In the waiting room, Sasa paced by the door. The nurse had taken her Chosen away quickly to treat his numerous wounds. She knew that he needed to be seen, she felt herself growing more worried as the time went by and he didn’t say anything to her. She had expected him to be talking to her about how bored he was or how tedious the treatment was going as he had the time before. She stopped in place as his presence faded to a dull flame in the back of her mind. Oblivion himself had a powerful presence about him and suddenly it was a bare fraction of what it normally was.
“Chosen?” She called out and waited for him to reply, but received only silence in reply to her call.
The cat was back in motion and headed for the door and began to paw at it as a way to try to open the door. She pawed at the door as his presence was barely there and it ate at her that something had happened to him and he might be in need of her. She looked over her shoulder to the mares who were now staring at her.
“Sasa?” Applejack said as she stood up and came to stand by her. “Easy pretty girl. ‘E’ll be fine.” She said trying to comfort the disturbed feline.
“Applejack is something wrong with her as well?” Twilight asked as she got off the chair she had been sitting in.
Applejack looked at the feline as her eyes went wide as the cat's coat lost its ethereal look and become more solid. The aqua mist that was always on her fur and came off of her at all times faded until it was gone entirely. The bright white of her coat seemed duller in comparison to normal and both mares stared at her as she began to pant in anxiety.
“Wha’ happened ta ‘er?” Applejack asked the other mare as she started to pull Sasa away from the door.
Twilight came up to her and began to try to pull her away from the door. “Chosen?” She called again as the mares began to pull on her panic began to go through her body. She knew that he lived due to his immortality but even he could not stop somepony from harming him in the state he was in. “Chosen!?”
She began to growl as Applejack and Twilight both were able to pull her away from the door. She knew that her more unnatural traits depended on him. Her heightened senses and her strength being above normal came from him and the strength that he wielded. Her connection to Oblivion is what gave her the power she held and now that he had been so diminished he had been removed from her. Without him, she watched as her enhanced sight diminished to what was normal for a generic jungle cat in Equestria.
She had the ability to see the spirits of those close to her if they were strong or weak enough but without him, she was not able to see anything beyond the normal for any other feline. As much as she tried to calm herself with the knowledge that the odds that the ponies here would harm him were slim it did nothing to ease her mind. Normally the mares would not be able to pull her anywhere but without him, she was not as strong as she would have been. She looked away from the door to the mares and she could see the worry and concern etched in their eyes as they looked back at her. As they held her back she nearly cried out in anguish as time ticked past her.
Applejack was family to him and her and she stopped fighting their pull and allowed them to pull her away from the door and back to the back of the room by the chairs. Twilight was as close to family as Applejack and she found herself pushing herself to be in between the two mares to surround herself with their calming scent. She whimpered as they put their hooves on her and ran their hooves over her fur. She hoped that being this close to them would allow her to regain her calm and put her mind at ease.
"She’s shakin’ like a leaf.” Applejack said as she petted the cat’s smooth fur. “She’s connected ta ‘im. Could somethin' have happened to ‘im?”
Twilight shook her head in response. “I hope not. If something did go wrong then they would take measures to save his life. But if it was something that needed permission they would probably come to you if you’re his emergency contact. Which you are right?” Applejack looked thoughtful and gave a hesitant nod. “Well, then they would come to you with updates.”
“Ya think…?”
“No.” Twilight quickly replied with certainty. “If he had been that bad off then he would not have been able to walk back under his own power.” She reasoned.
“Yer right. Ah just can’t help but think that somethin’ did happen since she’s so upset.”
“I know what you mean but I am certain that he’s just fine. They probably put him under to tend to everything. I mean he did get thrown to the ground by a dragon.” She reasoned further.
“That’s fair.” Applejack replied.
Sasa could feel them close by her as they petted her fur but it was doing little to quell her concerns for his safety. Logic told her that he was probably fine and would most likely scold her for overreacting in time. But the illogical part of her mind was jumping to conclusions and it was feeding into her fears. Oblivion was a Pegasus of great power, the likes of which had never been seen in this world or any other before now. A Spirit that was strong enough to handle a World Spirit and bend it to his will in time. Equestria may have helped to fashion parts of his body but he had surpassed her and completed what she had started.
She knew that only an Alicorn could control the Element of Spirit and she had been shocked to see a Pegasus in his place. All she wanted was to feel his presence once more as the details of what he was fell to the back of her mind. She could also sense that her own presence had lessened without him. He didn’t need to be immediately beside her but his connection to the World Spirit gave her that ability to stay and keep up with him. She huddled into the mares and stilled.
"She’s scared a somethin’. Ah just don’t know what coulda got 'er so upset.” Applejack whispered to the other mare as they stroked the cat’s fur.
Twilight looked worriedly to the cat and then back to the orange mare. “I’ll go and ask about him. Maybe they will give me an idea of how he’s doing.”
Twilight got to her hooves and started for the door on the other side of the room. The door opened as the purple mare got halfway to it. Sasa sat up and looked at the door as it opened fully and Redheart came into the room.
“Chosen?” She whispered through their connection, she was not expecting a reply, but hope drove her to reach out.
The nurse stood silent for a moment as she let the door close behind her and she walked up to the mares as Twilight rejoined Applejack and Sasa. “I figured I should give you an update on what we know and what we are doing.”
“Yes please.” Twilight encouraged and put her hoof on Sasa’s shoulder.
“All right. So we have done a series of X-rays on his right shoulder and chest. That told us the severity of the damage to the wrenched shoulder. We could tell that it had been pretty violently pulled out of place and then pushed back in. When that happened it was done poorly and the angle was bad. So what we did to fix that was we pulled it back out of the socket and then realigned it and put it back into place.”
“So his shoulder is going to be okay?” Twilight asked.
“Yes. In some time it will be fine. He is going to be very sore on it for a few days to a week or more. I will admit that we had to work a bit harder than we would have normally to pull the shoulder. That stallion has muscles and bones of steel. He’s not a bulky stallion but his muscles are well toned and that made it difficult to manipulate the bones.” She explained.
“And his chest X-ray?” Twilight asked.
“We found that his lungs do have some bruising on them. Nothing dire that we would need to monitor him in-house but enough that it is going to hurt him a bit to breathe. On the plus side, his internal organs seemed to have escaped any damage despite being thrown to the ground by a dragon.” Twilight and Applejack cringed as she went on. “The armor he was described to be wearing seems to have taken the brunt of the impact to the barrel and rest of his body.”
“What about the old wounds?” Applejack asked her.
Redheart cringed a bit and shook her head for a moment. “Those did not fare as well as we would have liked. The biggest of the gashes has actually torn pretty far and it now stretches to be past his hip. We will be stitching it closed and then binding the remaining sections to allow them to heal together on their own. He will need to be kept pretty quiet for a while. The Doctor will explain further the recovery time that we are looking at. All in all not as bad as it could have been but the doctor will explain further than I can. We will be sending him home with a new set of medications that he needs to take with one of them being a strong pain medicine that will allow him to at least walk a little bit.” She emphasized select words as she spoke to them. “But for the most part, we do want him to be quiet as possible and just rest until further notice.”
Applejack sat back and chewed on her lip before she spoke. “Ah am curious. It sounds like ya'll need to mess with him quite a bit. How did he do while ya were movin’ ‘im?”
Redheart looked uncertain for a moment before understanding went through her face and she gave a gentle smile. “We advised for him to be placed under anesthesia to allow us to move him as needed without causing him any pain. Though we will be sending him home with a large cooling pad for his shoulder that he can use as needed.”
“How will he be when he wakes up?” Twilight asked her.
“It depends on each pony. Some wake up feeling very disoriented, others feel sick, and others are just a bit cranky.” She chuckled as she explained. “Considering the amount of blood he lost he went under very quickly so that allowed the medicines to work and keep him from feeling any pain that might happen while we move him as needed.” She paused for a moment before she spoke. “Though I will warn you that his blood pressure and heart rate did drop on us at one point.”
“What happened?” Twilight asked.
“We tried to get them back up but his body did not respond to our attempts after several attempts Doctor Secret Heart told us to stop messing with him and wait for a moment. We discovered that it was not hurting him to be in a diminished state as he was. The Doctor guesses that it’s a natural reaction by his body to allow it to focus more effort on healing.”
“It was natural?” Applejack questioned.
Redheart nodded at the visibly confused mares. “His body seemed to act in a way to help itself. His blood pressure slowly climbed after a few minutes and leveled out to what we consider to be just above the dangerous line. His body basically seemed to relax deeply and it allowed itself to maintain a level that it could easily maintain with the minimal amount of effort.”
“Ah’ve never heard such a thing.” Applejack said to her as confusion spread over her face.
“Neither had we to be honest,” Redheart replied with a light shrug. “But after monitoring him we realized that we could leave him alone and it would maintain him easily. We did have to redo a couple of medications we had given him as one of them was actually beginning to pull him awake and we had to counter it pretty quickly. So we had to do a bit of trial and error and hope we got the medicines right. Where is he from?”
Twilight shrugged for a moment before she spoke. “He called it the Northern Realms.”
“I’ve never heard of it. So it must be a very fair distance away from Equestria.” Redheart replied. “I’ll put it in his file to ensure that we know to be careful of certain drugs. We are still working on him at the moment so when we finish one of us will come and get you so you can see him.”
“Thank you Redheart,” Twilight said to her with a growing smile.
The mare left the room and closed the door quietly behind her as Twilight still held tightly to Sasa’s fur with on hoof. Both mares breathed a deep sigh of relief as they relaxed slightly.
“Thank Equestria he’s okay. When Sasa seemed to panic it made me even more nervous.” She admitted to the farm mare.
Applejack nodded. “Same here. Ah never asked ‘im bout his connection ta ‘er. By the way, she was actin’ it had me worried.”
Sasa collapsed back to her belly and heaved a deep sigh. She wanted to reach out to him again but now she knew why he was not answering her. Now that she knew she felt her calm returning to her as she lay quietly. The mares both resumed smoothing her fur with their hooves and she purred in response. Applejack and Twilight both remained sitting on the floor with her as time began to tick past them. She remained still as they began to turn away from her and leaned against her. Twilight leaned against her shoulder while Applejack leaned against her opposite hip.
“Rest well Chosen.” She said to him as she began to relax and turned her attention to the still anxious mares with her.
She purred loudly to try to soothe the mares as Twilight reached a hoof back and ran it over her broadhead.
“Well ah figure that ‘e’s gonna be okay. Even though Ah wanted ta hit ‘im for getting’ ‘urt worse than afore. But then ah think of what might happen without ‘im.” Applejack said as she stroked the cat’s fur as well.
Twilight blanched and a deep frown crossed her face. “I don’t think any of us could have stopped that dragon. I can’t teleport than many ponies. Without him things would have been very different I think. I keep telling myself that Fluttershy would have acted sooner but I don’t think she was as close as I think she was when it started. But if she was as far away as I think she was then I am afraid to think of how that fight would have gone if it had gone on any longer than it did.”
Applejack shuddered as she thought about what the other mare had said. “Ah don’t think ‘e would have let himself fall. Ya have seen ‘im. He woulda used every bit of power he could get to defend us.”
“That’s true. But if it was hurting him to even breathe…”
“Nah. Nough a that. “E’d ne’er fall. That’s the end o' that.” Applejack interrupted and made a slashing motion with her hoof to signal the end of that train of thought.
Twilight nodded in agreement and banished any further thoughts from her mind. “He’d have been fine. He has Sasa helping after all.”
“True.” Applejack smiled and they went back to leaning heavily on the large feline between them.
Sasa was silent as time ticked past her. The mares had fallen silent and Sasa looked at each of them in turn. Both had dozed off and were propped up against her. The Spirit Tiger said nothing to the sleeping Pegasus as time went past her. She laid her head down on her paws and waited for anything to change and for the door to open again. More time passed her as she paid in silence and the mares continued to doze. Her ears flicked to the door as it began to finally open. She gave a loud yowl to awaken the mares as she raised her head from her paws.
Twilight jolted at the cat’s loud cry to find a tan stallion standing in the doorway looking at the three of them. Twilight recognized him like the stallion that had led Oblivion way from them hours earlier. Sasa got to her paws as the mares stood and looked at the nurse.
“I was asked to come and get the three of you when we got him settled into a room. He’s asleep last I saw. We woke him up once already to ensure that he could wake up from the drugs we gave him but he went back to sleep once we stopped messing with and questioning him. So he can come around on his own when his body is ready.” He said to them as he motioned for them to follow him.
They fell in behind him and he led them down the hall and into a separate wing of the hospital. Twilight was surprised at how quiet it was in the hospital wing. Even though she knew that each room probably had a patient with monitors and machines she still didn’t hear anything. He finally led them to a door at the end of the hallway and motioned for them to go ahead and enter. The group walked into the room and saw the black Pegasus asleep on the bed.
“He looks okay.” Applejack said aloud, her voice a whisper in the quiet room.
Twilight nodded as she looked him over. A warm blanket was pulled to sit just behind his girth and a large ice pack was laid across his shoulder. His coat seemed to have been cleaned and was free of any dirt and blood. Twilight perked her ears to see if she could hear him breathing but his breathing was quiet and steady from what she could tell. She looked to see his forelegs and an IV was clear in his leg with a blood pressure cuff in place as well.
A clipboard hung at the bottom of the bed with various paperwork written on it. The door was gently closed behind them as the stallion left them alone with the black Pegasus. White bandages were clearly visible on his black fur and they covered him from hip to chest. Twilight didn’t say anything as she watched him sleep for several seconds. Applejack and Sasa stood beside her as Sasa purred loudly. Twilight watched as Sasa moved to the top of the bed and she laid her head on the bed as much as her front fangs would allow. She was able to reach far enough to nose him gently and watch him sleep.
“See Sasa? He’s okay.” She said to the feline who purred continuously in reply.
Applejack started to speak when the door behind them opened again and a stallion walked into the room. “Applejack?” He asked as both mares looked at him.
“Ah’m here.” The orange mare replied.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Doctor Secret Heart. I’m the one who has been patching him up.” He said to her.
“It’s nice to meet ya.”
“I need to speak with you about him further if you have the time.”
“Ah, course.” Applejack said to him quickly.
“Is it all right if I stay for this or do I need to leave?” Twilight asked.
“That’s up to Applejack. She is his Emergency Contact on the paperwork so she makes the rules for this.”
“It’s fine. She’s close ta ‘im.” Applejack voiced. She will probably be helpin’ wit’ ‘im.”
Secret Heart nodded and looked pleased when he heard her explanation. “Well, it’s not a bad thing to have more than one pony there to keep him in check. From what I know of him he’s a fairly active pony so the more barriers to that the better.”
Applejack nodded. “She’ll be helpin’ out.”
“Well, as far as his recovery goes I would keep him quiet for a couple of weeks to give his lungs time to rest and heal a bit. Two preferably.” He explained. “Now he did end up with a minor concussion when he hit the ground. To be honest I’m not sure how he even got up from that and ended up with such minor injuries. The concussion should heal in about ten to fourteen days or less possibly.”
Applejack nodded as he spoke and looked back to find Twilight taking notes with a scroll and quill. The purple Unicorn looked up when the Doctor stopped speaking to find them both staring at her. Her ears pinned back slightly and she managed to look sheepish before hiding behind her scroll for a moment.
Secret shook his head and reached for the clipboard at the base of Oblivions bed. “Questions?”
“How is his breathing doing?” Twilight asked.
“Despite his size, he is breathing rather shallowly. He does have a somewhat pronounced wheeze when he came in. Both lungs are bruised but the right is bruised more severely. Though bruised it is not so severe that he will need to be admitted for longer than late morning to afternoon. His breathing sounds very shallow due to his body compensating for his diminished state. At least that is my thought anyway. His body seems to be compensating for the strain he is under by lowering its needs and allowing itself to recover. He is doing this on his own we have no control of it.”
Both mares looked at the sleeping pony and then back to the Doctor. “So he’s able to breathe like that and be okay?” Twilight asked. “Is that healthy for a pony of his size?”
“Yes and no.” Secret Heart replied. “A pony his size should be breathing much deeper than he is currently. But his body has compensated for it all of his vitals have adjusted and he is functioning easily under it. With very little medical interference he is supporting himself and functioning well. Considering that he is not allowed to run a marathon or run at all, actually.”
“He’ll walk if Ah have ta hobble ‘im mahself.” Applejack vowed.
Secret chuckled. “You might have to. His right shoulder has been dislocated but he can walk very gingerly on it. I am thinking that when the dragon grabbed him he pulled back just enough to dislocate it badly. When he hit the ground it might have put the limb back into its socket. Granted it did it through sheer force and didn’t get it in the right place. We dislocated it and put it back in place and applied the bandage to it to allow it to remain in the socket easier. So now that it is in the proper place it should stay that way.”
“And the gashes to his side?” Applejack asked.
“Okay, so the biggest issue with those was their size. Obviously, the impact did not help them heal and they were torn open at the impact. He did lose a fair amount of blood but his body has already compensated for that. We put new stitches and clamps in place to keep the flesh together. That will allow him to move a bit but he is recommended to take it very easy.” He replied but paused after a moment to look at each of them. “I do wonder though. He has a very large old wound across his back. Any idea where it came from? It’s not an open wound and it’s scarred over but none of us can figure out where it came from.”
“Scar on his back?” Applejack replied with a tilt of her head.
Secret nodded and approached the bed and pulled the blanket back from Oblivion back. Twilight eyes went wide at the sight of the large scar on his back. She could see that it went from his neck to his tail and was mostly hidden under his black fur. It had tendrils of scars that went from the middle of his back to lance down his sides.
“What could have caused that?” Twilight asked. “You have no ideas?”
“We have no idea. None of us can figure out what could have done it. It honestly looks like tree roots to me that are stretching out down his sides. It’s strange since the scar itself is still highly raised above his skin so it gives off the impression of being newer. But with the fact that his fur has grown over it shows that it is older and was not enough tissue damage to change the color of his fur to show it.” Secret replied and laid the blanket back over his back.
“We did discover one thing that has us scratching our heads a bit.” He admitted as he gazed at them.
“And that is?” Twilight asked.
“His body seems to be converting raw magic into energy and using it as he wishes. If that makes any sense to you?” He explained as the mares both looked surprised.
“I know he can draw strength from the armor he wears but he has never mentioned anything more than that,” Twilight replied. “Are you meaning he can use raw magic the same way?”
Secret nodded. “Yes. He has raw magic circulating through him at all times as most Pegasi do to allow them to easily fly. But with this one, he has the raw magic as well but he can use it any way he wishes, though he doesn’t seem to as far as I could tell tonight.”
Applejack looked thoughtful as she listened. “It’s not hurtin’ ‘im is it?”
“Oh no. On the contrary, it helps a great deal.” He replied quickly to the farm mare.
“How so?” Twilight asked as she came to stand close by her friend.
“It’s actually helping him to heal. He has natural regenerative abilities but it seems to be too aided by the raw magic that is going through him. So it is constantly filtering through him and regenerating him. How old is he?”
“Ah know he is older than my brother Mac, but Ah doesn’t; know the exact number. Ah never asked him.” The mare admitted, which was true. She didn’t have to lie since she had never asked for an exact number from The Witcher. She just knew he was over one hundred years old.
“I just assumed he was in his mid-twenties,” Twilight said to him.
“Well it might be impossible to ascertain his exact age from his body alone,” Secret admitted.
“How so?” Twilight asked as her head gave a slight tilt.
“The raw magic going through him is aiding in healing and possibly doing more than that. He could actually be very slow to age. So he could be much older than he looks. We would need in-depth blood tests to confirm anything beyond conjecture but we would need a medical reason to do that without his permission.”
“You mean he could be fifty or sixty and look twenty?” Twilight asked, her tone doubtful.
“Exactly,” Secret said to her, and then he waited for what he had said to sink in.
“That’s… different,” Twilight said to him after a short delay.
Secret shrugged. “The amount of raw magic going through him is not detrimental to his health and that was what I was concerned about at first. But while it is an anomaly in terms of normal ponies he is not being harmed by it. Anyway, I will leave the pair of you to sit with him if you wish to. We will discharge him shortly since he is stable and so long as he takes it easy he can go.” Secret said to them as he hung the clipboard back on the end of the bed and left the pair of mares in the room with the large feline.
Twilight and Applejack watched him leave for a moment and then looked at each other as the door closed. “Witcher.” They intoned together and a laugh broke from each of them.
“That has to be the reason why the dragon didn’t kill him. It’s that it couldn’t.” Twilight commented with a short giggle.
Applejack nodded in agreement. “Like Ah said, Ah never asked ‘im for an exact number. Ah figured that was ‘is business.”
Twilight nodded. “That’s true. It is normally considered pretty rude to ask another pony their exact age once they are out of school. I know I personally do not like the question.”
Applejack walked away from her and toward the bed that the stallion slept peacefully on. “All Ah care about is that ‘e’s gonna be okay.”
“Yeah, your right. Anything else is irrelevant.” Twilight admitted and let it drop. “Are you going to stay with him?”
“Ah need ta head home ta tell Granny and the others what happened. Do ya mind stayin’ with ‘im till Ah get back?”
“Of course, I don’t mind,” Twilight assured her as she went to a chair and sat down.
“Thank ya Twilight. Ya want me ta check on Spike?” Applejack asked her as she made for the door.
“If you don’t mind, yes.” Applejack nodded as she opened the door and left the mare behind.
Twilight watched the other mare leave her behind and her eyes left the door and fell on the silent stallion in the room. Sasa was still in front of him with her face close to his as she watched him sleep. Twilight turned her body slightly and that allowed her to look out the window between her and the bed. The stars glimmered brightly in the dark sky above her and she watched them as she waited for him to awaken. Minutes ticked past her as the clock above the door sounded out the seconds. She heard a purring sound out from Sasa and she turned her head to look at the cat as she got to her paws. Her eyes widened as the feline’s fur brightened and her eyes were once more bright. The purple mare got to her hooves and came to stand by Oblivion as he gave a low groan and opened one eye.
One eye slowly opened as he gave a low groan under his breath. He could see Sasa’s bright eyes staring at him as he looked at her. He looked to the side of her to find Twilight smiling brightly at him.
“Gods below.” He cursed, his voice was gruff as he opened his other eye as he began to move.
“No, don’t move too much,” Twilight said as she laid a hoof on his neck, applying gentle pressure on him.
“Take it easy Chosen. You need to be still.” Sasa whispered to him.
He raised his head and closed his eyes for a moment to allow him to shake the sleep from his body as he became more aware of his surroundings. He scanned the room and he was greeted with a plain room with a window to the side of him. Chairs sat around the room as he looked around it. Sasa came up to him and pressed her forehead to his neck gently as Twilight pulled back her hoof.
“How do you feel?” Twilight asked him, her voice soft.
“Like hell,” Oblivion replied, his voice quiet as his breathing remained shallow.
“Well, considering that you were tossed around by a dragon I can believe that,” Twilight said to him.
Oblivion snorted and looked around the room that he had been placed in. The door across the room opened suddenly and he turned his head to look as Redheart came into the room. She came to his side and looked at the monitors close by for a moment before she trained her eyes on him.
“It’s good to see you fully awake.” She said to him with a smile. “How is your pain? On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst pain you have ever felt in your life.”
Twilight looked at him from over the mare's back and he could see her pleading with him to be reasonable. “About a three.” He said to her.
“Okay, so we can work with that. So we do ask that you take it easy and do not overextend yourself. We will release you around late this morning or this afternoon. Based on the state you’re in and your ability to heal faster than a normal pony we have to decide that keeping you here is not going to change much in terms of your healing and recovery.” She explained. “Unless you feel differently?”
“No that is fine.” The Black Pegasus agreed with her.
She nodded and moved back to the end of his bed and marked something down on the clipboard at the bottom before she turned and left the room. Twilight looked at him and he bit back a snide comment and let her lead the conversation that he was fairly sure they were about to have.
“A three?” She asked him.
He snorted a chuckle and nodded. “If that.”
“What would it be on a normal pony?”
“Easily a six to eight.” He admitted. “But based on the scale she set out that is what it is for me.”
“Based on what?”
“She said to put it up against the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. This is nothing compared to that.”
She hung her head for a moment before a deep sigh escaped her. “Geez. You’re impossible.”
He said nothing to agree or disagree with her as Sasa chuckled. “That makes sense considering the pain that you have been through before.”
“Exactly.” He said back to the cat through their connection. “What time is it?”
Twilight looked thoughtful as she considered the question and then looked at him. “It’s around a quarter till five I think.”
“I see.” He said back to her and she tilted her head slightly as he looked away from her.
“Why?”
“I am meeting Blue Blood this afternoon and I was making sure I had not missed it.”
“What time?”
“Noon.”
“Okay so you should be discharged by then but are you sure it’s a good idea?”
“I do not plan on walking around much if that is your worry.” He replied.
“Hmm.” She made a thoughtful noise in reply to his statement. “Still. You should rest as much as you can. You did get thrown around by a dragon last night.”
“I remember.” He assured her. “Again I do not plan on doing much.”
“Not much chance you’re going to not go is there?” He simply looked at her, his orange eyes bright. “I thought not.”
“She’s right. You should take the time to rest Chosen.” Sasa said to him as she leaned against the bed. “You have had a very long few days.”
“That’s true.” He agreed. “I plan on taking it easy with Blue. If what I saw of him the other day is right then he is not in the right state to be pushing that wraith back.”
“I agree. But in this case, I do agree with Twilight. You could send him a letter in a couple of hours to let him know that you have been… indisposed… and will not be able to meet him till next week. That will allow you time to heal.”
The stallion said nothing to her as he closed his eyes. There was no doubt even to him that his body was tired, but his mind continued to work. He knew on a level he was not sure of that Blue Blood was struggling. He suspected that was the part of him that was connected to the World Spirit but he was not sure enough to say for certain. It urged him to act and he knew that given time he would have to act sooner rather than later.
His body ached and pain occasionally lanced through his chest as he breathed. He had bruised his lungs before and he knew that his body would react in a certain way and he was sure it already had. He could feel that his natural regeneration was acting in a way to help him but it did drain him a bit to regenerate as he was doing. He debated using one of his potions but at the same time, he hesitated. Swallow was one that he would have normally leaned on but the bottle it was kept in was not one of the enchanted ones that he had been given. It would not refill over a few hours as the others did. Yennefer had gifted him six potion bottles one year after he did her a favor and the ones in them refilled with what had been in them over a few hours’ time.
His energy was low and he knew that it could only be refilled with rest and he lowered his head to the pillow. Exhaustion bit him as he let himself relax on the bed. He shifted himself and let his right leg lay slack on the bed to prevent it from moving as the cold pack was strapped to his body to keep the muscles from swelling. He heard the door open but he kept his eyes closed to give the impression that he was asleep.
“How is he?” Applejack whispered as she walked into the room.
“He woke up a little bit ago. Redheart came in a checked on him and he let her know if he was in any pain and she made notes of it on the board. I may have tried to dissuade him from doing something though.” Twilight informed her.
“Oh?” Applejack asked as she reached the mare, keeping her steps as quiet as possible.
“He has an appointment with Blue Blood in Canterlot and I tried to dissuade him from going.”
“Why did ya try ta stop ‘im?”
“He can’t walk easily on that shoulder for one. Two he bruised his lungs so breathing is not as easy as it would be if he was unhurt. Though I am pretty sure I would have had better luck arguing with a wall than I did with him.” Twilight said to her, exasperation in her voice.
“Well Ah suppose ‘e will be goin’ ta Canterlot this afternoon.”
“You aren’t going to try to stop him?”
“It’s useless ta try. Ah can tell ‘im my opinion till Ah’m blue in the face bit ‘e will still do what ‘e wants.” Applejack told her. Even if Ah disagree ‘e will still do it.”
Twilight huffed and he could hear her lean back in her chair as it gave a soft creak. “I know he will, but I wish he would consider the rest of us and how it affects us.”
“Ah know. Ah don’t disagree wit’ ya. But fightin’ ‘im is a losin’ battle.” Applejack said to her. “Like ya said a wall will give afore ‘e does. If ya ask ‘im ta take it easy ‘e probably will. Tryin’ ta force ‘im won’t work.”
“I know your right.” Twilight breathed out. “He’s not unreasonable I guess, just stubborn.”
Oblivion opened his eyes and looked between the two mares as they stopped their conversation. Twilight leaned back in her chair as she watched the other mare who had moved to stand just off to the side of her. “I think that is the first time I have heard you give up on anything.” He said to the purple Unicorn, startling them both.
Applejack turned to look at him as a chuckle rolled through her. “Well, Ah don’t wanna give up on it. But ya are yer own pony and fightin’ wit’ ya is no fun for anypony. So workin’ wit’ ya is just easier.”
“True enough. I appreciate the understanding. I have no intention of running around Canterlot. I intend to sit on my heels for most of it.”
Twilight looked at him. “You are sure that’s all you’re going to do?” He nodded. “I really hope so.”
“I don’t intend to spend the entire day there either. Maybe a couple of two to three hours maybe a little more. Then I will return to the farm and do exactly as I have been told to do and rest up.”
Twilight shook her head and a laugh broke from her. “You’re so stubborn.”
“I am that’s true. But I’m not a fool either.”
“No, you’re not that’s true.” She agreed.
Applejack nodded as she listened to them going back and forth. “Well ah’ll talk to the nurse and see when yer gettin’ released.”
“She said this morning most likely.” Twilight supplied.
“Ah see. That makes things easy enough.” She smiled at the information. “Ah checked in on Spike and ‘e said ‘e was fine and he’s not a baby.”
“Yes, he is,” Oblivion commented with brought a laugh from the purple Unicorn.
“He’s not a total baby.” She argued with a laugh. “So I see what he means but he is a baby dragon who will eat his body weight in ice cream if given the chance. So I should probably get back to him and make sure he stays out of trouble.”
Oblivion raised his head off the pillow as she approached him. “Thank you for what you did. You could have killed that dragon couldn’t you?”
“Yes.” He replied. “But there was no need. I may have gotten myself injured for my act of mercy but it ended up being nothing dire.”
She wrapped her forelegs gently around his neck and head and held him gently to her. “You are the craziest pony I have ever met. But I am so glad you were with us. Thank you for being exactly who you are.”
“I was not going to let you go alone. I am the only one with combat experience. Besides, better me than one of you. I have a few advantages as a Witcher.”
Twilight smiled as she let go of him. “Just try to take it easy and get better. I’ll come over to the farm and we can work on magic to let you just lay quiet and relax.”
“I look forward to it.” He said to the Unction mare as she turned and left the room. He laid his head back down and his gaze fell on the grinning orange farm mare. He gave a low sigh as he trained his gaze on her. “All right. I know you’re going to try to tease me so go ahead and get it out of your system.”
She scowled as he finished speaking. “Ya know it ruins it when ya say it like that. It’s not as much fun if ya don’t react.”
“I lost most of my emotions a long time ago AJ. Embarrassment happens to be one of them. I can’t feel many things so your teasing is for the most part wasted on me.”
“Ya mean ya don’t feel anything?”
“I feel some things but they are pretty minimal. Some things you can work with, anger, for example, is one that has persisted but it can be toxic if allowed to run too much. So I tend to keep a tight lid on what little I do have.”
“That’s sad ta hear.” She said, sadness in her eyes as she looked at him. “Ya never talk bout it.”
The stallion said nothing for several seconds as she looked away from him. “You never asked.”
She snapped her head around to look at him. “So if Ah asked ya would have told me?”
“Within reason yes.” He said to her. “If I think that an answer will upset you too much then I tend to hold back until a later date.”
“Makes sense.” She said to him as she looked down at her hooves in her lap. “How much does Twi know?”
“She asked about the Trial of the Grasses, what creates a Witcher, and a few other small details.”
“Oh, so she knows that part?” He nodded in response to her question. “Did ya leave anypony behind?”
“How do you mean?”
“A special somepony?” He tilted his head at the term she had used. “A wife?”
He barked a laugh and wheezed for several seconds. “Gods no.”
“Really? Ah would have thought ya had somepony.”
“No. I stay out of romance. Geralt gets himself tangled in that spider web enough for the lot of us.” Oblivion said to her after he got his breathing back under control.
Applejack was quiet as she thought over what he had said to her. “Ah just thought there was somepony special since yer so nice ta all o’ us.”
“I am nice enough I suppose.” He admitted. “Twilight made a similar assumption but she was asking if I had foals of my own.”
“Do ya?”
“No.” He replied quickly. “As a Witcher, I do not have the ability to sire foals of my own.”
“Why not?”
“The Trial of the Grasses is to blame for that. Our bodies have been altered to allow us to be Witchers and some things are lost in that process.”
The mare stared at him for several seconds before sadness flooded her eyes. “That’s sad. Ya would have made a good father.”
Oblivion snorted. “I doubt that, but it is a nice comment.”
The stallion closed his eyes as silence fell between them and he let his mind wander over the past. He had never thought of what it would mean to have foals of his own. Ciri had been enough of a handful to manage. He had threatened to toss her over the battlements of Kaer Morhen more than once during her training. He had received a letter from Vesemir asking him to come to the keep to help train her. At the end of it, he was amazed he had any hair left as many times as he ran his hands through it in aggravation. Nearly smacking his head into the keep had been a normal occurrence and he was fairly certain she would do something just to see if she could annoy him until he bashed his head into the keep walls. He was even more surprised that both he and Ciri had survived the few seasons they were both there, he did care about her but not to the extent of Vesemir and Geralt. They were on more intimate terms with her, while he had remained in the background.
“What about yourself? Any plans to have foals of your own?” He said to the mare in the room with him.
Applejack seemed to choke on the air as he cracked open one eye to see her reaction to his question. “Well if Ah found the right pony Ah might. But Ah haven’t really been lookin’ since Ah work so much and Ah…”
Oblivion chuckled quietly as she sputtered to a stop. “No need to panic Applejack. It was a simple question."
Applejack covered her face with her hooves as a red blush came into her cheeks. “Was that revenge fer askin’ bout yer love life?”
“Not at all. If I had been trying to tease or get revenge I would not back off.”
She said nothing as the blush faded from her face. “Ya can be brutal when ya want ta, ya know that?”
“Oh certainly. You should hear what happens when I go after my fellow Witchers with the intent to embarrass them. That is brutality.” He informed her.
“So ya tease them more than us.”
“Of course. Ponies are far more sensitive to such things. Witchers are used to such things and we expect it from one another.”
Applejack sighed and let her hooves fall to her lap. She smiled and started to giggle as Oblivion chuckled with her. “Yer fellow Witchers must have pretty thick skin ta deal with ya all the time.”
“We all do. I give as much as I get, so it evens out among us.”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence as he closed his eyes and said nothing father to the mare. He heard something brushing against the bed and he could sense that Sasa was close to him as she brought her nose up and bumped his with hers. He opened one eye and looked at her as she purred quietly.
“How are you doing Chosen?” She asked.
“Like I got trampled by a Fiend, thrown by an Ice Giant, and chewed on by a pack of Nekkers.” He responded quickly to her inquiry.
“That good?”
“Yeah. Damn fabulous.”
Sasa chuckled and nuzzled him. “Are your wings okay?”
“They seem to be. They will be sore but I think I managed to not land on them when I was tossed to the ground. So I think they might be very sore but that’s it.”
“That’s good to hear.”
The Pegasus closed his eyes and let himself doze off.
The door opened and he opened his eyes at the sound of the latch opening. He was aware that it had been a few hours since he had dozed off. Redheart walked into the room with Secret behind her. She held out a small pack of papers to Applejack who took them from her. Secret looked from her to the stallion as Redheart moved to take care of the IV and other things that were attached to him.
“Okay so here are your discharge papers and once we get you unhooked and packed up you are free to go. I do recommend that you take it very easy as in no activity for a few days. The most you should be doing is some light walking just to keep yourself active. Nothing strenuous. Just light walking.” He advised and Oblivion nodded in understanding. “Do you have any questions?”
“Nothing that comes to mind,” Oblivion replied as he got to his hooves.
“We did hit you with another pain killer before we unhooked you earlier so you should be fairly comfortable for a few hours. Do not think that means you are free to run around. You are still injured and nothing but rest will cure that. So we ask that you take it easy and I hope I don’t see you back for a few days to a week or more.” He finished and Oblivion nodded in agreement as Secret made for the door.
“Okay you’re ready to go home,” Redheart said to him as she gave the ice pack to Applejack. “That is all yours and feel free to use it as needed.”
She had wrapped a bandage around his leg where the needle of the IV had been to prevent any bleeding. He stood easily as she backed up and the mare made for the door once he was standing easily on his legs. He was stiff and he was sure to be sore when the pain medications began to wear off. Applejack made for the door with him on her heels and Sasa behind him. The black stallion limped on his right foreleg but so far it didn’t slow him down much. He was still able to keep up with the mare in front of him.
They walked out past the front desk and he chose not to ask about the cost of the visit, choosing to ignore it for the time being. He followed the orange mare down the road toward the farm and she kept looking back over her shoulder to make sure he was not struggling with her pace the feline was now at his side as she watched him as well. They reached the farm and Applejack led him to the front of the barn and turned to look at him.
“All right. Ya gonna head out?” She asked him.
“Yes. I am a couple of minutes late but that should be fine. I will be in touch later.”
She nodded and turned to leave him for the house. “Oh. Ah’ll have yer new medicines ready when ya get back. Just take it easy and be careful.”
He nodded to her as she left him behind and he began to cast his teleportation spell but he paused as he realized that he was a black pony with bright white bandages on his body. He reached out to his cloak and it fell to land across his back. It hid the bandages on his body and he cast a glance around the area for any prying eyes before he allowed his magic to teleport him away from the barn. He opened his eyes to see the Canterlot Menagerie and Blue Blood waiting in his usual place. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the other stallion. He could only describe the look on his face as one that reminded him of fury.
“Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting here?” He asked, his voice low.
Oblivion summoned Sasa and she sat down at his shoulder. “I am only a few minutes late. I can explain why…”
“No.” Blue interrupted. “I have been here for ten minutes. You are usually early so I ensured that I was here early so YOU would not be kept waiting.”
Oblivion watched as the angry stallion spoke to him. He looked at him and just past him the Wraith stood, stronger than before. ‘We need to calm him down before he feeds it even more.’ Oblivion opened his mouth to speak when Blue stomped a hoof and went on, his tone angrily growing in volume.
“You have no consideration for how difficult it can be to make time to set aside for a casual meeting like this. You…”
“Enough!” Oblivion barked out. His chest tightened but he chose to ignore it and keep going. “Is this temper tantrum of yours going to last much longer? I will not be treated this way by or anypony. If you would listen for a moment you might find my explanation worth listening to.” He said as Blue’s jaw remained open as he went on. “I’m sure you were made aware of the dragon outside of Ponyville?”
Blue opened his mouth to speak but a glare from the black Pegasus had him simply nodding. Sasa purred at the black pony as he leaned back slightly on his heels.
“Good, then this explanation becomes much simpler. Then I am sure you were aware of the Elements of Harmony being tasked with asking him to move somewhere else?” The Prince nodded. We did accomplish what had been asked of us but not without a fight that ended in bloodshed. Oblivion turned to the side, moving his cloak back as he moved, to allow the Prince to see the bandages around his body and the small one around his foreleg.
Blue’s eyes went wide as he took in the sight before him. Oblivion placed no weight on his right foreleg as he turned. Sasa moved away from him to allow him to move without getting her tail or her paws stepped on.
“How in Equestria?” Blue Blood whispered.
“The dragon chose to attack, despite attempts to speak to him beforehand. I am the only pony with any battle experience so it fell to me to protect them.” He explained as he watched the Prince shrink a bit. “I could have killed it and ended the problem but I chose to spare him. My act of mercy earned me what you see plus a few things you can’t.”
“Such as?” Blue whispered.
“My lungs are bruised, which are currently giving me trouble, a side full of stitches, a concussion, and a severely wrenched shoulder. Thankfully they released me with enough time to be here mostly on time to meet with you. That is why I was a few minutes late.” He said to him as he finally stopped to allow his body to recover and breathe.
“So you fought a dragon, yesterday?” Oblivion nodded as his ears perked forward to listen to the whispering Prince. “And even with all of that you still came to Canterlot. Why?”
Oblivion waited for his breathing to even out before he replied. “I gave you my word that I would be here by noon. I do not break my word unless there is a very good reason. This is not a good enough reason.”
Blue Blood was silent as his words seemed to be sinking in. “Even as badly wounded as you are you still came? I can’t understand you do that.”
“I made an agreement with you. Every Saturday at noon we meet. I am not going to miss it.”
Blue Blood suddenly sat down heavily and his head lowered as he tried not to look at the black Pegasus. Sasa quickly moved away from the Pegasus and went to the Unicorn. She nuzzled him gently and purred loudly to try to cheer him as much as she was able. Oblivion started to follow her but a stab of pain went through his shoulder and leg and he paused to let it pass. The pony’s spirit roiled within him and Oblivion could see the Wraith leaning over him. The pain passed and he walked slowly over to the pony and stood ahead of him.
“Blue Blood?” Oblivion said his name in his normal tone and there was no response.
Blue Blood looked up slowly. “My friend. I am so sorry.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“I’m sure you had your reasons…”
“No! There is no excuse for me to act like a spoiled foal and treat you like a mangy cur.” He said as he looked at the black stallion. “What kind of friend am I if I do not listen to you? You tried to explain everything to me with more patience than I deserved and all I did was act out.”
Oblivion chuckled quietly. “I do not hold it against you. I knew something was bothering you. Though I admit I did not know how deeply it was bothering you.”
“How did you know?”
“As the bearer of the Element of Spirit, I can reach out to and check on ponies I know to see how their Spirit is faring. IK reached out to check on you after Rarity mentioned that you had not responded to her latest letter and seemed upset. I could tell that for some reason you had that mask of yours on and seemed to be quite upset and angry about something. So I knew that I needed to be here no matter what the cost. You were…”
Oblivion went silent as Blue put a hoof against his mouth, silencing him. “So no matter what you check in on me and the others?” Oblivion nodded. “Does that hurt you to do?” He pulled his hoof away from the Witcher's mouth and waited for him to reply.
“No. It does not hurt me at all.” Oblivion explained, that his goal was to avoid giving too much away when answering. “I check in on the others as well. Rarity seemed worried so I checked in on you. I can’t see what was causing the distress but I could tell something was going on. I decided that a simple letter was not going to be enough and that I needed to be here instead.”
“So you chose to come here even though you were in the hospital? How long did you rest before coming here?”
“After being released?” Blue nodded. “I didn’t. I slept for a while there and as soon as they relapsed me I came here.”
Blue hung his head once more and Sasa leaned into him as she nuzzled his neck. “Well said Chosen.” She praised the black pony as she looked up at him.
The black stallion said nothing as he allowed Blue to come to terms with things on his own without his interference. Blue finally pulled himself to his hooves and he breathed in a deep breath and exhaled slowly after holding it for several seconds. “I owe you a great apology. Even more, than I think I can convey. Please know that I am so sorry for how I have acted.”
“I know.” Oblivion interrupted. “Put yourself at ease Blue. I hold no grudge or anger toward you or your actions. So would you like to explain why you were so upset? What has put you so on edge?”
“Not here.” Blue sighed. “Let’s go into town. Can you walk that far?”
“I think so.”
“I can call on a sedan chair for you if you think you’re going to get hurt worse.”
“A what?”
“It’s a flat cushion that is carried by four ponies to keep somepony from walking.”
“Oh, Gods no. That sounds horrifying. I can walk that far and back.” He assured the Prince quickly.
“All right,” Bleu said as he turned on his heel and led the pair out of the Menagerie. He stayed close to Oblivion as the Pegasus limped slowly. “Oh. I checked on your sword earlier this week.”
“Oh? And how is it progressing?”
“Steel Horn finished the crossbow after looking into your suggestions for it.” He said and Oblivion nodded as he listened to him. “So he was able to start on your blade a few days ago. He said that he estimates it will be done next week.”
“Excellent,” Oblivion said, genuine pleasure in his tone. “I have a stand in for it but I find myself missing the original blade.”
Blue smiled as fell silent. They walked into town and made it to Joe's Donut Shop. The pony looked up as the bell on his door jingled. “Blue Blood and… Something Shadow. Sorry about that.”
Oblivion shook his head as the tan pony apologized. “Oblivion.”
“Ahh yes, that’s right. Alright then. You’re usual Blue Blood?”
“Yes and two cups of your best coffee.”
“Coming right up. And I know you liked the donut from last time so I’ll bring a few of those to you. And you, lovely kitty, might like what I have crafted for you. Hope she likes fish.”
“I do yes.”
“She does,” Oblivion informed him after the cat gave him an affirmative reply.
The two of them sat down at a booth and Sasa lay down under the table to avoid being stepped on. Donut Joe brought over their coffee and poured a cup for the both of them. Blue sat across from him and the white pony waited until he had left them behind before he looked like he might speak.
“So about this week.” He began and Oblivion flicked his ears to listen intently to the hesitant pony.
“Take your time Blue. Not like I am expecting you to tell me everything in one breath.” He assured the nervous pony across from him.
“Of course not. I’m just not even sure where to start.”
“How about you start with what happened after I left?” Oblivion advised.
Blue looked at him and nodded, his expression somber. “That day was fine. It was what happened after that when things went sour.” He replied with a bitter expression. “Auntie Celestia asked me to sit in on a council meeting for her, that’s not new, she does it pretty frequently. I agreed naturally. Normally the meetings I sit in on are for taxes and whatnot. Things like that. This on the other hoof was different.” He said and stopped speaking to look down at his hooves.
“How so?” Oblivion prompted.
“They were talking about the educational system. Normally that is a boring topic at the best of times. But this time they were discussing ways to enhance the curriculum and which students to include or exclude.” The Pegasus leaned forward slightly to allow him to listen more intently as the Prince went on. “They were talking about excluding some foals from certain subjects. For example, excluding Earth Ponies from Magical History, since they do not have any way to actively use magic. Or another way for Physical Education to be centered mostly on Earth Ponies. They were trying to figure out how to add a subject for Pegasus that would center on flight and how it works. Thereby they would be excluding foals from learning about the nature of their fellow ponies and how they are affected by things.”
“How does that make any sense? I am a Pegasus and I have gone out of my way to ensure I understand magic’s roots and how it was developed.”
“But you’re the strange Pegasus who can use it,” Blue muttered.
“That point aside. Even without it, I would have still used my time to research. I also have learned about the magic that an Earth Pony uses to cultivate the land. What they are discussing is called… Gods what was the title? Species Exclusion. I believe.”
“Your right. It was a dark period in our history but it is still to be learned about. I started to speak up about it but I was drowned out by them all around me as they talked about it and over me. I was trying to avoid using my Prince mask as you had advised. I tried everything, I even stood on the table.”
“I would have loved to see that.” Sasa chuckled.
“Quiet.” He admonished her as she chuckled.
Blue opened his mouth to keep speaking when Joe approached the table with two plates on his back and one balanced on his hoof. He set the plate in his hoof on the ground for Sasa and the others in front of the two stallions. Oblivion took a sip of his coffee and set it down in favor of one of the treats in front of him. All three of them looked down as a low growl sounded from the feline with them. Sasa was sniffing the two treats on her plate and was giving them a low growl as she looked them over. Joe looked nervously from her to the black Pegasus as the cat took the plate and pinned it between her front paws and eagerly devoured the two donuts on the plate. She licked her front paws once she had finished them and then looked up at the pony who had made them.
“I suppose she enjoyed them then?” Joe said as he looked up from her.
“Seems to have,” Oblivion replied.
Sasa looked at him a loud purr rumbled from her as she voiced her approval. “Well, that pretty face earns her a couple more.”
Oblivion managed not to roll his eyes at the cat as he watched the pony walk away. Blue had remained silent and was staring at his hooves once more. Oblivion leaned back in his seat and watched the other stallion for a moment before he spoke. “Go on.”
Blue jerked and his eyes looked up at the black pony for a moment before he seemed to sag in his own skin. “Well when nothing worked I got off the table and I was just so angry at the lot of them. After trying for a bit longer I… Lost my temper… Badly.” He admitted. “I used that damned mask to subdue and shout them into silence. I informed them that excluding the foals from classes just because they cannot fly or use magic is not an option. Every foal should learn about the other types of ponies. I spent almost half an hour shouting at them. When I was finally done they just stared at me and nodded. I told them all to leave and sat alone when they were gone. I was pretty pleased with myself when they were gone if I am being honest. And then I realized what I had done to them.”
“You shouted them into submission then?” Oblivion said to him.
“Yes. I didn’t even let them have the chance to argue or speak against me. I kept thinking that I was in the right and that they had to be put in their place. Even if that place was cowering before me.”
“And when it was over you realized that isn’t the pony you wish to be known as,” Oblivion said to him as he held his coffee in his hooves.
“Exactly. I almost hid under the table when I realized what I had done. I pretty much went after each one of them and told them they were wrong, they were fools, etc. I had no right to act in such a way and it was unbecoming of me. I was just so tired and angry that I…”
“Snapped?” Oblivion supplied and Blue nodded bitterly. “Everypony has a moment where they have to make a choice Blue. Sometimes that choice is wrong other times it is right. Losing your temper is a normal reaction… Let me finish.” He added when the other opened his muzzled to argue. “But attacking them is where the line needs to be drawn. You know that better than most, having had it done to you many times.”
Blue nodded and took a bite of his food and chewed it slowly. “What do I do? I want to apologize but I can’t seem to find a good way to speak to them. Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna were told about what happened and I have been removed from hosting the council meetings.”
“And the reason for that is?”
“Because I need time to think on my actions and find a way to make amends,” Blue said to him and Oblivion had the feeling it was a direct quote. “How can I make amends if I am not allowed to meet with them!?”
Oblivion looked at the table as he considered their options. Blue Blood was desperate and Oblivion was sure the stallion did not realize how it sounded. It was clear to him that there was regret about how things had turned out and he clearly wanted to make it right somehow.
“So we are left with how to make it right now?”
“I don’t think they would appreciate me going to their personal homes,” Blue replied.
“Probably not.” Oblivion agreed. “I can understand why they put the limiter on what you can do as far as meeting them again but at the same time I think it is setting you up for failure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Without meeting with them you cannot make amends. So by telling you that you cannot contact them they are not allowing you to make that redemption. So it sets you up to fail by not allowing you to reach out.”
“Okay, I am done.” Blue lamented. “What can I do?”
“Is it possible for you to call on them on your own?” Oblivion asked after a minute of thought.
“How do you mean?”
“To call an emergency meeting and require their attendance. That way they cannot avoid it for fear of repercussion.”
“I suppose I could, but I’m certain they would not want to be near me."
“That is why it is required. They have no choice, but to attend.” Oblivion pointed out. “I know it comes across as just as rude as what you did to them originally but this is the way that we are left with.”
Blue considered what he had said before he leaned back in the booth. “Even if I did call upon them do you really think they would listen to me?”
Oblivion gave a low snort as he nodded. “Blue. If there is one thing I have learned from my time here is that ponies are more than happy to forgive. Even if you do not think you deserve that forgiveness it is in their nature to give it. They will no doubt be upset but they will come to the meeting. Leave the mask behind and explain yourself clearly. Acknowledge what you did and then explain why you acted as you did.” He advised. “Perhaps they did not realize that they were excluding you completely from the decisions they were thinking of making?”
Blue was quiet as he listened. “How do I face them though?”
“With your head held high. Accept what you said and accept that they will be upset at you for it. If you speak the truth to them they will listen. Given them the chance to forgive.”
“If I call on them will you be there?” Blue asked, his voice quiet.
Oblivion's ears went back for a moment at the whispered request. “Why would I need to be there?”
“It’s easier to be me around you. I think it would be easier to leave the mask in the back of my mind if you were there to help keep things on track. If you have the time since I would like to get this done as soon as possible.” Blue explained.
“You wish to do this now?”
“Yes, if you can.”
Oblivion sighed and leaned back into the chair. His wings flicked and gently stayed tight around his sides. He considered what he had been asked to do and he looked at the other stallion. He could see the fear and uncertainty on the other's face and his spirit roiled within him as he waited for the response. “Very well. Might be best to do this quickly anyway. If you need me then I will be with you.”
Blue breathed out a relieved breath as he let himself sag against the booth. “Thank you, my friend.”
“Good choice Chosen. He is badly shaken by all of this.” Sasa said to him from her place by the table.
“I agree.” Oblivion replied to her.
“When we go back to the castle I will send out the request to each of them. But keeping it from Auntie Celestia will be impossible.” He lamented as Oblivion gave him a quizzical look. “All requests of this type go through her. She might not allow it.”
“Allow me to handle Celestia. She will permit it, I’ll tell her myself.”
Blue looked at him and a small smile graced his muzzle. “You’ll probably bully her into it.”
“I might.” Oblivion joked back at him.
Blue gave a laugh and picked up his coffee. “A toast to a good friend.” He said and Oblivion raised his cup as well. The two cups clinked together and Blue smiled widely.
Joe brought out a small bag of donuts for Sasa as they were getting ready to leave. He gave it to the Pegasus who set it on his back and they paid as they left.
They reached the castle after several minutes and Blue Blood took the lead and led him through the halls as he was drafting a notice in his magic. “I’ll meet you at the council chambers that you were in before. Do you recall where it is?”
Oblivion considered for a moment before he responded. “Yes, I believe I can find it. I will have Sasa remain with you and that will allow me to easily find her and you.”
“Perfect. Here is the request for Auntie Celestia. I’ll take care of Sasa. I’m sure she would like to have the donuts that Joe packed for her anyway.” He said as he gave the Pegasus the letter and he tucked it under a wing. “Can you find the throne room okay?”
“I think so. I should be able to track her down from here.” He assured the Unicorn. “How about you go ahead and send out the requests to avoid the chance of them not coming.”
“You mean to send it out with her blessing?”
“Exactly. That way by the time they are arriving I will have gotten her to agree.”
Blue looked uncertain for a moment before he nodded in agreement and began to summon several slips of paper into his magic as each one earned a quill and each one was soon writing out a message. He suddenly looked around them and the quills stopped moving. “You won’t use magic to find her?” He whispered.
“No. Too many ponies might see it.” He replied.
Blue nodded as the black pony turned to walk away from him. He followed the light he knew to be Celestia as he weaved his way through the long hallways of Canterlot Castle. Minutes ticked past as he moved through the hallways and finally found the tall throne room doors. The pair of guards there looked at him and he waited as they moved to the side, allowing him to walk through one of the doors as they pushed it open. He limped carefully down the push red carpet as he moved toward the white mare at the end. He looked up as she smiled at him and her expression fell to concern as he reached her.
“I have a request for you.” He stated as he looked back to see the doors closed and the area vacant as his magic sent the scroll to her.
“How are your wounds? Twilight made them sound quite dire.”
“To some they are. But I am able to move around fairly easily so long as I do not overdo it.” He assured her.
She gave an unconvinced nod as her magic opened the scroll and began to read over it. Her eyes fell on the black stallion as she finished reading. “I’m afraid I cannot approve this.”
“And your reason is?”
“I love my nephew dearly but his behavior was beyond what can be excused.”
“I can understand why you’re hesitant. But. He is quite distressed by what happened. Did you ask him why he acted the way he did?” She hesitated in her reply and simply listened to him. “You have no idea?”
“I gave him the chance to explain but he seemed to hesitate and refused to explain. He was unwilling to speak of it. I am not sure why.” She admitted after a moment's delay.
“Can I make a guess?”
“Feel free.”
“To you and those around him he is a Prince. He is not permitted to be anything but that. The title is all-encompassing and it does not allow for any wiggle room in its constraints. He has explained to me in detail what happened behind that closed door.” He explained.
“Keep going.”
“I do not ask anything of him beyond acting like any other pony. BY doing that he is not required to be a Prince of Equestria. With me, he is just Blue.” Oblivion said to her.
She looked quietly at him for several seconds before she looked at the request in her magic once more. “So he has decided to require them to come back here for him to do what?”
“Apologize and explain.” He said to her.
“How is that not going to upset them further?”
“I can’t decide if you’re blind or foolish.” He admitted with a derisive snort and her eyes went wide at his comment. “You bore the Element of Spirit once correct?”
“Yes.” She replied, though her tone was offended.
“What did you see through it?”
“We could see the lights that come from our ponies though the effect was not very strong.” She replied.
“So you have lost that ability but you have tried to replace it with understanding which is to be commended. The issue is that you have chosen to see the suffering of those noble ponies but not of your ‘beloved’ nephew. I have been around him for far less time and I can see it plain as day even if I didn’t have the Element I would be able to see it.”
“So what do you wish for?”
“I want you to approve the request in front of you and allow him to gather those he has wronged to allow him to come clean to them. That will allow him to make amends with them if will help both parties. They will be made better for his explanation and he will be put at ease as well. Each pony needs to hear why he acted as he did and he needs to apologize for those actions. If you are still worried that history will repeat itself then I will be with him to prevent that from happening.” Oblivion stated as her expression softened.
“You can see exactly what is being done to him?”
“Clear as daylight.”
The mare once more looked at the scroll. “You will be there then?”
“Through all of it, yes.”
“Then I will approve this. Please do what you can to help the whole group of them. If what you say is true then help them all.” She said to him.
“I intend to,” Oblivion said to her as the scroll appeared back in front of him with her signature in place. He tucked it under a wing once more and began to turn for the doors when they opened.
He watched as a large group of ponies came into the room. He narrowed his eyes slightly as anger and dismay rolled off of the group of them. 'What is their problem?’ He asked himself as he turned slightly away from them as they stopped several feet behind him. A dark green pony was the first to speak as he approached and was just a foot behind the black Pegasus.
“Princess. I received a summons from Prince Blue Blood. You had told us that he would not be allowed to call any meetings. What is the meaning of this?” He demanded.
The Princess looked at them for a moment as the lead pony held up a scroll to her and her magic took it from him. She looked it over and her eyes flit to the black Pegasus and he smirked quietly.
“You’re at fault for this, aren’t you?” She whispered, knowing he would be the only one to hear her.
He looked back at her and his smirk only deepened as he gave her a sly wink and she smiled brightly. “I may have told him to go ahead and send them out ahead of me getting here.”
She gave a low sigh and smiled as her eyes left him and went to the group of ponies behind him. “I have approved my nephew's request to speak with all of you.”
“Princess with all due respect. I will not be in the presence of that rude pony that has no respect for the ideas of other ponies.”
“Enough,” Oblivion said just loud enough for all of them to hear him. “Would you like to enlighten her as to the topic of what was spoken about in that meeting? Or should I?”
The pony visibly sputtered and danced on his hooves for a moment before he regained his calm. “Who do you think you are? Princess, I demand the identity of this pony that has the gall to speak to me in this way.”
“Justice, please calm yourself. This is Oblivion Shadow, Bearer of the Element of Spirit. He is here to oversee the discussion between you and Prince Blue Blood to ensure that all ponies are heard.”
“I will not hear of it. Element bearer or not. This strange pony has no right…”
“Enough, you foal.” Oblivion snarled as he spun on his heel, his black cloak cutting the air as he moved. “I care not one whit about what you will or will not allow.” He said as he stalked toward the group of them, forcing his shoulder to hold his weight as he refused to limp. “You will walk into that council chamber and talk to him about what happened previously. You will listen and you will listen well to what he says. I refuse to listen to your whimpers any further and you will do as you are told.”
The ponies nodded as he finished speaking and he glanced over his shoulder to Celestia as she hid a smile behind her hoof. The ponies slowly turned as he motioned for them to go ahead of him. “That was quite the declaration. Are you all right?”
Oblivion focused on breathing as deeply as he dared and nodded at her. “Is that all of them?”
“Yes. That is all. Please sit when you arrive in the council chamber, Twilight would be incredibly distressed if I had to inform her that you collapsed here.”
“That aside shall I tell you why Blue reacted the way he did and what they were discussing?”
“Yes.”
“They were discussing the segregation of foals in regards to their schooling,” Oblivion informed her and she stared at him as he went on. “For example curriculum that would exclude Unicorns from physical education that is meant for Earth Ponies, or a new class for Pegasus only and Unicorns for magic.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Celestia, I am a Witcher. Do I look like I am jesting?”
“No. No, you don’t look like you’re kidding me. I cannot believe that idea was even allowed to cross their lips and come into the air.” She said as she looked away from and down to her hoof boots for a moment. Her head came back up and her eyes were intense and bright as she looked at him. “Oblivion I do hereby give you and my nephew permission to abolish any mention of the segregation of the foals as it pertains to their schooling.” He nodded as she finished speaking. “And Oblivion?”
He turned his head to look at her as she smiled. “Yes?”
“Thank you for telling me and for staying with him.”
Oblivion gave her a slight nod as he began to follow the group of ponies who had by now reached the end of the red carpet and were almost waiting for him as he limped up to them and began to herd them forward. He followed close behind them as they made their way through the castle and to the council room. They reached it faster than he had found Celestia and he found Sasa sitting close to Blue Blood.
“Stay at his side.” He said to the feline as her aqua blue eyes fell on him.
“I will not let him stand alone. Where will you be?”
“Behind them.”
Oblivion sat down behind them at the wall, taking the weight off his front leg and leaning heavily onto his heels. He leaned slightly against the wall and he could see Blue Bloods' eyes were wide as the members took their seats and sat in silence.
“Chosen he is starting to shake.” Sasa warned him as he looked away.
“Damn.” He cursed as he leaned forward.
He approached the table and moved to stand in a gap between two of the members. “I will say this now and will listen to my words.” Every set of eyes in the room was trained on him as he spoke. “There will be no discussion of segregating the foals. I and Prince Blue Blood have been given express permission to abolish any mention of it. That authority is absolute and cannot be argued against.”
Blue Blood looked across the table at the black Pegasus and Oblivion looked back at him and gave him a small nod, motioning for him to speak.
“Thank you for attending. I wish to apologize for my prior behavior. I was frustrated by the lack of communication and let my temper get the best of me.” Blue began.
“That is hardly an apology, Prince Blue Blood.” One pony interrupted.
Oblivion could see that Bleu managed not to cringe at the voice that was leveled at him. Oblivion looked at the interrupting pony and his orange eyes bore into him. “You will hold your tongue until it is your turn to speak. From what I can tell this is part of the issue.”
“You have no rights here…” Another interrupted Oblivion.
The black Pegasus turned his head to focus on the speaking pony who fell silent as Sasa gave a loud roar that echoed through the room. “Good girl.” Oblivion praised her as she leaned her head back and gave a toothy grin. “Here is part of your problem. Nopony is willing to listen to anypony. I’m amazed Blue Blood didn’t yell at all of you sooner.” He glared at each pony as several opened their mouths to speak, but fell silent as he flared his wings slightly. “Now I suggest you all listen to him and stop acting like petulant foals. I have been in a room full of foals who were more disciplined than the group of you. Go ahead Blue.”
Blue looked at him and he breathed out a slow breath before he approached the table and sat down on a vacant chair. “Thank you Oblivion. He is right. While I regret my actions I know what has caused them. I stood on this very table and begged you to listen to me. None of you would listen or even give me the time of day. I realize my actions were ones born of desperation to be heard and trying to work with you. I have been coming to these meetings fairly often as my Aunt asks me to.”
A pony opened his mouth and Blue Blood stopped to look at him and he seemed to wait before he spoke to see if either of the ponies would react and when nothing happened he went on. “So what do you wish for?”
“I want to be heard to start with. As far as these meetings go they are seen as a joke by most other groups due to nothing ever getting done. I viewed them as a joke, I admit. Anypony who has had the displeasure of being involved in a school meeting would agree with me. All we end up with is frustration and anger. Any one of us could act for the benefit of others but all we do is fight. We could change these meetings from fighting to accomplishing a goal to the benefit of all the foals.”
Blue paused as he looked at Oblivion for backup. “Where I come from there are no meetings where ponies discuss things to the benefit of others. Areas are ruled by a noble that makes all of the decisions for the area. It is done by their whim and nopony else’s.” Oblivion said to them, his voice clear as he spoke. “You would squander the chance to improve the lots of those you serve but instead you argue and bicker like children in the streets.”
Blue Blood gave a small smile as he looked at the assembled ponies. “Let me say again that I am sorry for my behavior. But through that, it has allowed me to see what the root of our problem is. We do not talk so much as we yell at each other and try to beat the others into submission through words. Which is exactly what I did the other day to the group of you. So let me ask. Has that solved any issues we have had?” No pony said anything as they looked around the room at each other. “I didn’t think so. So here is what I am going to propose. We try to recall what we were taught in our own schooling and learn to listen to everypony before we shout or yell at them.”
Oblivion looked at the ponies beside him and at the others in the circle and he could see understanding beginning to dawn on them. ‘Bout dammed time.’ He thought to himself. He walked back and let his flanks hit the wall as he leaned heavily into the wall itself. He could feel the strain beginning to work its way through him and he was beginning to think he was in trouble. His wounds were beginning to ache and he grimaced a bit under the growing strain. He looked up as Sasa moved to stand closer to him and he felt her fur rub against his.
“Are you going to be all right Chosen?”
Oblivion didn’t respond right away and simply looked ahead of him for a moment. “Yes.”
She gave him a gentle nudge. “I think you need to lay down before you fall down.”
"You find me a spot in here and I will be happy to do so.” He said to her, sarcasm in his voice.
The cat got to her paws and walked around the room, earning her looks of nervousness from several ponies. She came to stand next to him once more and he could see that she had not found a spot for him to lay despite her search. She bumped his shoulder and he felt his wings beginning to loosen on his barrel.
“Damn.” He cursed under his breath and she looked at him.
“Chosen?”
“I’m not going to be able to stand here for much longer.” He admitted to her, his tone bitter and his voice just loud enough for her to hear.
“Then we need to get you out of here.” She said to him.
He pushed away from the door and went up to a still speaking Blue blood and poked his shoulder. The Prince paused and looked at him as Oblivion raised his head to whisper in the other stallion’s ear.
“I’m done.” He whispered and Blue nodded.
Oblivion stumbled as he moved away from the Unicorn and he made for the door, Sasa on his heels. He got out of the room and closed the door behind him as Sasa began to scan the hallways.
“Chosen, go ahead and teleport. I’ll meet you in your room.”
“I can summon you when I get there.”
“Can you?”
He started to speak to her when he felt a sense of unease go through him as the area around him began to spin. He felt magic rush up to greet him as he called on it and he teleported away from the feline as she watched him vanish.