Friends Ending: New Thoughts
Chapter 30
Cured
The group thought it was good idea to split up and look for this odd pony's ingredients. Inn had the task to look for dragon flowers. They’re red and looked as if it was on fire. She knows that she has seen them before, and tries looking in some places that she has been before.
Seeing as how 'dragon' was in the name, she looks in every place that she has seen a dragon dwell. She looks over every flower, and doesn't find it. She looks where she found the serpent, and nothing. Inn was lost. She looked in all the logical places. Where could she have seen this flower. Trying to think, she flies over the forest.
Over the next few hours, she find some nostalgic places. Inn thinks that landing where she first met Twilight would be best for a brake. It was a nice looking road. The bushes were still there like she remembers.
Something comes back to Inn. As she looks at a tree that had many different flowers, she remembers what Twilight was looking for. A red flower. Inn goes to where she found those red flowers. They were still there. More fiery flowers now than last time.
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Inn was back at the striped one's house. She had more than enough flowers for the brew. Inn found that she was the last one to come back. The others were playing games or simply talking.
“Good, good. Now put that in the stew, and soon you will go through a mighty rejuvenation.”
Inn did as told, she still needed to wait for it to be ready though. It was only a matter of minutes until she was able to go into a long awaited medical bath. Before Inn jumped in, literally, she changed into herself. This resulted in a splash that looked as if an invisible ball made the water splash out.
A few seconds later, Inn popped her head out of the water. Inn was normal again. “H-hey?” she said, hoping they would be able to hear her.
The pink one waved a hoof frantically, “Hello!”
Inn could also be heard. It was all normal. It worked.
“My, did the brew go right. It appears to be a bare white pony soaking in my very sight.” The stripy one looked at Inn curiously.
“W-well, how about t-this?” Inn changed into Zecura. Zecura spoke in some other language as Inn talked. “Can it be, that I am still seen? Even if I am not my own gene?”
The pink one looked excited, and the striped one looked scared, while the rest just laughed. They talked for about an hour. They explain what Inn can do. Talked about living in the Everfree. They were normally interrupted by the pink on with questions or random antics. It was getting late.
“Oh, would you look at the time? It is getting late! We must be getting going soon,” pointed out Rarity.
“Oh my, I have to tend to my animals!” noticed Fluttershy.
“I left some cupcakes in the oven!” realized the pink pony.
“It seems to be late indeed,” said the black and white pony, as she stood up.
“I had fun today. Thanks Zecura.” Twilight was heading for the door too.
They made their goodbyes and thank yous. It didn't take long for one of them to start asking Inn some questions. The pink one hopped to Inn's side.
“So what kind of super cool magical magic can you do? You're so amazing with it right?”
“I still n-need to try some things, b-but I've had fun w-with the advanced s-spells.”
“Did you really learn that much from the princess?” Rainbow asked.
“I want to know more on why you didn't say anything sooner about what was going on,” Twilight said, looking worried for her friend.
“I... I didn't w-want to worry you.” Inn looked down. “I only s-said, because I k-knew that you wouldn't s-stop asking u-until I said it.”
“Inn what kinds of things can you do with your magic?” asked Rainbow.
The questions continued to go back and forth between magical abilities and why she didn't say or do anything about Moonstone.
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Celestia walked down the halls. She was just enjoying a nice little walk. It was a quiet walk. That is, until she was about to get back to work.
“Halt!” shouted some guards. It sounded as if some of them were out of breath.
“No! I need to see the princess!” came another voice that seemed familiar.
With a crash, Celestia found out why she knew the voice. “Rainbow Dash? Wha-... Wait is that you Inn?”
“You know Inn?” asked the young blue pegasus as she tried to fight off the guards attempts at restraint.
“It's okay let her go.” The guards obeyed instantly. “Now what brings a friend of Twilight Sparkle her so suddenly?”
Rainbow Dash looked smugly at the guards as they left, then turned to answer the princess. “I have a request... and a question.”
“Well... what is it?”
“Well~... I think I should ask the question first.” It looked like it was hard for her to ask the question. “If the victim of a murder where to be able to say what happened... would it be okay to hasten the his judgment?”
Now this was an odd question. “What do you mean 'victim'?”
“Well... that's just it.... a victim. A pony killed by the murderer.”
“How would this pony answer?” Celestia showed her confusion, but also tried to seem motherly too.
“The dead pony is alive?” The confused looked on Rainbow Dash's face said a lot. “There is magic to see memories, to know that the ah, victim isn't lying, right?”
Celestia was a little shocked. How can a dead pony be alive? “I think that might work. Why?”
There was a pause with the blue pegasus staring down the many tiles on the floor. She suddenly puffs out her chest and lifts up her head. “The favor is, can you arrest a pony? From what I was told he is a horrible stallion that kills without remorse.”
“I'll have to look into it, but how do you know of this?” Celestia carried confusion, shock, and a hint of fear into her tone.
“Ah, the victim. Inn.”
Why is it always something bizarre with her?
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Celestia continued her day as normal. Only for about another hour at least.
“Princess Celestia?!” called a voiced from behind the princess.
The regal Celestia turns around to see who called her. It was a pink pony. She knows this pony... Pink... something. “Well, who are you my little pony?”
“It's me, silly.” The pink pony gave a giggle. “Pinkie Pie. I have some super duper big questions for you.”
“What are they?”
“What do killer Mc Killerkins get as punishment? Is it worse if they killed many many before? What is the worst punishment?” Pinkie Pie asked this all fast.
“Ah, well if a pony kills, they are punished determining on how bad the killings where. Ponies that kill many ponies are to never enter a town or are sent to the sun or moon, magically based punishments. Ah and that is the worst punishment we have.” Celestia had to think about the legal system for a little bit as she spoke.
“Okey dokey lokey. Well there is this killer McKillerkins named Moonstone. I think he lives in the Everfree.”
“Okay Pinky Pike, I'll get right on that. Can you tell me more about him?”
“That's all I know... Ooh ooh, wait! He killed a pony named Inn!”
Ah, her again. This is serious though. Is Inn alright?
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Celestia's day was getting close to an end. She had three more interruptions. All over the same topic, what to do with Inn's murderer. This was evident that the princess has to think about what to do. Why didn't Inn say anything about this to her? How is it that the elements know about it? Is it trust? The princess lets out a sigh.
“I hadn't really treated her like the others, have I?” Celestia had said to herself out of frustration. She sighed again. A few seconds later, a letter poofs in front of her. The regal princess reads it:
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am coming over soon. We need to talk in pony. Let the guards know so they let me in.
Your faithful student
Twilight Sparkle
Why is she writing so small? Does she know too? Another sigh escapes the princess. “Guards!” Two guards came to her side. “Twilight Sparkle is allowed in. Don't stop her. Got it?”
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It was a little while, not as long as the princess thought it would be, but a while all the same until her faithful student came in. Twilight looked a little down with her head lower than normal and ears folded back. She knew.
“Before we begin Twilight, I think you can help me out with something.”
One ear perked up. “What do you need help with princess?”
“I have a bad pony that needs to be punished. What do you think should be done to him?”
“Ah, princess, I was going to-”
“This is a really bad pony.”
“But-”
“I think his name is...”
“But I was wanting to-”
“Moonstone.”
Twilight was silent. This was why she came here.
“Do you know of this stallion Twilight?” Celestia knew the answer.
“Yes. Do you have him in custody Celestia?” Twilight Sparkle's other ear rose.
“We don't yet. I'm just wondering what would be the best form of punishment for him after a fair trial.” Celestia fibbed.
“I don't think that banishment would work on him.” Twilight looked away.
“And why is this?”
“He was already for something. I, ah, was told that he was killing ponies even from his banishment.”
“Is that so... Who told you?” It had to be Inn.
“Um... Inn.”
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Later that night, the tired princess finally sent for Inn. Oh, Twilight Sparkle and Spike must be confused on why they got a letter for Inn. In any case, Inn should be here soon. There isn't much... poof! A flash of light that startled the guards to an attack ready formation. Inn sat in the middle of this light. The guards were going to apprehend her.
“Stop, it's alright. This is who I was waiting for.” Inn looked more... confident than normal. Like that day she came back and asked why there was a horde of monsters attacking towns.
“S-so, why am I here princess?”
“I have a mission for you.”
“What i-is it?”
“There is a murderer in the Everfree forest. I need you to catch him.”
Inn didn't answer at first. It looked as if she was thinking. “Wait!”
“Your target is some pony named Moonstone.”
In less than two seconds, Inn's body was covered in horns. They lit up in a random pattern. A shock wave from the indecisive magic working with no target radiated from Inn's body. It took a few seconds, but Inn composed herself. Celestia was frightened by the display, she wasn't the only one. The guards hadn't moved do to shear fear.
“Can I kill him?”
“Ah, no. He is to be taken in alive.” Celestia could now see just how badly Moonstone must have affected Inn.
“Then I c-can't.”
“Can you help? All we know is that he lives somewhere in the forest and kills.”
“He kills many ponies. He most likely uses some of them for his own body. He also killed me. He gave me life for some reason, but he is the reason for me not knowing the thirty years that passed by,” Inn said, talking like some other pony.
“So tell me how you know about him killing you. It isn't often that one knows of their own death or even lives decades later from it.” This is the question that was bothering Celestia when all the elements were coming to ask some questions on the Moonstone situation.
Inn backed up. “Oh, ah, well, you see...” Her ears folded back. “Luna's spell backfired.”
It took a few second for this to click. Celestia wasn't thinking about it as much as Inn. “That spell?”
“Um, yes...”
“How long ha-”
“Not long after the spell. It took some time for it all to truly sink in. But my death was the first thing that came to me.”
The princess calmed herself down. It wasn't Inn's fault after all. “What all did you learn from it?”
Inn started to shake. “Well... I learned lots of magic. History of magic too. Luna was around a lot of books.”
“You saw Luna's past too!” The guards jumped. “Well, I guess there is no punishment great enough for me to put you through now, is there?” She was calming herself down. “I meant, what did you learn about Moonstone?”
“I saw him kill many ponies. No remorse. He did something to them to make the bodies alive while the... subject... was dead. I have no idea how, but he knew which body parts were mine when to put me back together. Is, is that enough?” Inn's face showed that now she was shaking from anger and not fear.
“Where does he live, can you help us with that?” The princess drew close to Inn. Inn took a few steps back. “I imagine your are quite gifted at magic after your little ordeal with Luna's spell.” The princess's horn lit up a strong bright light. “Twilight is not at as good with magic as what I imagine thousands of years of study and research you have. This is a very advanced spell for teaching magic. It only works on those that can handle it though.”
“Oh yea, You and lil Lu did it all the time didn't you?”
Celestia clears her throat. “Yes we did. I'm going to teach you a spell that will act as a marker. Set it by Moonstone's house.”
“I think, that I can do!”
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A humble guard walks the halls. He looks in the cells. All criminals are in. He sees the newest one try and stop him though. It's rare to have criminals, so even though this stallion has been here for over two months, he is the newest prisoner.
“Is there any tea? All I've gotten is water. Oh, and can I have a scalpel? This mouse is quite interesting.” This foul old stallion keeps asking the same few things. “Oh, and my dear little pony, how's your day been?”
“No tea. No scalpel. Do you not understand that you are magically bound to that room to never leave?”
“Oh, I know. It's like the forest. There's just too much for me to learn. Too much to discover. Like that mouse for example. I'd like a scalpel before he goes bad if you don't mind.”
What a horrible old stallion. No matter, he must be near a century old. Ponies don't live that long with the exception of the princesses. He'll die soon enough.