//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Two: Lighthouse // Story: Cure For a Toxin // by RadBunny //------------------------------// Onyx shifted on the sofa with a grunt, the shadow pony shivering underneath the thick blanket. The scattered memories were few and far between, but at least he had done his duty. The fact that Celestia seemed unnerved didn’t help his own confidence however. “You ok?” Icait asked, the Windigo hopping onto the couch with him as Onyx’s ears flattened. “I am not sure,” he admitted. “Remembering flashes of what life was like in Limbo is disturbing with the context of my new life. Just a whirlwind of emotion, a landscape that doesn’t make sense to my mind; but at least I know it’s a part of me that I can remember.” “I guess that makes sense,” Icait said softly. “I can’t remember anything before I was ‘born’, only remember the feelings of hatred and stuff. Not fun at all.” Now she was getting depressed. Onyx wasn’t about to have that at all. It didn’t suit the bubbly Windigo at all. After all, he was the grump. The designated grump, at that. “I heard you had another run-in with Knife Twist?” he asked, shifting under the blanket to then glance over to the Windigo, her ears promptly perking back up. “Uh huh! We’re actually going to have lunch in a day or two with Luna. I think it helps her get over stuff, seeing that I really didn’t want to hurt her,” Icait explained. “It helps me too, knowing that even somepony that I hurt, even by inaction doesn’t totally hate me. It’s just…nice. Even if we never talk again, at least we can be on ok terms after my total blubber-fest when first meeting her.” Icait then blushed, a bright pink against her ethereal, teal frame, prompting a raised eyebrow from Onyx. “Huh?” “I was just thinking,” she whispered, “I thought it was rather sweet. You being concerned when I started crying in the gym, and before that having taken those blades for me.” Onyx let out a huff, definitely not blushing as well as his grey eyes drifted to the floor. The blanket seemed much warmer, however. Did the temperature increase drastically? He’d have to ask about the air conditioning here. “Well. I finally came to terms that you are my friend. And therefore, I should act like one,” he stated bluntly. “But that doesn’t mean I am giving up my grumpy card.” Icait tried to laugh- but instead it came out as a half-snort that dissolved into a giggle. “I w-want that t-to be a real b-business card!” she gasped, Onyx watching in amusement as she felt to the floor and struggled to breathe through giggles. He wasn’t sure what the warm glow in his chest meant, but it was a nice feeling, despite it never having been felt until he was living in this world. Especially never until meeting Icait. It made him want to smile, and prompted a very simple resolution. I need to get a business card. “That’s a rather interesting report,” Shifting mused as Luna let out a rather annoyed groan, the Alicorn going over her own set of papers after flopping over her Fiancé’s back in exasperation. “Indeed. My Sister learned quite a bit, and at least we have a target now, even if it is locked behind a shield,” Luna replied. “She believes Toxic is safe though, and that is a plus. How goes the training on your end?” The Commander shrugged at that, levitating a report over to Luna, as he was rather immobile at the moment. “Well, I’ve interviewed more drill Sergeants, revamped the training schedules and budget, the ranks are still growing, and the Lunar Knights are still in tip-top shape. By Equestrian standards, things are going extremely well.” “…by other standards?” Luna asked, shifting over to settle next to Shifting. She couldn’t resist a grin at seeing her Fiancé pout. “Shifting, are you jealous? Of a certain organization I suspect?” “MAYBE!” “That’s a yes.” Shifting couldn’t help but groan, gesturing to an obnoxiously sparse parchment. “We barely have any information on the Last Light Island, and already they’re one of the most militarized organizations I’ve ever seen,” the Commander grumbled. “I know Equestria isn’t meant to have a strong military arm, recent events notwithstanding, but they have an airship navy that only needs crewing. An Airship. Navy. We have a few large retrofitted ships but nothing I’d trust to send into battle! Nacreous’s kingdom is the closest thing we have to compare, but they are specifically geared towards Windigo-type magic containment. Not this…” the pony’s voice trailed off, Shifting letting out a sigh. “This organization is training for real-world combat in addition to chemical threats. I suppose I am both surprised, and very much not. I expected the void to be filled somehow, but I’m just surprised.” “And…?” “And yes, a bit jealous at their military capacity. For a charitable organization, they’re armed to the teeth,” Shifting grumbled. “And I’m more than certain they aren’t even showing a quarter of their capacity. Varti has the place locked up tight and certainly isn’t releasing any information.” “Well, I know he, and Toxic have their reasons. We have to trust them on this,” Luna said in a subdued tone. “And I do. It’s just surprising, but a bit of relief at the same time. At least we know they can handle themselves.” Luna’s ears perked up in surprise as Shifting leaned over to give her a rather long kiss, then nuzzling her nose with his. “I’m just glad you’re safe,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be-” “Ooooh don’t you dare!” Luna interjected. “Don’t pull the ‘I wasn’t there to defend you’ line! Everything turned out alright, and we all can’t be there every single moment of the other’s life.” Shifting blinked, Luna then scooting close to wrap a wing over her Fiancé, nuzzling the top of his head lovingly. “I certainly wasn’t there for you for a thousand years,” she whispered, “so don’t you dare go down that train of thought. It’s just as silly. We’re both ok, and that’s what matters.” Snuggling closer, the stallion let out an agreeing nod, enjoying the moments peace they had before duty would call once again. “Well, fair enough then,” he replied with a grin. “It’s probably a good thing you couldn’t hear me all those years though. I occasionally talked to the moon, you know. Probably said some embarrassing things…” Luna sat up straight in surprise at that. “You what?” A chime sounded, and Shifting literally bounded up and began to trot down the halls. “Oh! There’s the timer! Back to work!” “SHIFTING GET BACK HERE!” The stallion raced pell-mell through the castle while cackling in defiance, much to the amusement of the few guards they passed. Of course, one couldn’t interrupt such a chase between the Lunar Princess and her Commander. It was, naturally, a royal matter. Toxic’s legs ached. They, or rather, he had been trotting for a good few hours after the teleportation spell had thrown them clear of the mountain. Something had happened though, a loud CRACK that had made his ears ring as a projectile had impacted the mountain an hour ago. The rocky formation was now just a monolith in the distance, the top of the oddly-shaped peak, previously a tube that had pulled clouds in, was now shattered to pieces along with most of the top forth of the mountain. If Toxic had to guess Celestia had made contact with their enemies. That was a comfort even if no further signs were given, despite the frantic rune he had sketched and sent up. If he could let her know they weren’t being held hostage perhaps she won’t pull any punches. Then again if the mountain was any indicator the Solar Empress was very tired of playing the ‘nice’ Princess part, especially when dealing with these sorts of creatures. But for all he knew, the shield blocked it; he had to make it untraceable which reduced the spell’s power, and even then, Toxic had change course to throw off any pursuers. Thankfully, locating beacon or not, there had been no sign of individuals following, and Toxic had changed course a few times to make sure along with a hoofprint-masking spell. They had passed from a foul swamp into a denser conifer forest, large boulders, bare dirt and roots becoming more prevalent, as well as some small caves. As well as he could tell, they were not on the Equestrian continent anymore, likely south of the dragon’s domain, judging by the occasional types of mosses present on the rocks. The teleportation and continual hoofprint-masking spell had sapped the armor’s batteries, and the leylines weren’t seeming to be able to recharge them completely. There was an odd, slightly-sickening field of magic over this place that prevented Toxic from fully utilizing the leylines. It was like a dammed river, only a trickle seeping through, barely enough to power the armor outside of his own magical reserves. And even though they were far away from the mountain the field remained. How big of an area have these creatures claimed? WHO is after me? That shadowy voice I assume is their leader? It didn’t sound like that gryphon, the Bringer. There were a lot of questions on Toxic’s mind, but the more pressing matter was that of survival obviously. He had already tried another locator rune; but it had fizzled out. Apparently ‘they’ had learned and enhanced the suppression field around the territory which explained the annoying ache at the base of his skull. But this far from the mountain? The amount of power such a spell would require put Canterlot’s shield to shame, Toxic’s island reactors at mere hoof-sized batteries in comparison. No matter. I need to find somewhere safe. It’s going to get dark soon, and I have no supplies outside of the emergency kit on my flanks. I hope I have enough energy to activate those storage portals. I never wanted to use them again, but here we are. “Warning, subject’s vitals destabilizing,” a disembodied voice warned Toxic, the unicorn having set his suit to monitor himself and Gelliana. What?! Backtracking over some boulders, Toxic peered into a cave underneath a series of large trees. It must have been used by some sort of creature once upon a time, because while the entrance was barely the size of a pony the inside matched the space of the living room of a cheap apartment. It would have to do. A small stream of fresh water trickled in from an underground stream and pooled slightly in the corner, indicating why the walls were rather mossy. It was a fair bit underground and didn’t smell horrible; so, this would be home for now. They had water, the dirt and rock walls seemed solid, and there was even an elevated area which could serve as a bed, dirt scooped out and mounded against a wall. A quick scan indicated there wasn’t any animal occupants, and hadn’t been for some time due to the lack of hair or other refuse. Toxic gently lay Gelliana on the elevated dirt mound, sending his armor’s magical sensors scanning over her body. “Unknown toxins detected,” the software said calmly, Toxic’s eyes widening in horror. This wasn’t a tranquilizer at all. “Correction, three neurotoxins detected- correction, five neurotoxins, correction-” He shut off the audible alerts, the analysis seeming to fluctuate with every passing second along with Gelliana’s heartbeat and magical field. Creatures had two sets of vitals, even non-magical ones had a field of such energy, even if it was weaker. This pathogen seemed to be targeting both. If either of those failed, you’d perish. His mouth was as dry as a desert, the unicorn quickly using the last of both his, and the suit’s magical energy to open a simple, pre-set storage portal. The odd interference made the spell flicker and fade, and Toxic was barely able to yank the three massive metal crates out from their location before the portal collapsed. In fact, the rearmost part on the final crate was sheared off within the portal, lost to the magical ether as the spell failed, the batteries now flashing depletion warnings on his heads-up display. The contents of the large military-like containers were simple; everything Toxic needed to survive with potential victims for an extended period of time in a hostile chemical atmosphere. There were a few additions for different threats, but ultimately the crates allowed a complete shelter-in-place scenario for some time. Unfortunately, a battalion of Legionnaires couldn’t fit inside one of the crates; so, this would have to do. Despite his heart thudding in his ears, Toxic opened the first large, stallion-sized crate, tapping a large, white, octagonal crystal located in the center of the container. “Authorization code?” a feminine voice asked. “Director Shield. Emergency authorization Alpha-Two-Seven-Gamma-Beta-Five-Five,” Toxic said with a trembling voice. “Activate Supplementary Magical Assistant Lexicon, full functionality.” “Activating S.M.A.L Stand by.” A mare snapped into focus, a magical projection full of pre-programed medical procedures and instructional lectures. While not a sapient program, the Golem could handle just about any medical emergency one could run in to; performing operations, assisting, even some experimental combat and support roles. And right now, Toxic needed all the help he could get. “Awaiting instructions,” SMAL stated calmly, Toxic wincing as his magic sputtered, a defibrillator falling before he caught it. “S-scan her!” he said quickly, the armor becoming heavier and heavier as its power source continued to be depleted. His own magical reserves couldn’t power the armor and levitation. “Scanning. Stand by. Please authorize consent for continued treatment.” “Yes, authorized as an emergency responder! Director level access across all functions, code beta-eight-five-five-two-zeta!” Toxic activated the emergency escape of his suit, the armor not fading away in a burst of flame but instead simply falling to the ground in pieces. His magic no longer being used as a power source for the armor, the unicorn was able to ferry a few more items from the crate, namely two large boxes and what looked like a cross between an hourglass and a microscope. Please let this be enough. What did they do to you, Gelliana? Opening one of the boxes, Toxic looked at the array of graduated vials, each containing a different colored liquid ready to be loaded into a syringe; antitoxins to virtually every chemical weapon, biohazard, neurotoxin and various other oddball poison known to Equestria (and quite a few from other nations), enough for hundreds of doses. They weren’t for him but for any potential victims he may be isolated with. The broad-spectrum doses were still in approval by the Equestrian Government, but Toxic had utmost faith in Varti’s analysis. The cures were little to no risk of overloading the body, dissolving harmlessly in the bloodstream and being excreted normally, even with antiviral treatments. The bonuses of magic; being able to bypass a potentially deadly cytokine storm for pathogens, and only targeting a present poison for those situations. The unused antigens wouldn’t activate and therefore leave the body without issue. “Scanning complete. Unknown arcane-bonded chemicals detected, but that is changing,” SMAL mused, “best description is a mutagenic, magic-boosted blood poison that can mimic a wide array of chemicals and pathogens for an extended period of time.” “Is that even possible?!” Toxic hissed, the Golem shaking its head. “Unknown. This is not in any of my data files. Treatment must commence immediately or the patient will expire. Are you able to assist? Scans show your vital signs are abnormal.” “I’m fine for now, she’s the priority. Yes, I can assist,” Toxic replied quickly. “Please prepare the vials in this order. Colors will be used to save time in designating dosages. Do you understand these instructions?” “Yes!” “Please load the red vial first.” Toxic slotted the large container into the delivery syringe, the needle hidden and aided by a spring mechanism. “Please empty the syringe into the patent’s nearest shoulder.” Toxic felt his hooves start to shake, the unicorn forcing the fear down. An entire vial had enough doses for dozens of patients many times over. To use the entire thing… Injecting the entire vial into Gelliana’s shoulder, Toxic replaced the empty container, looking to the Golem as ‘she’ monitored the gryphoness. “Next, the blue.” The vials quickly began to run out. Blue, purple, yellow, clear, green; it was a rainbow of lifelines that was quickly vanishing. Occasionally Gelliana’s body glowed a soft white as the magic-enhanced chemicals did their work, but otherwise there was no visible change. “Please inject additional doses of the blue vial from the other container; one half of the graduated amount.” Reloading the syringe, Toxic followed the new instructions, depleting a good third of the second crate’s contents. “Please use the entirety of either of the black syringes and that will conclude this portion of treatment.” That caused the unicorn’s head to snap over to SMAL as Gelliana’s breathing became labored. “Confirm?” Toxic asked in horror. The black syringe contained a last-resort antitoxin, a massive, physically punishing dose that would expel both magical and physical contaminants from one’s body. It was to be used only when other methods had failed; not when hundreds of doses of antitoxin had already been used! And even then, the black substance was to be used by the drop, not like this! Toxic himself had only used it once, and he couldn’t move for hours afterwards; and that amount had been about ten drops. “Analysis confirmed. Patient will require supportive care immediately after. Unless this final dose is utilized, other doses will not be sufficient and patient will die in less than ten minutes. The antigens, due to their high doses, will counteract the majority of the negative side effects of this final antitoxin.” So, she’ll be ok? Not get laid out as I did with this dose? Please, don’t let her suffer anymore. Emptying the syringe into her shoulder, Toxic propped the gryphoness up into an easy-breathing position, watching as the medical golem continued to scan her. He could treat broken limbs, known illness and traumas; but this was entirely unknown. I hate being so helpless. “Toxin levels decreasing. Attention, patient will require defibrillation.” Toxic retrieved the defibrillator, placing the two large pads underneath Gelliana’s feathers mechanically. He had done this before, but never with a gryphoness who he… “Analyzing heart rhythm. Stand by.” Tears began to stream from Toxic’s eyes, the unicorn feeling the wave of absolute horror starting to crest in his heart. Not her. Don’t take her. Please… “Shock advised. Please stand clear.” She is here because of me. Don’t let her suffer on my account. “Shocking.” Gelliana’s body jolted, Toxic barely able to see through the tears. His own breaths came in short, panicked gasps. I could lose her, just because she was close to me. My fault. “Analyzing. Additional shock advised. Shocking.” Please. Let me suffer, I’ll take it all. Just let her live. A second jolt, but then the Golem nurse paused, nodding in approval. The action let Toxic breath again, the stallion’s limbs starting to quiver. “Immediate treatment complete. Please retrieve supportive fluids, I shall administer the IV and monitor the patient. As predicted, the majority of the negative side effects of the final injection will not present themselves.” Locating the pre-packaged IV backs and fluid held in magical suspension, Toxic numbly hung the bag on a tree root, sitting down as the Golem neatly slid the needle into Gelliana’s arm. “I anticipate she will feel quite ill for a short time when waking up, but no lasting effects anticipated,” the mare turned to Toxic, eyes narrowing slightly. “You are my next patient. Please sit down as I scan you.” Toxic did so, also fishing out a large orb from the first crate with his magic. Activating it with a tap, Toxic watched as a shimmering shield expanded, filling in every crack and crevasse of the cave from the outside world; an airtight seal through which magically filtered air could pass through in and out as needed. Sketching a rune with a stick across the ground and walls after the SMAL’s scan, Toxic breathed a sigh of relief as the magical symbols sputtered to life, the concealment spells both making their cave appear like a boulder and effectively hiding it from visual and magical view. As the shield solidified, a strange pressure seemed to disappear from Toxic’s mind; barely noticeable, but his fear seemed a bit less now. The concealment spells were an after-thought addition to the crate’s years ago; and now it paid off. But they were safe, at least as much as could be expected for their situation. He took a few moments to place the respective items next to their most-likely area of use; a water filtration crystal and filter to the underground stream, and a simple rune that burrowed a hole in the ground around one of the rocky ‘walls’ of the cave, a low-range spell incinerating anything that was dropped far enough down. Water and waste disposal; two essentials. After that, things became a blur for Toxic; the SMAL not recommending anything except supportive fluids for himself until they could complete a more in-depth scan. Apparently, his results were inconclusive. Gells. As mental and physical exhaustion made his limbs tremble, Toxic staggered over to lay on the ground beside Gelliana. With a shaking hoof, he reached up and held her claws, fresh tears now starting to fall from his eyes. “Please be ok, please…” he whispered, the SMAL calmly tutting. “Patient one will make a full recovery.” The calm, pragmatic tone eased a bit of the worry in Toxic’s heart. “Monitor us, please,” the Unicorn managed to say before the world began to fade to black. “Command confirmed. Monitoring mode engaged.” After the stallion had slipped into a dreamless sleep, the SMAL walked around their shelter and double-checked the various measures set in place. After she was sure he was asleep, the mare’s frame expanded and grew to a lankier size. Her eyes looked at the sleeping pair curiously, the mare’s head tilting as though not quite understanding, but then her expression softened at seeing Toxic holding Gelliana’s claws in an iron grip. And then she was gone, the previous, static and stoic Golem figure standing guard silently.