"Az!"
Yugo laughs as the little ball of puff and feathers peeped and squeaked in his embrace, both colt and boy relishing in each other's affection.
It had been more than a few days between Luna's visit and now. Yugo, having undergone quite a bit of treatment within the hospital. Adding to that, both Twilight’s speaking and, much to the other’s surprise, walking lessons, the colt was slowly beginning to act more and more like an equestrian. It did help that he was a quick learner. Though full sentences still elude him, the ponies knew that it would even out in time.
Now after all that time, here he was now, sitting up on the bed as he played with his little companion that had been found with him, his laughter and his pets' twittering filling the room.
Az, what little bird the colt said was a tofu, snuggled deep into Yugo's embrace, content to stay there forever if it could. The colt in return smiled widely as the feather ball nuzzled under his chin.
On the sidelines within the room, Twilight and Rarity watched the interaction between the two friends, their hearts swelling at seeing such an adorable moment between the colt and his pet. Joined with them was another mare, this one a light yellow with a long pink mane flowing on one side of her face. She too watched the reunion, tears swelling within her eyes.
Finally, after a while, Yugo and Az pulled away from each other, the little creature trilling as he hopped on top of the colt's head, feeling content as he preened his feathers.
Seeing that the duo was now done with their little interactions, Twilight walked over towards the colt, gaining his attention. "It's good to see that you are feeling much better, Yugo." She spoke, standing at the edge of his hospital bed. "And I see your friend is happy about it too."
The colt beamed. "Az is. He...Ah...I am thankful. You have done so much." He spoke before looking over at the yellow mare. "And thank you, Shy. For keeping Az." He frowned a bit. "Not...too much trouble?"
Fluttershy blushed and smiled, wiping the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes away. "He…um…he was no trouble at all, Yugo. Your little Az was such a wonderful bird. I could tell that you have done nothing but treat him right. He's lucky to have a caring owner like you."
Az chirped, puffing out his feathers at Fluttershy's words. The young colt couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face. "Az agrees." He turned towards Twilight and Rarity. "So...it is true? Leaving hospital?"
Twilight nodded. "Indeed. The doctors have given you the all-clear, but we'll still need to monitor you closely for a little while longer, just to make sure you continue to recover fully."
Yugo's face lit up with excitement, the thought of leaving the hospital lifting his spirits in more ways then one. He had been cooped up in that room for far too long in his opinion, and he was ready to actually see the world outside, instead of just looking at it through a window.
He glanced back at the others, the girls talking between themselves as he did so.He was about to speak but would notice something peeking at him from the other side of the door behind them. It was another pony with a long horn, just like that dark purple pony who had visited him some times with Twilight. When the white pony had noticed that he had caught her looking she seemed to panic before ducking out of sight, causing the colt to raise an eyebrow.
~
"Oh dear...I...It's too much." Celestia squeaked as she dipped out of sight, hiding form the colt’s gaze. "I don't visit the little colt all this time and now, after he has recovered...I dain to show myself."
Luna sighed before rolling her eyes. "Sister. You are acting a foal. Tis a good thing your subjects are not here to see you like this." She pressed a hoof against her sister's side. "You have seen and won wars and battles beyond other pony's comprehension and it always seems to be the foals that you lose to in the end."
Celestia sighed. "You don’t have to tell me that, Luna. It's just...this colt has been through so much and I couldn't even bring myself to see him until now. To offer him a kind word. To be there for him. What kind of ruler does that make me?"
"One that makes mistakes, just like every other pony." her sister told her as she smiled softly. "And one you can make up for now."
Celestia sighed before nodding, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "You…are right, sister. I have put this off long enough." Straightening out her posture, she took a step towards the door, gently opening it with her magic.
As she entered the room, all eyes would turn to her. It was something she would always expect when she made herself known so she knew how to handle such attention. Already, Twilight and Rarity were bowing. Fluttershy squeaking as she followed suit behind them. The only one who wasn't was the colt, looking up at her with wide eyes.
It took all she had to stop herself from wrapping the colt in her hooves to comfort the little on. While there were still some bruises on his body, she could see that he had recovered more than well enough.
"Hello, little one," Celestia spoke softly and with a steady breath, approaching the colt with care. "My name is Princess Celestia. It…is a pleasure to finally meet our mysterious guest."
"Princess...Celestia?" He repeated. "Oh...Um...Luna's sister?" He was told by the star mare that she had a sister named Celestia. Thought something else would catch his attention. He turned his head towards the smaller, darker mare, raising an eyebrow at her. "Wait...you are...Princess too?"
Celestia blinked before turning towards her sister with a raised eyebrow as well, an action that only caused Luna to blush and look away.
"We...forgot to tell him." She said, almost like it was a matter of fact. “It is not our fault. We were just busy helping the colt get settled.”
Twilight raised a hoof, almost as if she was filly in school. “Um…Princess...Did you ask us not to-”
Luna glared back at the lavender mare, causing her said mare to seal her lips tight.
Celeatia couldn’t help but stifle a soft chuckle at her sister's embarrassment before turning back to the colt. "Yes indeed. Luna is also a princess, just like me. We co-rule Equestria together."
"Wow...You are...big." Was all he could say as he looked between the two of them. “And…um…Serious?”
“I think you mean important dear.” Rarity spoke, moving to the other side of the bed.
Celestia laughed as she nodded at the colt’ innocent observation. "Why yes...We are." She smiled softly as she lowered herself to his level. "I do hope it does not intimidate you too much, my little pony."
The colt shook his head, his eyes brightening up as he looked up at Celestia. "It does not. It is...um...you are inter…resting."
The taller princess smiled. "And you, my dear, are equally interesting to us." She gently placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I am glad to see that you have recovered well. How are you feeling?"
“Umm…” The boy scrunched his nose in thought before responding with a nod. “Better. Lots better.”
"Thats good to hear. So, little colt. Your name is Yugo was it?" Celestia asked gently. At his nod she continued. "Like I said then. It is a pleasure to meet you. It is also a pleasure to talk with you like this. I see Twilight has been teaching you our tongue." She looked back at the lavender mare who blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "It's a good thing too. My ancient tongue isn't the best as of right now. It has been some time since I last spoke it after all."
"Yeah. Twilight teach me lots of words." he spoke. "And I am fast learner. That is what she says."
"That's good to hear." Celestia mused softly. "Then allow me to welcome you to Equestria. I do know my sister has done so before...but...As co-ruler I must do so as well." She smiled. "It is only fair."
"Then...thank you. For the welcome." He smiled before looking between the rest of the girls. "And...thank you for helping."
The tall mare nodded, her eyes softening. "Of course, Yugo. We will always be here to help those in need." She paused for a moment, then continued. "I must admit, I am curious as to how you ended up in Equestria the way you did." Before he could speak, she placed a hoof on his lips. "Don't think about it though. I know what afflicts you when you try and think of your past and we will do everything in our power to help you."
When the hoof was pulled away from his lips he would nod. "I...Understand. Thank you."
The white princess smiled. "Now then. Onto other discussions." She turned to the other mare, standing up at her full height once again. "I shall prepare a ride for him to take him to Canterlot. There he will-"
"Umm...Sorry for...I mean...Please excuse the interruption princess." Rarity spoke, pulling ahead of the rest of her friends. "But...if it's about a place that he will be staying in. I had offered up my services."
Celestia looked at Rarity with a raised eyebrow. "Your services, Rarity? What do you mean exactly?"
Rarity cleared her throat before speaking. "Well, you see, I do have a spare room in my boutique that Yugo could use for as long as he needs. It's not much, but it's cozy and comfortable. Plus, I can make sure he has everything he needs and help him get settled in."
Celestia nodded thoughtfully. "I see. That is a very kind offer, Rarity. Though…Are you sure you are up to the task?"
"Absolutely, Princess. I…." Rarity lowered her head. "I had been...feeling rather guilty over how little of a part I played in all of this. I know I was the one who had found him and got him the help he needed...but...That was it. I wanted to do more. I feel like I should."
The princess smiled warmly at the generous mare. "Very well then, Rarity. If that is what Yugo wishes, I see no problem with it," she said, turning her attention back to the young stallion. "What do you say, Yugo? Would you like to stay with Rarity?"
Yugo paused for a brief moment as his thoughts raced. He was aware that the princess was going to say that he could stay with her, but he knew that if he did, he would be within some kind of giant castle. Although being in such a place would have been pleasant for him, Yugo could tell from the small window that he wanted nothing more than to explore and he didn't think the castle would give him that opportunity.
Furthermore, even though his memories were out of reach, deep down he knew that he enjoyed a quieter country lifestyle.
Turning back to face the white furred princess, he nodded. "I...Want to stay with Rarity...if that is alright?"
Princess Celestia smiled understandingly. "Of course, Yugo. I completely understand. And I'm sure Rarity will take good care of you."
Rarity beamed at Yugo. "Oh, I will! You'll have everything you need, dear. And if there's anything you need help with, just let me know!" She turned to the rest of her friends. "Everything should be ready in an hour or two. So that means you have some time to yourself as it were. But what to do? I don't want you having to wait in this hospital the whole time."
"Actually, I have an idea!" Pinkie Pie popped out from under the bed and smiled. "Why don't I give Yugo a tour of Ponyville? If he is going to be living here with Rarity then he should get to know all the wonderful places and ponies that live here!"
Everyone, besides Princess Celesita, jumped at the sudden appearance of the pink pony, Twilight being the first to recover.
"Pinkie! You-!"
"That's a wonderful idea, Pinkie. I'm sure Yugo would love to see what Ponyville has to offer." Princess Celestia interrupted. She smiled at the young colt. “Isn’t that right, Yugo?”
Yugo nodded, after recovering from his initial shock. "Ah…Yeah! Sounds fun." He told her, smiling brightly.
Pinkie bounced excitedly. "Yay! I promise it'll be super-duper fun! We'll go see Sugarcube Corner, Sweet Apple Acres, and White Tail Woods, and so much more!" She grinned at Yugo. "Are you ready for the best day ever?"
"Pinkie. Remember that he is still a recovering colt." Fluttershy admonished, pulling the colt closer to her as she flew to the bed. "You have to make sure to rest if he is tired."
Pinkie Pie's grin faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, right! Of course I'll make sure he doesn't overexert himself. Safety first, always!" She then pulled Yugo from Fluttershy's grasp and whispered conspiratorially. "But don't worry, we'll still have lots of fun."
"Before you go gallivanting every which way. I have something to present to you." Rarity levitated a rather large bag over towards the colt. "Think of it as a welcoming gift from me to you. I’ve seen how you try to hide your wings every so often. Not that I think you should mind you. They are beautiful and they belong to you, but I did have this made just in case."
Yugo blinked before grasping the bag out of the magic, dipping his hoof inside, he found- "My hat!" Pulling the rather large cloth out completely, he took a better look at it. It was large and blue, just like how he remembered it to be. The Two large cones on either side of his head could be seen on top, perfectly sized to fit both his wings and his ears.
Without hesitation he put it on. It fit perfectly, as if it was made for him and only him. The young colt couldn't stop the smile that played across his face. "Thank you. It's amazing!"
"Of course, dear." Rarity beamed a smile. "Though It does pain me to not save the rest of your outfit, torn as it was, though if you give me time and a little bit of your help, I can make you a whole new set of clothes just for you. How does that sound?"
Yugo's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"Of course, darling. It would be my pleasure. Just let me know what kind of style you prefer and we can start working on it right away," Rarity replied with a smile.
The young colt couldn't stop the smile playing across his face. "Thank you, Rarity. I...Um...I will Repay. No matter what."
Rarity waved her hoof dismissively. "Nonsense, dear. You don't have to repay me in any way. Just knowing that you are happy and comfortable is enough for me."
Before the colt could refute, the pink mare bounced him off the bed and onto her back, much to his surprise, before rearing up and galloping out the room. "Enough Talk! To adventure!"
"Pinkie! No! Slow down!" Fluttershy called out after her, her wings fluttering as she chased after the pair.
Luna rolled her eyes before looking towards the rest of the ponies. "I shall follow them from afar. Make sure they don't get into too much trouble."
As Luna walked out of the room, Celestia turned back to the remaining ponies, her expression thoughtful. "I must say, I am quite impressed with Yugo. Despite his forced amnesia, he seems to have a positive outlook on life."
"He does seem that way." Rarity agreed. "I just hope that in time, he can have a normal foal hood while he is here."
"On that note...are you sure you want to care for him Rarity?" Celestia asked. "I know that you care for your sister from time to time, but she and yourself have your parents to fall back on. Yugo will be a full time job. Add to that, his strange powers. Luna told me what happened after their first real meeting and I can say form experience that caring for a foal not in full control of their magic isn't easy."
Rarity nodded, determination in her eyes. "I know that it will be a challenge, Princess. But I'm willing to take it on. Yugo needs someone to care for him and I want to be that someone. He deserves to have a happy and normal foalhood, and I'll do everything in my power to make that happen." She smirked. "Besides, I took care of Sweetie when she was younger, I know what it's like to have a magic heavy foal running around."
"Then I shall not bother you further about it." The princess said with a nod. "I have no doubt that you will do a fantastic job. Just remember, if you need my assistance, don't hesitate to ask. Yugo is under the protection of Equestira now after all."
Rarity smiled at the princess. "Thank you, your highness. I will definitely keep that in mind."
"Alright then." She turned towards Twilight. "I'll leave everything else to you Twilight. And Rarity. make sure to sign him out of the hospital proper. I am sure our friend Pinkie Pie more than likely forgot to do so on her way out."
The princess's horn began to glow as she teleported out of the room, leaving Twilight and Rarity alone.
The fashionist smiled softly before turning towards Twilight. "It is best I do as she says then. And after that get everything set for Yugo’s new home." She waved a hoof in her face, fanning herself. "Oh my...I...I know I talked a rather big game as it were...but...I do hope I do okay with him."
Twilight approached the slightly panicking fashionista and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "You will do more than okay, Rarity. I have faith in you. Yugo is lucky to have you as his caretaker."
Rarity smiled gratefully at Twilight's words. "Thank you, darling. That means a lot coming from you."
Twilight chuckled. "I'm just stating the truth." She hugged her friend before making her own way out. "Alight then, I'll see you later Rarity." She paused. "More than likely back at your place."
"Oh? Why is that?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Knowing Pinkie, I'm pretty sure she has party plans in mind for Yugo."
Rarity groaned at the thought of her place being used for one of Pinkie's parties, but couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Yugo having fun. "Well if it's for Yugo's sake then I guess I can put up with Miss Pie's antics." She giggled softly before leaving the room as well, closing the door behind her as she did so.
~
"It was there. Just like you said."
A dark cloaked figure chuckled softly as he made his way into the building, the crunch of his boots upon the broken glass and wood sounding throughout the room.
Pressed tight against a wall was a black furred griffon, sweat poring for his face as he watched the figure slowly making his way to him.
"I did what you asked," the griffon pleaded, his voice cracking with fear. "I gave you the information you wanted. S-So why are you doing this? You killed all of my grunts!"
The cloaked figure stopped in his tracks before shaking his head. "Would you let me finish. It was there...Just like you said. But what you failed to tell me was that it was just one of eight."
"You...You didn't say anything about needing them all. You asked where it was and I delivered the information!"
The figure growled. "That is where you were wrong. I asked if the set was there, and you said yes. Do you know what that means?" His paw came from his cloak, the sharp claws still drenched in blood. "It means you failed me, and by failing me, you failed master."
"I-I can help you find the rest! Please, just let me go!" The griffon pleaded, his talons scraping against the wall as he tried to back away from the figure.
"I don't think so," the figure replied, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "Our partnership is here by terminated."
Before the griffon could react, the figure lunged forward, his paw gripping tightly around the griffon's throat. The griffon struggled against the figure's grip, his talons digging deep. It only lasted a few seconds before it was over, the figure dropping the body to the floor.
"Sigh...Guess that's all I can do for today. Master figured this would happen but she will still be disappointed either way."
The figure turned to leave the building, his cloak billowing behind him as he made his way to the exit. He paused briefly as he heard a faint noise from the corner of the room. With a flick of his wrist, a ball of dark energy appeared in his hand, illuminating the area.
There, cowering in the shadows, was a small figure. From the looks of it, it was a young unicorn filly. She trembled uncontrollably, eyes wide with fear as she stared at the figure.
The figure watched her for a moment before uncovering his hood, showing the face of a dog-like figure. He lowered his hand and extinguished the dark energy that he had built up. "Don't be afraid," he said softly, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I won't hurt you."
The filly hesitated before slowly making her way towards him, her horn glowing faintly. The figure watched her cautiously, but didn't make any move to stop her.
"I...I saw what you did to him," the filly said shakily. "I...he..."
The figure looked at the collar around the filly's neck before shaking his head. Bending down, he reached out towards her, grasping the collar before she could flinch and breaking it in one fell swoop. Throwing the pieces to the side he smiled.
"Your life is your own now. Do with it what you will." He turned before looking back at her. "Last time I was here...there was a safe on the top floor. Doubt there is anyone to stop you from breaking into it now."
The filly looked up at the figure in disbelief, unsure of what to make of the situation. She had been a slave her whole life, and the idea of being free was foreign to her.
"Go on," the figure urged. "Take what you need and get out of here. This place is no longer safe for you."
The filly hesitated before nodding, still unsure of what to do. She made her way towards the staircase, her horn glowing brighter as she climbed up to the top floor.
The figure watched her go before turning to leave the building, his mind already focused on his next move. "Time to visit master. Hope she was able to get what she needed at the very least."