Twilight and Fluttershy were awoken by the banging of the door and a loud yell of "TWILIGHT! I'M HOME!"
Twilight teleported to the door and shoved a hoof in Spike's mouth before he could start gushing about Rarity. "Spike, shh!" she hissed. "I have to show you something, but you can't say anything." Spike nodded apprehensively, and Twilight led him to the room in which Lavender Dazzle slept.
***
"Wait, so there's this pony you've barely met, sleeping on our couch and possibly stealing my gems?" Spike asked nervously. "Twilight, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"She has nowhere to go," Twilight explained. "And she has amnesia."
"Is that when somepony is scared to go outside?"
Twilight facehoofed. "No, Spike," she groaned, "that's agoraphobia. Amnesia is when you can't remember your past. Also, she's injured. She needs a place to recuperate."
Spike was bewildered. "Recuper-what?"
Twilight did a double facehoof. "She needs to get better, Spike! I'll introduce her to you when she gets up."
Fluttershy tapped Twilight on the shoulder with her hoof. "Um, Twilight? I hope I'm not interrupting, but I need to go home for a little while. Just to check on my animals. Unless you want me to stay..."
"No, you should go home, Fluttershy." Twilight lowered her voice slightly, then continued, "Is she still asleep?"
"Oh. Um, yes." Fluttershy trotted out the door. "See you later, Twilight!"
As soon as Fluttershy was out the door, Twilight began making Fluttershy's bed with the use of her magic. "Spike," she called, "will you make breakfast?"
"Sure, Twilight. What do you want?" Spike responded, producing a chef's hat and apron out of nowhere.
"Surprise me, Spike! Just make sure there's enough for two ponies and one dragon," Twilight answered, telekinetically lifting Fluttershy's blankets back onto the bed.
***
As Spike and Twilight set the table, Lavender Dazzle entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes blearily with a hoof. "How late did I sleep?"
"Not too late. Do you like waffles?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. I like waffles."
"That's great!" Twilight said enthusiastically. "Spike made them. He's my assistant," she continued, pulling Spike out from behind the counter.
Lavender's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. "A-a dragon?" She cowered back, trembling and ears flat. She was the picture of utter terror. As Twilight glanced worriedly at Spike, Lavender's eyes misted over for a moment, just like they had shortly after Twilight met her. "Hello, Spike!" she said brightly, extending a hoof for him to shake and showing none of her previous fear. "I'm Lavender Dazzle. Nice to meet you!"
Spike took her hoof and shook it. "Nice to meet you too, enjoy your pancakes," he said uneasily. Once Lavender was seated at the table enjoying her pancakes, he turned to Twilight and whispered, "Twilight, what the hay is with her? She needs help!"
"I know, Spike. I'm giving her help."
"No," Spike continued, "professional help. You should take her to Zecora or somepony."
Twilight grabbed Spike and hugged him. "Spike, you're a genius!" Turning to Lavender, who was devouring syrup-soaked waffles, she continued, "Hey Lavender, want to meet one of my friends?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "Come on! Clock is ticking!"
"But I just started eating breakfast!" Lavender complained. The words fell on deaf ears, though, as Twilight simultaneously nudged Lavender across the floor and wrote a note to Fluttershy and Ditzy Doo, in case they returned while she was out. "Don't worry, Lavender, you'll like her!" Twilight assured her as a violet aura surrounded them. With a bright flash, the three were gone.
***
"What an unfortunate unicorn, that she must be without a horn!" Zecora commented, inspecting Lavender's forehead from every angle.
"How was it removed? Can it be recovered?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Unicorns' horns are very tough. One strong blow would not be enough." Zecora ran a striped hoof across the base of Lavender's horn. She continued, "The horn and skull are the same bone. They will not break apart with blows alone." The zebra paused to think, then tossed some fragments of leaves, berries, and stones into a bubbling cauldron of water, turning it a silvery white.
"Apply this to your horn's remain, so I may peek into your brain," Zecora suggested to Lavender. The mare shifted her hooves uncertainly. "I'm not sure..."
Zecora's voice took on a kinder quality. "I'd like to see what I can find by looking deep into your mind. There may be knowledge we all seek, but we won't know unless I peek."
"Okay," said Lavender uneasily, taking the thin silvery salve on her hoof and smearing it across the circle of bone on her forehead that was her horn. Zecora closed her eyes, chanted a few words nopony understood, and for a while, Twilight and Spike stood in silence and waited for something to happen. Suddenly, the salve seemed to drip away from Lavender's forehead and splatter on the floor, now clear as water. Zecora's eyes shot open.
"Her memories were hidden by a cloudy veil. My search for help was to no avail," Zecora regretfully explained. Twilight, Spike, and Lavender sighed with disappointment.
Zecora noticed something and gasped. "Everypony wait, I have seen something great!" She inspected Lavender's forehead and exclaimed, "About this potion, I have made a discovery; it will speed your horn's recovery!" She added a few more ingredients to the bubbling salve, changing its hue from silvery white to pale blue.
"Apply it once in the morning, once at night, and whenever you think the time is right. Just make sure that whatever way, you get three doses every day." Zecora pushed the cauldron over, emptying its contents into a large bottle. Twilight telekinetically inserted the cork into the bottle. "Thank you so much, Zecora! This is going to be a big help!"
"One more question before you go!" Zecora called to Lavender. "What talent does your cutie mark show?"
"I don't remember, but once I do, I'll tell you," Lavender replied as she headed for the door. "Thanks Zecora! I can't wait to see you again!" She happily waved a hoof goodbye as the door closed.
Zecora smiled and waved until the door closed completely, then her smile disappeared, replaced with an expression of pity. "She surely had a tragic past," Zecora sighed to herself. "I hope that smile is not her last."