"No! There's no way!" Pennington folded his hooves stubbornly as he sat up in his bed. "I'm wise to your tricks, now!"
Close Care was concerned when Pennington refused to let her into the sick ward. "Tricks? I don't understand, Pennington. I'm just here to check on your brace!"
"Right. And what about tonight, when I'm asleep? What happens then?" His steely, angry gaze made the fact obvious that he that he knew what had been happening. "Perhaps you and your sister would like to put those horns to good use, huh?"
"Pennington-"
"It's no use. Twilight told me everything." Pennington rolled his eyes at the nurse. "You've been using magic to heal me at night, when I can't object to the procedure!"
"Penny, what are you talking about?" Twilight walked into the room, gently pushing past Close Care. "I never told you anything about that!"
"No matter how much I insisted that I was ready to take this off in the past two days," he pointed to the brace to illustrate, "you insist that I don't! You roll your eyes when I talk about how quickly I bounce back from an injury, and you're always urging me to go to bed earlier! It doesn't exactly take a brain surgeon to figure it out..."
Twilight looked back at Close apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give it away."
"Well, I guess that Pennington is more of a clever pony than we give him credit for." Constant Care pushed past both Twilight and Close. "But that still doesn't mean that he knows what's best for him!" She placed a firm hoof on the bed, leaning in to make her point. "We were just a couple treatments away from completely restoring you. So, will you let us finish what we started?" The request sounded more like an order, and she was doing her best to look intimidating.
Pennington wasn't convinced. "Of course not! I don't trust anypony to mess with my body with magic! If it can't be explained to me, proven with science, or done by myself, I don't want it."
Twilight moved next to Constant Care, trying an equal-but-opposite approach. "Pennington, magic CAN be explained, it's just another subdivision of science! Besides, I've started helping them, and they're not doing anything that could have an ill effect on you!"
"Not all of magic has been explained, you know that." Pennington shot a glare at Constant, who only returned it. "I don't let just anypony under my skin, Twilight Sparkle, no matter what the intent or the education. I leave the care of my body to myself and what I understand."
"Pennington, please. We've sworn never to harm a patient, and I absolutely hated to go behind your back like this... But you can see here, you're almost completely healed!" Close Care stepped into the room, joining the other two unicorns at his bedside. "Your daily walks have been getting longer, your limp is hardly noticeable, and your vivacity has returned, right?" When the blue unicorn rolled his eyes once again, the younger sister looked to Twilight for help.
"Penny, do you trust me?" Twilight decided to change tactics a little, pushing away the overbearing nurse, who was practically staring daggers into her patient, and hopping up to lay next to him on her back.
"I'm not good at trusting, Twilight." Pennington's eyes narrowed, and he fidgeted at Twilight's sudden proximity. "But, we've been on a small adventure together, and I do think that you're trustworthy."
"Well, than let me show you." Over the past few days, Twilight had become more and more familiar with how Pennington reacted to different types of stimuli in her attempts to prompt him to open up to her the way that he had on their first day staying at the NLR. Along the way, she had begun to see how the metaphorical gears turned in his head. "The twins taught me how to use healing magic, and I think that I can do it on my own now! If you trust me, why not prove it?" She turned to face him, making sure to look him in the eyes to show her sincerity.
"I..." Twilight could see the pony trying to grasp at some kind of an argument, but his eyes seemed to show him having a greater focus on something else. "Twilight, I just don't like it..."
"Well, sometimes we have to do things that we don't like. Like waiting a week for a train to arrive, then letting it go again to make sure that somepony doesn't get himself killed!" She smiled and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Trust me. It's all for you, in the end. The sooner you're up and going again, the better, right? It's just a nudge in the right direction!"
Pennington finally broke his gaze with Twilight, obviously befuddled. With a final long and frustrated sigh, he looked back at her. "Just. You. No help from anypony else."
Twilight nodded and stood up again, cheerfully jumping off of the bed. "Okay! I'm going to have to really focus for this. Do you think that you can watch me, girls? Make sure that I don't mess it up?"
"We'll do whatever it takes to make sure that he comes out of this better than when he came in..." Constant muttered, stepping back from the bed. "If something goes wrong, I can't promise that we won't step in to correct it. This is very delicate magic."
Pennington gave her a final glare, then a softer glance to Close Care. "No matter the intent, you both violated my trust. Other side of the room. Now."
The two sisters exchanged glances, then nodded and moved to the other side of the room, both walking backwards and keeping an intent set of eyes on the two of them.
Twilight took a deep breath. She hadn't been sure of whether or not the stubborn pony would take her offer. She took a deep breath, focusing on exhaling any worries of failure or mistake. As she felt the nervous tension leave her body, she smiled and looked down at Pennington. "Okay, Penny. Just lay down and relax, don't tense any part of your body. It's just you and I here." She was already beginning to build up the energy that she needed to cast the spell as she watched him turn onto his stomach and press his cheek into his pillow. It was almost funny to watch him shuffle around for a few minutes, trying to become comfortable, but Twilight held back her laughter, making sure that she knew the spell that she was about to perform inside out and backwards, as she always did when attempting something new. It was her own personal checklist. Do I know what exactly I'm doing? Check. Do I know how to reverse it? I suppose the would be to hit him, so... Check. If something goes wrong, can it be fixed? She paused for a moment as the sheer fact that Pennington's life could be in her hooves if she made a mistake fully sank in. Close and Constant are here to make sure that doesn't happen... Check. With a final deep breath, she began to cast the spell, thinking her way through every logistic and every detail that the twins had taught her. Finally, the energy that she had been putting into the spell began to float away from her and into the air, forming the characteristic ball of light that she had seen earlier. Slowly and carefully, she lowered her head, keeping a close eye on the ball of light as it sank into Pennington's back. She cringed as a connection was forged between them, with the energy that Twilight was exerting spreading through the pony's body, giving her an awareness of every inch of his body, which was still coiled like a spring in places, tense and ready for action. With a few well-placed bursts of magic on the pressure points that Close Care had taught her, the final bits of tension eased out of Pennington's body, making the pathway clear for the soothing energy.
Twilight had "tasted" a small portion of Pennington's energy when he had been trying to help her defend them from the dune worm, she came to a full understanding of it now, as her magic reached his core, permeating every cell in his body. The connection appeared to be one-sided as Twilight, with no small amount of trepidation, inhaled deeply. Accordingly, in her mind, she drank deeply of Pennington's essence, trying to establish what, physically, was wrong. Too late, Close Care's warning came back to her mind.
This is one of those parts where, if you're not careful, you might get more than you bargained for, Twilight. Constant and I are keeping you from feeling it, but there's more to a pony than a physical body. To come so close as to almost be a part of the body can give you a glimpse of the soul, as well...
Twilight was nearly overpowered by the first wave of emotion and thought to wash over her from the injured pony. She first became aware of an overpowering feeling of restraint, as if something were holding her in place. Somehow, though, at the same time she felt the emotion, something made her aware of the meaning. He's struggling to stay still, to ignore all of this. He's working to hold himself in place, as if in some kind of trance... The second emotion and meaning hit her simoultaneously, as well. This time the feeling was more tender, like exposed flesh. Gently but firmly, she felt a coolness, like a strong breath mint, spreading in her chest. He's trying to trust me, putting aside his distrustfulness... She didn't try to hold back a bemused smile and a short nod as the second emotion washed away. I'll have to make sure that his trust is well placed!
Along with the emotion, Twilight's senses of smell and taste were overwhelmed by the scents of mint and the ocean, both unlikely to meet, but strangely complimentary. The mint seemed to invigorate her mind, sending sparks of Pennington's own energy reserves racing up her nose and into her brain, making her desperate to do something, anything active and exciting! She almost broke the connection as a new emotion slammed into her, creating an aching in her chest, which quickly filled with a desperation to run. Not to run away, however, but to chase after the ever-changing times, desperate not to be left behind in life or easily forgotten. Penny... You don't want to be forgotten, do you?
The next emotion she felt was a wave of something that she could only define as... a sense of home. Not quite of being home, but a sense of a home nonetheless. The entire emotion was accompanied by a new scent: one of the ocean. It was almost unrecognizable after so long in the desert. This time, the meaning was less easily understood, remaining a simple impression. It's like when you're standing by the sea, and you believe that you belong there... But you know that you can't live at the bottom of the ocean. You need air. It's like a glimpse of a home that's... Just out of reach?
Just as the understanding began to come to her, the feelings passed like a fading dream, leaving her with only the knowledge of his physical body again. The feelings and scents of what she could only imagine was... a deeper part of Pennington. She hated to think that she had glimpsed his soul, as that would cross the boundaries of what she considered right. She quickly gave the injured areas, which she now found with ease, as big a boost of energy as she dared, and ended the spell. When she finally opened her eyes again, she was overwhelmed by a sense of returning to her own, tired body. As she staggered and leaned against the bed, she looked over at her patient to see how he was faring.
Pennington was spread-eagle on the bed, eyes wide-open and trembling. In the few seconds after Twilight felt the connection fade entirely, his eyes slid shut and he fell into a deep sleep. When he had fallen asleep, the two Care sisters slowly stepped over from their corner of the room, first investigating her, and then Pennington.
"You'll be fine after a good nap." Constant gave Twilight a curt nod and moved her over to the bed that she had been sleeping on the past few nights. "A small amount of sensory overload, a little exhaustion, nothing serious." Both of them looked over in surprise as the sound of velcro ripping grated through the room. Close tore apart the large straps that held Pennington's brace in place, then lifted it away from him, leaving the pony free.
"You went a lot deeper than normal, Twilight. I don't want to know what you saw in there... But you did the work of two jobs in one! Have you ever considered a carreer in medicine?"
"What are you talking about?" Twilight nearly dropped her spoon when she heard the words coming out of Pennington's mouth.
"Like I just said, Sure Shot can make sure you get back to Ponyville, train or no train. We have connections all over Equestria. You had your adventure, now you're done. I'll move on to the Changeling hive, and you can finally get back home, just like you've wanted this entire time." Pennington didn't miss a beat as he picked at his oatmeal, looking for small bits of apple.
Twilight shook her head in denial. "No way! If you're still going after that ridiculous idea, I'm not letting you go alone!"
Pennington returned the denial with a silent bite, a slow chew, and a soundless swallow. "I don't think so. You need to go back home, Twilight Sparkle."
"Why?"
"Because I need to do this, and you don't want me to. It's as simple as that." Pennington was refusing to make eye contact, very much out of character. In fact, he had been acting strangely ever since Twilight had healed him. "This is what most ponies would consider suicide. For even an experienced adventurer like me, it poses a dangerous challenge." He took his time speaking, making it slow and deliberate. "For somepony who is inexperienced, even one as skilled as you seem to be, the first assumption would be correct: suicide. The fact that you would be coming unwillingly, only for me, would increase that danger tenfold for you."
"But I want to come!"
"To keep me from 'getting myself killed,' I believe you put it? Twilight, it's no good. Even if I thought that you should come, even putting aside your inexperience-"
"It doesn't even matter! Who was it who saved you from the dune worm? Who healed you back to what may even be a better condition than you were before? Who even inspired you to come out here? That was me!"
"Trouble in paradise, Penny?" Seemingly out of nowhere, Quick Stike appeared, putting her arm around him in an overly friendly manner.
"My name is Pennington Inkwell, but you can call me 'Mister Inkwell.'" Pennington finally looked up from his bowl with an expression of seething anger and gingerly removed her hoof from his shoulder.
"Me-OW!" Quick Strike grinned at the irked pony., taking glee in his rage "It seems to me as if something's put you out in a mood. You haven't wanted anypony to call you that since you turned down that acceptence letter to the Royal Night Guard!"
"I would prefer not to bring that up, Ms. Strike." Pennington didn't even try to hide the anger in his growl, opting ot sound as threatening as he could. "Just because you can't find the one stallion who'll put up with you doesn't mean that you can go around bothering all of us. So, what do you want?"
Quick Strike's lower left eye twitched when Pennington made his own snarky remark, but she hid it well."Oh, just a fight, Penny. Just in memory of the old times we had, you know? "
"I don't want to fight. I want to get moving." Pennington looked back at his oatmeal, slowly and deliberately scooping out another bite. In a swift movement, Quick Strike grabbed a nearby bottle of hot sauce, dumped a large amount on top of his spoon, and put it back down.
"Pop quiz!"
Pennington didn't even look down at his spoon as he placed it in his mouth. He didn't even bat an eye at her as he moved the contents in his mouth for a moment, then swallowed and took another bite. Aside from a small flush in his cheeks, the hot sauce had done nothing to faze him.
"Okay, then. On a scale of one to ten, this is an eight. Got it." Quick Strike stepped back, glancing at Twilight. "He is definitely upset. Are you two fighting?" She motioned to the space between them as if they were a couple arguing over dinner.
"He wants me to go back to Ponyville, but I'm not going." Twilight let out a long sigh. "He thinks that if I come with him, I'll get us both killed, but that hasn't stopped him up until now. So I don't think that it's the real reason..." Twilight's eyes narrowed, and she gave the pony across from her an intense glare of scrutiny. Unfortunately, Pennington wasn't giving away anything without a fight.
"Sounds to me like you two need no work this out my way!" Quick Strike grinned mischeviously as she knocked her hooves together. "I'll see you in the gym in ten minutes, Penny." With a wink at Twilight, she ran away as quickly as she had come.
"Mister Inkwell, if you please!" Pennington muttered as he took another bite. "Nopony calls me Penny... Nopony."
Twilight felt a twinge of fear as Quick Strike's meaning came through loud and clear. "She- She wants us to fight?"
"Alright! Now, we all know why we're here!" Quick Strike was standing in the center of the gymnasium, which looked more like a miniature stadium at the moment. The floor was padded with red rubber, creating a firm cusion for anypony who took a hard hit and fell. She was standing in a far corner from the entrance to the wearing small amount of padding that matched the color of her coat. Twilight felt herself becoming light-headed as all of the eyes in the room seemed to focus on her.
"We're here to see our favorite form of entertainment: a battle of strength and talent! Of speed and strategy!"
"No, I'm pretty sure you're the only sadist around here, Quickie!" A heckler jeered from the corner, obviously not wanting to be there, either. The roar of the small crowd, however, quickly drowned him out.
"Now, for the match of the year! Of the century! Place your bets now, fillies and gentlecolts, it's time to roll!" Quick Strike took a moment to let the group filling the bleachers to get excited before continuing. Her bravado in announcing reminded Twilight of Rainbow Dash's bragging before presenting some new trick.
"It's the sun versus the moon! Day versus night! In one corner, Princess Celestia's favorite pupil! Twilight Sparkle!" Though Twilight cringed at the fact that everypony seemed to know who she was, the cheering from the crowd helped wash away some of her nervousness in the knowledge that she had supporters.
"And in the other corner, our very own home-grown celebrity, the pony everypony does know, Scorching Quill!" The uproar from the crowd was the equivalent of a tidal wave of sound, making even Quick Strike cringe and flatten her ears against her head.
When Twilight heard her calling Pennington by his pen name, she looked over to her "opponent," who was finally entering the "ring." Pennington had indeed gone to the liberty of dying his coat and mane for the occasion, looking like a living flame walking into the room. He, unlike Twilight, wore no padding whatsoever, and was glaring at everything in sight, though he refused to look at Twilight. Twilight tried her best to hide her shock at Pennington's identity being common knowledge here, but the feeling faded as Quick Strike began to speak again into the microphone.
"We all know the rules for a good, clean fight: no magic, with the exceptions of telekenisis and creating solid objects such as shields or weapons! No fatal moves are allowed, and the first pony to be pinned to the ground for three seconds loses! The stakes: the loser will completely and utterly follow one request from the other! If Penningtonton loses, he will have a companion on his next adventure! If Twilight loses, she's going home! Competitors! Are you ready?" She turned to the two of them for a nod of approval.
Twilight shook her head, trying to indicate just how badly she did not want to fight. Her heart was racing at more than twice its normal speed, and she felt more nervous than ever at the idea of placing her fate in the strength of her own hooves.
Quick Strike gave her what she must have thought was a reassuring wink, then turned to "Scorching Quill." Pennington simply stared back at her with a look that would have vaporized Quick Strike on the spot if he had known the spell.