestia let out a soft titter.

“Sometimes a gentle and caring voice can make a bigger difference than armies or raw power,” the ruler added, a smile now on her own face as a certain hippogriff came to mind. “We’ve detected a reduction in chemical and arcane agents as well as radiation, so the neutralizing solution is working. We’d like to keep your herbal stock on standby however.”

“Of course,” Gelliana replied immediately.

As a soft chime sounded Celestia let out a mutter and gave the gryphoness a pat on the shoulder with a wing.

“Well, that’s my cue. We’ll talk a bit later? I am curious as to how Icait is doing.”

“Just let me know, Princess, and I’ll make time of course!”

As the ruler trotted away, Gelliana’s ears flicked back towards the stallion in the decontamination chamber. Her natural curiosity was at an all-time high. Having a massive container on standby to teleport in for this purpose? That was interesting indeed.

Her eyes widened as her vision was able to discern something most others likely didn’t even notice. Behind the glass, as water and chemicals coursed over his frame, the stallion’s sides were heaving. Coughing up some sort of medicine perhaps?

Wait, is he crying?

As the decontamination cycle wound down, Toxic’s demeanor changed dramatically.

“Beginning final arcane sweep and healing that cut on your hindquarters afterwards,” Professor Varti relayed, a screen of magic sweeping over the pony inside the chamber multiple times.

“Scans are clean, cut is healed; you’re all set, Director.”

Striding out of the chamber, the unicorn hoof-bumped the large yak with a grin and saying something, the professor then apparently…Jumping for joy? And making the ground shake as well.

“A new set of armor? Well, I suppose that’s obvious. But that’s also fantastic! I had more ideas I was struggling to incorporate into that model!” the yak gushed as Toxic chuckled.

“Let me know when it’s ready. I loved the feel of it by the way. That spell infused gel layer was perfect. Well, I think we need to fix the melting problem though.”

As the pair separated, Gelliana’s ears picked up an odd contradiction. While Toxic calmly retrieved his previously cast-off duffel bag and walked towards the Incident Command Center with a seemingly confident gait his heartbeat had already doubled in speed, thudding in her sensitive ears.

Even if she wasn’t a gryphon, Gelliana would have bet it’d be audible. Perhaps it was the ‘predator’ aspect of her biology but the gryphoness couldn’t help but notice the subtle shifts in posture that ponies like Marigold just never seemed to pick up.

Like when a creature is hiding an injury, except I don’t think this stallion is hurt?

The unicorn casually snagged an empty plastic trash can, walking down the side of the building and into a small alley that separated the warehouse from another as if he knew exactly where to go-

And vanished.

Hoping her curiosity wouldn’t come back to bite her, the gryphoness sidled along in that direction after a few moments, poking her head into the alley curiously. A teleportation spell perhaps?

Not seeing anything, she frowned as her ears picked up a muffled something.

Poking her head a bit farther in, she bit back a gasp as the alley changed, the gryphoness having moved through the illusionary wall that was in place.

At the end of the alley was a very, very different unicorn than what she had seen prior.

Heaving up the contents of what seemed like a weeks’ worth of meals, Toxic was bent over the trash can as his limbs shivered, a cold sweat dripping from his body. The stallion’s eyes were closed tight, tears leaking out form them regardless as two caring forelimbs wrapped around his shoulders in support.

Luna was clearly fighting back her own emotions, jaw quivering as she supported the distraught pony, rocking him back and forth. Her own eyes shimmered with dampness, the alicorn clearly noticing Gelliana’s presence but not seeming to care.

No, not lack of care. Gelliana thought as the Princess looked her way. Sincere, empathetic pain radiated from Luna’s eyes, the Princess seeming to take Toxic’s condition rather personally as she shook her head ever so slightly towards the gryphoness.

Gelliana nodded, quietly ducking away and sitting outside the command post, violet eyes looking at her claws.

Going to her cart, the apothecary retrieved a small package of herbal teas and then returned to the ‘empty’ ally, gently pushing the bundle through the shield in the center of the walkway.

Maybe that will help…I hope it does.

Seeing the previously stoic stallion reduced to an absolute wreck tugged on Gelliana’s heart a bit more than she originally thought, the gryphoness wandering back to her shop after being ‘officially’ released from the incident by one of the leading Legionnaires.

Who are you, Toxic? You’re not the Iceberg I’ve heard about.

Cold and unfeeling? You needed a hug more than anything.
That thought made a bit of a caring smile tug at Gelliana’s beak.
Almost like that rumor isn’t true.
I wonder who you are, underneath that stoic mask?


Toxic Shield’s sobs eventually slowed, the stallion rinsing his mouth out with some water offered by the Lunar Princess at his side.

“Thank you, Luna,” he whispered, the Alicorn nodding.

“Of course,” she paused briefly, Toxic standing on his own two hooves, even if shakily. “Toxic, the fact your dreams held such similarity to what was faced in that lab; I need to do some investigation. The fact that gryphon mentioned you by name, it is not out of the question that you may have been targeted.”

“I agree.”

Luna blinked, Toxic shrugging his shoulders in exhaustion.

“I’ve had that same nightmare before, years ago. But why would it crop up now and be so similar to that actually happened?” he questioned. “Didn’t Onyx- erm, that’s the shadow pony, right? Didn’t he try to influence Celestia’s dreams, if I read the reports correctly.”

Eyes narrowing, Luna let out a hum in thought as Toxic continued.

“So, it would make sense to target me in this case. I’m the only one who can help in situations like this. If I can be incapacitated, the cost of responding to these attacks would be astronomical.”

The fact Luna couldn’t refute his words made the stallion sigh, ears perking up as he spotted a tan package in the alleyway near his previously-cast shield.

“What…?”

Trotting over and opening it up, the stallion’s head tilted in curiosity on seeing the collection of herbal teas neatly packaged up. A gently brush on his shoulder from Luna’s wing made him glance over to her, the Alicorn smiling kindly.

“You may be the only one who can help in these disasters, Toxic,” she said softly “But you’re never alone.”

“Somecreature saw me back there? Ugh,” he muttered, Luna letting out a huff.

“Well, feel free to return the tea you don’t use. I’m sure Gelliana would be happy to know you at least used some of them however.”

“Gelliana? Oh, right. That mare’s voice in that lab. It felt like a nightmare,” Toxic muttered. “I guess I’ll do that and at least thank her.”

Luna seemed a bit amused by that statement, apparently holding her tongue from saying something.

Toxic looked at the package and gently levitated it up in his magic, then wincing and dropping it with a hiss.

“Ow.”

“Mana depletion? Whatever those chemicals were, they were an absolute pain to punch through with the teleportation spell,” Luna mused, retrieving a set of saddlebags out of a storage portal. “Looks like you’re going to be an earth pony for a day.”

Accepting the gift and stowing the teas, Toxic let out a chuckle, nodding in agreement.

“I guess so, thank you again, Luna.”

“Anytime, Toxic. Oh!” she paused, clearly hesitating about her next words. “May I share your nightmare challenges with Celestia, and perhaps Nacreous? I think she may have a solution, or at least an eventual one. Nacreous may have a remedy as well. I know Commander Sands may be able to adjust your training to lend aid too.”

A simple bob of Toxic’s head was answer enough, the alicorn smiling and waving before vanishing back to Canterlot with a *POP* of magic, no doubt to try and sleep before her usual evening duties.

“Well. Maybe I’ll wander back to my apartment,” the stallion mused, then frowning as his limbs seemed to shiver. “And hopefully not collapse on the way.”


Gelliana happy bounced down the side street in the ‘industrial’ side of Tall Tale, the streets becoming a bit rougher as the tall buildings gave way to smaller, more intimate shops and manufacturing spots built by the locals. Despite the chaos of earlier she now found her mood back to its normal cherry levels. She had left a note on Marigold’s door, the gryphoness certainly wanting to meet with her best friend for lunch and clear the air once again.

I just hope she didn’t stress-eat an entire double banana-split again…

Taking a left, the gryphoness entered a large wooden shop decorated with all sorts of sharp metal implements as a magical chime rang out through the large shopping room.

“Be right there!” a stallion called as the heavy falls of a hammer fell silent. Trotting out with a blacksmiths apron tied around his barrel, a large green earth pony immediately grinned on seeing his favorite customer.

“Gelly! How are you? I assume you are here for your newest order?” the smithy exclaimed as the gryphoness nodded.

“I’m doing alright, Slag, how about yourself?” she replied with a kind smile, the blacksmith waving a hoof.

“The same old same old. Oh! I did promise to pass along your father’s complaints on when he shipped me the metal. Something about his daughter refusing to take anything from his business for free, family or not.”

Gelliana smiled, shrugging her wings at that.

“Well, hopefully he understands why I still pay for it all…”

Her voice trailed off as Slag nodded, retrieving a large box from a shelf.

“Oh, personally I think he’s absolutely tickled that his daughter refuses to accept, or ask for free deals. Of course, if anyone appreciates such a gesture it’d be him. He’d never say that out loud though. Now then, here you are!”

Opening the box, the stallion stood back as the gryphoness withdrew the first of four items, a bright blade shining in the crystal light.

“You might have outdone yourself this time, Slag,” Gelliana murmured as she examined the thin dagger in her claws. While a simple wooden handle adorned the blade, strips of metal ran through the polished material, wrapping around and ensuring the full-tang dagger was as solid as a rock.

“And the balance; how is it for throwing?” she asked, a rather-giddy smith hopping up and down with a jovial bounce offset by his gruff appearance.

“Try it out!”

Pulling out a well-used wooden bulls-eye, Slag stepped to the side and let Gelliana balance the weapon in her talons. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the dagger slamming into the target’s center, the gryphoness nodding in approval.

“That’s razor sharp…the metal holds an edge?” she asked, looking at the matching weapons still in their packaging.

“Extremely well. The ore ordered from your father’s mines are almost a natural alloy; extremely curious but fun to work with! It won’t be dulling for some time,” Slag replied.

A heavy canvas pouch thudded onto the counter as a few bits spilled out from it, Gelliana grinning widely.

“I’ll take all of them.”


“Onyx!” Princess Luna called, looking around the large watchtower as the moon shone in the sky. With the crisis abated the Shadow and Windigo were allowed to return to their duties under heavy supervision.

But over the few days since the explosion, neither had shown even an inkling of ill intent. If anything, Icait appeared rather unsettled, occasionally asking if there was a way for her to help.

How very odd.

“Highness,” the shadow-pony stated as Luna rounded a corner, a stack of books balanced next to the stallion as he lay on the cool stone, a part of the city spread out underneath the tower as crystal lights flickered nearby, giving a bit of illumination to the book resting on his forelimbs.

“I have a question,” she stated flatly, the stallion putting aside his current reading and giving the Princess his full attention.

“I will try to provide an answer.”

“Are you aware of any influence in my dream realm?”

Onyx’s brow furrowed, the Shadow’s eyes flickering across the stone in thought.

“I do not understand the question,” he stated slowly, knowing full well that he treads on very uncertain ground, his past meddling coming to the forefront of Onyx’s mind. “I have not accessed your realm since warning of your Sister’s nightmare.”

“I am not questioning your intentions, I am asking if you could sense anything, if you were to access it.”

Luna got a completely blank stare from Onyx, her words clearly dumbfounding the pony as his jaw hung slightly open.

“I…” he began, then shrugged his shoulders. “I do not know. I interact with the dream realm different than you. For example, I do not need to leave my physical form to do so. You have a more intimate connection with it. But if allowed, I suppose I could sense things that are abnormal, other forces other than your own magic, yes.”

The Shadow’s eyes narrowed, now looking at Luna intently. “There are other things at work here, are there not? The strange individual stalking myself and Icait. The legionnaires found nothing, but I could sense something odd about it. And now somecreature is meddling in your realm?”

Luna’s silence was enough for Onyx to crack a grin, somehow seeing the Princess at a less-than-all-knowing state pleasing the Shadow.

“Or it’s worse than that. The sleeper cells; I’m right, aren’t I? If you want my help, I will gladly assist you. Just say the word.”

“Just like that?” Luna asked curiously, having stayed silent for a time. To her clear pleasure, Onyx let out a rather dissatisfied grunt, standing and looking away from her as his shoulders slumped.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I can think of a few reasons. Just as there is more to my words, there is more to yours, is there not?”

The stallion seemed to shrink slightly at that, clearly regretting his verbal sparring from before.

“Perhaps.”

“It’s the Windigo, isn’t it?”

“Her name is-” Onyx hissed as he whipped around, eyes then narrowing as he saw Luna smirking. “Well played.”

“You started the match, I finished it. Am I correct, however?”

Nodding once, Onyx refused to meet Luna’s gaze at that.

“I know not what these sleeper cells intend to do. But I doubt they would overlook a traitor living free and happy.” Shadows seemed to grow darker, the stone under Onyx’s hooves groaning.

“I will not allow their interference.”

The light then returned to normal, Luna still letting a casual, ever-so-slight smile on her face.

“Starlight was correct, fond indeed. I shall not say anything more of the matter, however.”

A barely imperceptible but thankful nod was Onyx’s reply, Luna activating her horn with a flick.

“Then let us begin. I will allow you access to the dream realm for a time. I need you to monitor if there is any outside interference. The type of magic you use is most difficult to pick up; could you detect the traces of it aside from active use?”

The stallion nodded, taking a few deep breaths as his horn sparked.

“I can. If you wish to allow me access for a brief moment now, I will do what I can.”

While Luna shifted to her dream realm, the Princess was surprised to see Onyx’s posture not really change at all, seamlessly simply ‘appearing’ at her side.

His form, however, was very different. Tendrils of shadow flickered out from him, reminding the Alicorn of a certain individual in Nacreous’s company. Yet where darkness had previously dominated his astral form, a flicker of white light seemed to peek through his barrel, like a candle in a dark tavern.

“I cannot sense any active use,” Onyx rumbled, Luna watching as his magic increased in power. She was quite pleased to note that he actively avoided the various dream bubbles, only pricking them a single time with a shadowy tendril.

“But…hmm…” he muttered.


I know this.

Onyx wracked his mind, knowing what he sensed was so intimately familiar, yet not being able to place it.

His vision of the dream realm suddenly fractured, Luna’s voice calling out his name seeming to come from a thousand miles away. Two white eyes wreathed in flames of shadow dominated Onxy’s vision as the stallion threw up a protective shield.

But no strikes were thrown, a fanged, pitch-black mouth opening wide as the eyes narrowed. It was only then that Onyx knew what magic this was as it sought to find him in the physical world. Yet it was mixed with another type of power he knew all too well.

“TRAITOR!”

As dagger-like appendages sprouted from the disconnected face, two forelimbs wrapped themselves around Onyx and yanked him free, both in a physical and metaphysical sense. His vision cleared, and the stallion found himself leaning against a familiar stone tower, sides heaving.

“Onyx, what was that?” Luna asked, the other pony taking comfort in the fact that the Alicorn had activated dozens of shields surrounding them. “You simply collapsed, and I sensed a flare of…something. I know not what type of magic it is.”

Onyx felt a very alien emotion surging in his chest, fear making his heart, if he had one, beat all the faster.

“There is something in your dream realm, something that knows I have changed,” Onyx whispered, struggling to gain control of his voice and loathing how vulnerable he appeared. “It does not dwell there permanently, but it is able to access the realm, lurking, waiting. And I know what magic this is.”

Luna waited, clearly unnerved at seeing the usually gruff, obnoxious and otherwise stalwart creature so shaken.

“That magic is from my realm,” Onyx whispered. “Those fools, what have they done?”

“Who?” Luna asked pointedly, the stallion shaking his head.

“I don’t know. I am the first of my kind to live without a host, but this is all wrong. Something from limbo is here, mixed with Windigo magic. Feeding on hate, giving it strength, but there’s more, I just don’t understand it. It’s all wrong.”

Luna seemed to zone out briefly, no doubt communicating her findings with Celestia.

“Your magic? Creatures from Limbo?” she confirmed, watching the stallion nod. “And Windigo magic? Somehow they are fused together?”

Onyx bowed his head, slowly standing up and shivering.

“That is correct,” he rumbled. “I do not know how, or even how such an unholy combination was achieved, but something is here. Something dark, something hungry. The magic shouldn’t work together, it just shouldn’t. The results would be too chaotic to even attempt to harness.”

At his last words, Luna’s eyes narrowed, the alicorn letting out a growl.

“I must go, Onyx. Will you be alright here? I shall place additional wards in your home if you wish.”

“I would appreciate that,” the shadow-pony admitted. “I am exhausted.”

“I will take you home. Thank you for your help, Onyx. I may need your assistance at a later date.”

The stallion simply nodded, Luna transporting him back to the shielded apartment before re-appearing next to her exhausted sister in a small conference room.

“Lulu,” Celestia whispered, reaching over to give her sister a hug. “Things just got a lot more interesting; I think.”

“I agree, sister,” Luna replied with a sigh, the pair separating. “Onyx is an ally; of that I believe to be true. His last words however….”

“Chaotic,” Celestia growled, but her brief flare of anger then vanished, becoming that of concern. “Luna, I did manage to see Discord briefly just before you got here. It was for but a few seconds, and no words were said. I don’t know where he has gone, but….”

“But?”

There were very few times Luna had seen her sister thoroughly unsettled, and that didn’t help the Lunar Princess’s nerves in the slightest.

“Luna, he looked scared.”