//------------------------------//
// Capitulo Veintiocho 
// Story: Cuatro 
// by Dirty Bit 
//------------------------------//


Capitulo Veintiocho


Clarity


A loud pop was heard, followed by the sound of a party blower as confetti was shot upward inside of Sugarcube Corner, then fluttered downward towards many different ponies cheering and enjoying themselves. In the shortest time possible, Pinkie Pie managed to round up the disoriented citizens of Ponyville, tell them all how Cuatro saved them from certain doom, and quickly constructed a passable party inside of her own home with the help of her party cannon. Everypony had a good time at Pinkie's impromptu party...

Everypony but Cuatro.

The strange alicorn hung his head down in thought as he sat by himself at a corner of the room, and was burdened with many thoughts ever since his confrontation with the dragons: What would his friends think of him if he ever killed in front of them? When will his memories give him the full story of his actions? What would Luna think of him upon hearing of his conflict?

"...Luna..."

He remembered how he was somehow provoked by Garble talking bad about the princesses, though he leaned towards the princess of the night.  It was nearly a conundrum, but the red dragon managed to draw out latent anger from Cuatro with relative ease. Granted, Garble's behavior was unbearable to the strange alicorn at first, but it was when Luna was mentioned in ill fashion that it struck a serious nerve inside of him. He would count this among his many strange reactions when around Luna, or even thinking of her.

"Hey, Cuaty!!"

Cuatro looked up and noticed Pinkie grinning at him with the rest of his friends behind her "What are you doing sitting there by yourself? C'mon and join us!!"

Fluttershy frowned "Are you still bothered by your fight earlier?" She asked with mild concern.

Cuatro stared before he sighed "Admittedly, yes...In fact, I wonder what all of you would think of me if I ever actually went through with my actions back there, even if I was barely conscious at the time..."

Twilight trotted up to Cuatro and placed a hoof on his chest "You managed to make them leave, and that's all that matters now. I'm sure we won't see them again anytime soon. Besides, you helped us out, and you tried to learn kindness while you have." She smiled "I'd say you're becoming a better stallion by the day." While her words were sincere, the lavender bookworm was inwardly troubled at what she had witnessed.
_____

Cuatro was unaware of his friends' presence as his horn began to glow "You lost this battle...You have no one to blame but yourself...If you live through this, you shall use what is left of your energy and leave this place at once...If not...then I believe that this is the supposed end you were waiting for in this fight..." His horn glew brighter as Garble felt his life flash through his eyes "...Goodbye..."
_____

Twilight held back a shudder after choosing to remember Cuatro and his change in behavior. A part of her wondered if she would talk to Princess Celestia about this some time later 'There's something she isn't telling me with the elements...'

Cuatro looked down at Twilight "Thank you, Twilight..." He turned to his other friends "And the rest of you as well..."

Applejack smiled "We'd help ya out in any way we can, sugarcube! Now why don't we enjoy this here party?"

Pinkie grabbed one of Cuatro's forelegs "Yeah! Come over here and talk with the rest of us! Almost everypony's warming up to you now!"

Cuatro stared at Pinkie "Almost?" He parroted inquisitively.

Fluttershy pawed at the ground "Well, there are some ponies that are still afraid of you...They're more anxious after we told them about how you handled the dragons..." She looked at Cuatro with a deep and penitent frown "I'm sorry if that didn't help you at all!" She squeaked feebly.

The strange alicorn shook his head "It was not your fault, Fluttershy...I understand their fear of me..." He looked around at the multitude of ponies chatting with one another; the many faces of joy and calm as they conversed over food. In the sea of ponies, he noticed a distant figure that stuck out like a sore thumb, staring at him with eerie yellow eyes and gripping a sword in its right hand. Cuatro tensed up and his horn began to glow.

The others noticed in shock as Twilight blurted out "Cuatro!"

Cuatro shook his head and looked down at Twilight before shifting his glance back at the crowd of ponies to see the figure gone once again, as if it never existed. He darted his head around for a moment before choosing to look back at his friends, who appeared with mixed expressions of confusion and shock. The strange alicorn sighed "I'm sorry to ask this, but I need to be alone for a while longer before I can properly enjoy this party...I promise to meet with you when I feel at ease..."

Pinkie smiled "Do you Pinkie Promise?"

Cuatro blinked before he reluctantly replied "Is it necessary?"

Pinkie nodded vigorously before she pointed a hoof at Cuatro "Anypony can make a promise, but you never go back on a Pinkie Promise! So make one!"

Applejack frowned "Pinkie, y'all 're askin' too much from Cuatro, seein' as how he don't know what a Pinkie Promise is..." She stated matter-of-factly.

Pinkie realized her flaw instantly "Oh, right! Thanks, Applejack!" She looked at Cuatro "Cuaty, if you're gonna do a Pinkie Promise, you'll have to do it right! Repeat after me!" She performed a series of moves while saying the words "Cross my heart and hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!" She ended with a hoof over her eye. Cuatro only stared at Pinkie's random gesture, then looked at his friends smiling awkwardly while nodding.

"Well, if it is considered important to Twilight and her friends, I may as well comply..."

Cuatro gave a curt nod, then performed the demonstrated actions properly "Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow Dash snickered at the strange alicorn maintaining his emotionless face as he did so.

Pinkie smiled "Okay, Cuaty! Take all the time you need! We'll be waiting for you!" She and the others left him alone so he could think to himself.

Never had Cuatro felt more bothered; not from performing a Pinkie Promise, but from constantly seeing the source of his fear wherever he went, only to have it disappear the moment he looks away. It began to take top priority in his thoughts over his conflict with the dragons.

"Could this monster be an apparition of sorts? Or is it capable of illusion magic?"

"So you must be Cuatro, as I've been told.
To defend Ponyville, you prove to be bold!"

Cuatro lifted his head upon hearing a rhyme in a thick, exotic feminine accent, and looked to see a zebra mare with golden bands on her neck and left foreleg, along with golden earrings and turquoise eyes just like Luna. Her cutie mark was that of a strangely drawn sun. She smiled warmly at him, alien to how he was greeted by most ponies "I've never seen you around Ponyville before...Are you the only zebra here?" The faint sound of somepony spitting punch was heard by Cuatro, but he ignored it to hear the zebra's response.

"My name is Zecora, and it is true
That I never found a time to talk to you.
My reason for not living here, you see,
Is that my home is found in Everfree."

The strange alicorn was intrigued "You mean the Everfree Forest? But it is dangerous...How are you able to live there knowing there are manticores?" Zecora smirked with her response.

"I have ways to fend off many a beast.
I suffer no danger in the least..."

Cuatro wondered if Zecora were secretly powerful, or perhaps as wise, if not wiser, than Twilight. To him, she seemed about as mysterious as himself "Are you affiliated with the ponyfolk at all? Surely, you must have connections if you choose to visit once in a while..." Zecora looked back at the crowd of ponies.

"At first, I was seen as an evil witch,
Cursing many ponies without a hitch.
But before long, they accepted me as a friend,
And their rumors of me came to an end."

The strange alicorn nodded "I see...May I ask what your special talent is? You seem to bear a cutie mark like that of other ponies..." Zecora looked at her cutie mark before she replied.

"I'm skilled with brewing remedies,
To soothe any particular maladies."

Cuatro hummed "So you are an alchemist...or more rather an apothecary? Do you often sell your life's work" Zecora shook her head.

"My many potions are not for sale.
They are free to ensure that they do not fail."

Cuatro stared, and wondered if Zecora could be willing to help "Do you have any potions for mental illness?" The zebra quirked an eyebrow at his question "I believe I may be coming down with some kind of hallucinations...It happened just this morning, and it continues at random..."

Zecora placed a hoof on her chin before she smiled at Cuatro.

"Come to my hut when the time is right,
And I'll do what I can to help you fight
These hallucinations at any time-"

"Why do you always speak in rhyme?" Cuatro interrupted. Zecora stared, then chuckled afterwards.

"There is a story behind the way I speak,
But stop by my home if it is help you seek."

Zecora chose to end the conversation there and trot away to give Cuatro time to think. He felt that he had seen a kindred spirit within Zecora with how the two talked together.

"Perhaps she could help me with my problem easily. With her experience in medicine, it is no wonder she is seen as a friend by many..."

Cuatro figured it was best to feel comfortable knowing his issue with hallucination may be sorted out in the near future. He decided to go back and enjoy the party with his friends, as per his Pinkie Promise.
_____

Later, when the party ended, the ponies departed from Sugarcube Corner and went back to their homes while the sun was setting in the sky. Cuatro and Twilight left as well, with Spike riding on Twilight's back.

Cuatro looked up at the sky himself, and upon remembering his dilemma, turned to Twilight as they trotted together back to the library "Twilight, can I please go to see Zecora in the Everfree Forest?"

Twilight blinked "Zecora? You spoke with her?"

Cuatro nodded "I believe she can help me with some problems..."

Spike tilted his head "Did it have something to do with this morning with how you acted so weird?"

Cuatro looked away "I cannot lie to you both...nor can I come to the conclusion that I suffered from lack of sleep. But it could be a simple problem Zecora can fix, considering she is an esteemed doctor..."

Twilight smiled "Well, you've made the right decision, seeing as how she solved problems of our own at times!" She frowned "But I'll have to give you a map to her house if you want to go there without having to deal with any monsters in the forest..."

Spike laughed "C'mon, Twilight! With how strong Cuatro is, I don't think ANY monster would even touch him!" He then looked at the strange alicorn "If he can beat a dragon...what if he could take down an Ursa Minor as well?" He asked curiously.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at Spike "None of that! Let's just go home."

After a small trek, the trio had finally reached the library. Twilight went inside and fetched a map of Everfree forest for Cuatro to look at while travelling. Lucky for him, he remembered the forest being near both Fluttershy's cottage and Sweet Apple Acres. He departed from the library and reached the forest's entrance via his Sonido.

Cuatro looked upon the very forboding thicket of trees draped in snow, and thought back to when he first emerged from it. He wondered if he would run into the same manticore that attacked him a few days ago. The strange alicorn was grateful to Twilight for giving him a mapped route for the safest path to Zecora's hut. He levitated it by his side and began his journey into the deeper reaches of Everfree forest.

There were some twists and turns involved in Cuatro's route that made the trip seem longer than intended, so he decided to take the time and reflect on what he had learned so far with his friends. Cuatro had grasped the concepts of honesty, loyalty, and kindness, and had a long way to go with laughter. He wondered what Rarity would teach him in terms of generosity; if it meant either giving things away or being courteous to everypony he meets.

Cuatro stopped in his tracks when he heard a rustle in the bushes. He looked around and noticed nothing was near him until another was heard to his right. The strange alicorn quickly turned to see nothing once more.

"There is something lurking around here..."

He then heard steps and looked behind him to see the bipedal monster from his dreams standing a small distance. Cuatro quickly turned and went to activate his cero at it, only to see it vanish in front of him, save for the glowing yellow eyes that appear to be advancing slowly as a set of growls was heard. The strange alicorn noticed more glowing eyes joining the first pair, followed by a rancid scent gracing his nostrils.

Soon, three silhouettes showed themselves from the shadows to see that the three sets of glowing eyes belonged to what appeared to be wolves made entirely of wood. Cuatro was intrigued with seeing a unique species of monsters linger about in the forest, though was not too thrilled with his only option.

"It appears I would have to defend myself again..."

The leader of the three wolves continued its advance with a hungry growl and stared down its prey, who only stood idly by, as if not intimidated at all. It began to circle around the strange alicorn, with the other two following suit as they somehow salivated from their wooden maws. Cuatro shifted his eyes at the circling beasts and anticipated their next move.

One of the wolves felt it circled for too long and decided to lunge at Cuatro from behind with a snarl. Cuatro simply flicked his tail at the wolf's muzzle and surprisingly made the attacker shatter into a pile of branches and splinters. The other wolves did not pay any mind to one of their own falling, and growled threateningly at Cuatro before they decided to lunge at him as well, only to be met with the strange alicorn spinning around and lashing at his remaining opponents using his tail. They, too, shattered to pieces around him.

It was considered to be the easiest battle he had ever been in, but he looked back to see his tail was decorated with small splinters. Seeing it as no trouble, he closed his eyes and activated his horn, wrapping each splinter in his tail with a magical aura and pulling them out all at once, dropping them into the snow afterwards. He continued his route after stepping over the many pieces that once made up of the wooden wolves.

When he was a good distance from them, he was unaware that the fallen pieces of bark were all wrapped in a green aura and began to float on their own as they converged.
_____

Cuatro managed to come across another house made out of a tree, only this one was decorated with hanging bottles and exotic masks of different kinds. He felt that he had reached his destination, and approached the front door to knock on it. The strange alicorn waited patiently after knocking, and noticed the door open to reveal Zecora, who smiled up at Cuatro.

"So you've finally come. Hello to you!
Now I can see your healing through."

Cuatro gave a small bow "Hello, Zecora..." The zebra bowed back in respect "May I come inside, please?" Zecora nodded.

"You need not permission to enter, friend.
I shall bring your trouble to an end."

Stepping back into her home, she allowed for Cuatro to make his way inside and see that the interior was meant to match the rough wilderness that was the Everfree forest. There shelves containing flasks of different liquids along with different ingredients that made up of plants; more carved masks that hung on the walls; bottles hung from vines on the ceiling. In the middle of the room rested a cauldron with a bubbling brew.

Zecora grabbed Cuatro's attention and guided him to a chair next to a table. She then trotted over to one of her many shelves and sifted through her assortment of potions and plants. Cuatro observed the zebra mare search diligently and chose to speak "It would seem you must actually have a potion prepared for an occasion like this..." Zecora stopped her search and looked back at Cuatro.

"One may not know when a sickness may rise,
So it is best to prepare than to be surprised."

Cuatro replied "You must have your work cut out for you to have such a large number of cures around your home..." He looked down for a moment in thought while Zecora resumed her search.

"Then again...if she is an experienced doctor..."

It was a thought, but Cuatro was willing to believe that Zecora may explain his random reactions towards Luna after she was finished curing his first problem. He watched her grab a dark green and somewhat withered plant containing a large root with her teeth and trot over to Cuatro. She placed the item on the table and looked at him.

"This bitter root shall mend your mind,
And ensure your senses will be refined.
Be sure to take your time to eat it,
For only one bite is most unneeded."

Cuatro looked down at the plant "I see..." He levitated the plant to his eyes, then proceeded to take his first bite to chew. He stifled a light grunt when he got a taste of the plant's mentioned bitterness. After gulping his first bite, he continued to the next one at a decent pace, growing used to the bitter taste in his mouth. When he consumed it entirely, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Such a strong plant...I hope this will rid me of my mental trauma..."

The strange alicorn turned to Zecora "Thank you for your help, Zecora, but now I ask of another favor from you..." The zebra mare hummed in question "It involves a mare...Princess Luna, to be exact..." Zecora tilted her head.

"What could be your trouble with the princess of the night?
Does her presence cause you to run in fright?"

Cuatro shook her head "Absolutely not. In fact, it is entirely different...A feeling that I cannot come to understand..." He looked down as he elaborated on his explanation

"Whenever I see her, something happens to me, followed by a great number of other things depending on her actions towards me...I look into her eyes, and I somehow find myself paralyzed until I choose to avert my gaze...Whenever I make physical contact with her, my body tends to act on its own, whether it is my wings, my legs, or my own heart. When she speaks, it fills me with comfort, especially when she is in the best of moods..."

"She is forever in my thoughts whenever we are apart, and I cannot be certain if it is because she controls the moon, or if we are both friends...I feel...entirely different when I'm at her side...And if her name were to be slandered, it drives me to punish those who would do so...These reactions always happen when I am with Luna...I don't know how I feel about her..." He looked at Zecora, who listened intently with a neutral stare "Can you tell me why this happens?"

Zecora stared for a moment until she began to chuckle, even holding a hoof over her muzzle as her laughter grew in volume. Cuatro went to ask why until she spoke.

"You act as if you do not know
Why your reactions toward Luna tend to show!"

Cuatro blinked "But I don't...I do not know why I do feel this way for Luna. Can you not tell me?" Zecora finally ended her laughter and spoke with a warm smile.

"The feeling you bear is not unheard of.
The answer is obvious: You're in love!"

Cuatro's pupils slightly shrank at the words that came out of Zecora's mouth.

"...Love...I-...I love Luna? The same way Spike feels towards Rarity?"

Zecora's smile widened when she noticed the faint blush on Cuatro's face.

"There is no doubt at all that what you feel,
Is love for Princess Luna that is very real!"

Cuatro looked down at his chest, placing a forehoof on it "I...I never thought that I would act this way out of affection...or that I would discover this feeling so late." Zecora shook her head with a frown.

"For how you feel towards Luna, you're not to blame.
You managed to know once you chose to explain.
If she does not know, then it would be wise
To confess your love when the moment shall rise."

Cuatro stared at Zecora, then nodded "You're right...It is better to let her know rather than keep it a secret forever...But I am torn between seeing her as a friend or a lover...I'm not certain if she would even feel the same way, or if she were forbidden to do so..." Zecora smiled at Cuatro.

"There is no need for you to be so flustered,
Though it seems this talk has left your mind clustered.
Perhaps you should return home and think about
How you will later let your feelings out."

Zecora's words have sunk into Cuatro, and the strange alicorn rose from his seat with another small bow to his host "Thank you very much for all of your help, Zecora. I will remember this..." Zecora nodded to Cuatro as he made his way towards the door. When he opened the door with his magic, he looked back at the zebra mare "Before I go, I have to ask...Do you share love for somepony just like me or Spike?" Zecora stared for a moment before she smiled.

"I am an independent mare,
Living in my home without a care.
But as for thoughts on a significant other..."

Zecora looked away as her smile widened. A light blush could easily be seen on her muzzle.

"I often think about Applejack's brother..."

Cuatro blinked "Big Macintosh? Hm..." He wondered if Zecora and him ever conversed at times. The strange alicorn figured it would be best to ignore the thought since he had some of his own. He waved a hoof to Zecora, who returned the gesture as he left Zecora's hut to go back to Ponyville. Cuatro made sure to keep his map intact as he moved along. Deciding to make sure if the root he devoured had taken effect, he looked around to see no bipedal monster in sight before continuing his trip back home.

"Zecora was very helpful with both of my problems...I no longer feel threatened by that vision, and..."

He felt both his heart and legs stop as he thought about how he figured out his affection for Luna. Now Cuatro had to choose where and when would be the correct time to make his feelings known to her and see what she thinks. Feeling as if he hindered his own pace, he continued to trot back to Ponyville.

Little did he know that when he had stopped, a crushed blue flower unveiled itself in one of Cuatro's hoofprints.


To be continued...