//------------------------------// // Capitulo Treinta y Seis // Story: Cuatro // by Dirty Bit //------------------------------// Capitulo Treinta y Seis Regret Luna managed to teleport herself and Celestia back to their castle, right in the middle of the front courtyard. She carried her injured sister on her back as she made her way inside in search of the infirmary, paying no mind to the many faces of shock on the guards she had passed. Her expression was stoic, albeit bitter as she trotted through the halls. The earlier scene she had witnessed continued to plague her mind to no end. Why did he do it? Why did he come so close to killing her sister? She was aware of Cuatro bearing some ill feelings towards Celestia, but the way he had acted had nearly thrown her into a state of disarray. She shifted her eyes back with a sad expression when she heard her sister breathe while she was unconscious. The teleportation had finally knocked her out when she proposed to take her back to Canterlot herself. Despite that, her breathing patterns were still in tandem due to her current condition. Luna had finally reached the doors of the infirmary and made her way inside, seeing how it was surprisingly vacant. There were times when sicknesses would arise, and there have been some guards that have slipped up during their training to end up in bed rest, but the royal infirmary has been rarely used as of late. A peach-colored earth pony nurse showed up from another part of the room and gasped as the color drained from her face upon seeing Celestia in her condition. She galloped towards the regal sisters and spoke with a trembling voice "P-Princess Celestia!? What has happened to her!?" Luna replied "She was-..." It was at that point when she realized how harmful it would be to completely state the reason. She was still angered, confused, and hurt over the fact that Cuatro was responsible for nearly destroying her sister, but while she herself favored honesty, it would be too much to think about how her subjects would react to a powerful alicorn being the cause. She took a deep breath and held a mask of neutrality on her face "She was a victim of unforeseen circumstances. We request one of thy beds for her recovery." She stated in a calm tone. The nurse quickly nodded "Of course, your majesty! Please follow me!" She lead Luna and Celestia to the nearest bed seen next to the entrance of the infirmary. Luna carefully laid her sister on the bed while the nurse frantically prepared every medical device needed for her examination and treatment. _____ After examining Celestia and treating her wounds, the nurse took a deep breath and turned to Luna with a thin smile "It seemed tedious from the start, but I believe your sister is bound to make a swift recovery in the next day or so. There were only some minor cuts and bruises on her body, and her muzzle was damaged, but nothing too severe to worry about!" Luna was calmed and pleased with the news, though she still had a distant aura around her "Well, we alicorns are very durable to certain conditions...And knowing our sister, it won't be long until she is back on her hooves. We thank thee for thine assistance." The nurse bowed in genuflect "A pleasure, your majesty! I, or anypony else wouldn't dream of what would happen if either of you were met with a tragic fate!" She brought her head up with a fearful frown "This was most unexpected for us all!" Luna gave a solemn nod "Indeed..." Both of them perked up when they heard tired murmuring and looked to see Celestia stirring from her slumber. They both carefully approached her and observe her waking up. Celestia went to move after she had opened her eyes, and ended up clenching them shut as she felt a sharp pain. Both Luna and the nurse were worried "Your Majesty, please be still! You were just placed in bed an hour ago!" The nurse pleaded with worried eyes. Luna watched her sister carefully "Tia, can thou speak?" She asked in a low and hopeful tone. Celestia took a deep breath to ease herself from the pain she felt before she spoke "I can...Thank you both for helping me in my time of need..." She said as she gave a warm and grateful smile. She then looked up at Luna and how she had a frown on her face despite what she had said. Celestia knew that look in Luna's eyes; she wanted an explanation about what had transpired back in the badlands. With a deep breath, she turned to the nurse "Your assistance is most appreciated, but can I ask that me and my sister be alone for the moment?" The nurse bowed "As you wish, princess." She said as she made her way out of the door, shutting it behind her. When Celestia was certain that she and Luna were alone, she closed her eyes "I owe you an explanation, Luna..." Luna lightly furrowed her brow "Verily. What were thou thinking when wishing to fight Sir Cuatro? What did thou hope to gain!?" She scolded. Celestia sighed and relaxed herself back onto her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling "Luna, about Cuatro...There is so much that I had to keep to myself in order to keep peace in our land. You're already aware of my previous attitude prior to when I first met with Cuatro, yes?" Luna nodded "It was as if thou were on high alert, but that doesn't answer our question! What hath thou kept from me? Neigh...From all of us! Twilight Sparkle and her friends are just as involved in this as we are!" Celestia closed her eyes again as she dreaded what she was about to tell her sister "You've already noticed his demonstration of power earlier...It was positively lavish in amount. What you have just seen was only a mere fraction of it. I didn't anticipate you saving my life in the nick of time, but I was happy you have." She then turned to Luna with a sad frown "What I did to persuade him into fighting...was revealing that I knew of his past all along..." Luna widened her eyes "What!?" Celestia gave a brief nod "When I first met Cuatro, even I was both curious and confused to see another alicorn appear in Equestria out of nowhere. His presence alone nearly startled me upon first glance." She turned her head back up at the ceiling "Then there was when I was actually willing to give back his memories when I heard of his amnesia. Before I could wrap up the entire memory spell, I was able to examine the entirety of his past." She closed her eyes "It was most foreboding, Luna. Back then, he was a monster; a fierce master of combat and a heartless murderer. The look on his face was a both a giveaway and a potent clue to his past. He lacked feelings, in fact he detested them and claimed they were a distraction. It is complicated to say, but he is a departed soul from a distant realm of death, not even a pony in origin back then. Judging from what I've gathered, he lamented his existence before he evolved into a more powerful being. From that point on, he was taken in by a mysterious and calculating individual named Sosuke Aizen, and was loyal to him until his unfortunate end." "Unfortunate end?" Luna parroted as she listened intently. She was engrossed with what she was now learning about the one she had loved. Celestia closed her eyes "This is where it gets both saddening and ludicrous in thought...A boy named Ichigo Kurosaki was the only one who managed to best him in battle, but from an unknown phenomenon that even I cannot explain. Before he had died, he felt that he had finally realized what it meant to have feelings; to have a heart." Luna was breathless 'So that was what Sir Cuatro meant when he stated about lacking knowledge of the heart...And the mention of Ichigo as well...' She looked at her sister with a calm glance "Why did thou not tell us about him sooner, sister? Thou hast carried the heaviest burden and look where it hath guided thee..." Luna frowned. Celestia turned and gave a firm and solemn glance "I understand you are furious with me, and no doubt my faithful student would act the same, but it was all I could do. His power is nearly immeasurable, and if used at the wrong time, could wreak havoc upon our subjects. I sent Twilight the elements in case his memories were to return early." She looked down "I see now that it was a mistake in hindsight, but I needed to make sure everypony was safe." Celestia looked back up at Luna "As for how he acted in the badlands...It wasn't his first time." Luna awaited the explanation "According to Twilight, he had faced some teenage dragons and they have managed to trigger his second nature of fighting. He nearly killed them in the process." Luna was shocked "That cannot be!" Thus far with her sister's explanation, Luna had trouble forming a proper opinion on Cuatro. Celestia frowned "And what you've seen back there...I wished to contain that second nature and stop any future bloodshed he would've caused without knowledge of his actions." She looked away with a regretful expression "I was close to doing just that...yet I ended up drawing out all of his hidden power from that fight." She closed her eyes "Before I had left the castle, I was touched by how you appeared so happy around Cuatro while I tried to keep his past under wraps, even moreso when he admitted his feelings in front of me. I tried my best to ensure both your happiness and Equestria's safety through my method, and it fell apart in the end. I felt as if I've carried this on for too long..." Luna stared at Celestia in silence. After a moment of pause, she took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at her sister "To some degree...Thou hath earned that beating with what was shared..." She stated in a mildly cross tone. Celestia held a wry grin "I know...I suppose that was all I needed to realize that I couldn't handle this problem alone..." She looked up at the ceiling with a frown "However, you or Twilight would have acted as rashly, if not more than myself if I were to share this knowledge with you when I discovered this. I couldn't risk your lives upon observation of his former life...While I was cautious of both his power and his past, I believed in giving him a second chance upon witnessing the event of his death. When I offered him the decision on where to stay, I only wished to see what route he would take when starting his new life. How he came to Equestria is still a mystery to me..." After hearing Celestia's story, Luna was satisfied with what was gathered, though was still confused on how to go about the situation. In retrospect, her sister was even correct about what would happen if she chose to be open about Cuatro's past. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her head "This is too much to bear..." Luna muttered. Celestia gave a dry chuckle "It is, isn't it? It wouldn't be the first time we had to take leaps and bounds to hide Equestria from a disaster." She looked at Luna "As for what I said about Cuatro and his feelings for you, I was serious." She smiled warmly "It filled me with pride and joy to see another alicorn fawn for you after so long." Luna held a thin smile "Tis true...We were flattered to meet somepony who enjoyed our night above all else..." She then remembered her lashing out at Cuatro and frowned as she hung her head 'Oh dear...Sir Cuatro must be devastated after we've vented upon him...' Celestia observed her sister and sighed "I owe you the most deepest apology, Luna...You and Twilight." She stared at the ceiling "I should probably open up to her and the other elements and hope for both their trust and forgiveness..." "It is not just us..." Celestia looked over at Luna, who held a stern stare "Thou must apologize to Sir Cuatro as well!" Her expression softened as she looked away "And we should to the same..." She muttered despondently. Celestia nodded sagely "I understand..." She faced the front door of the infirmary "But I cannot return his memories yet..." Luna turned to Celestia incredulously "What? Why not!?" Celestia frowned "Luna, you've heard what I said about his past...He might have grasped the concept of the heart on his supposed deathbed, but it wouldn't be wise to just return his memories and expect everything to remain sound. There is also the matter of discussing the full story with Twilight..." She felt a pang of guilt upon the very thought of how her student could feel about her confession "It's better for him to lift his spirits and see if he can continue to learn about friendship. Please understand..." Luna frowned "Then what of Sir Cuatro and his knowledge of thee denying him the privilege of regaining his memories?" Celestia turned to Luna "I leave that up to you...No doubt he wouldn't give me any of his time after what I've done to him..." Luna lightly stomped a hoof "Thou underestimate his patience! Sir Cuatro can be most understanding considering how he hath put up with thee giving him solid answers whilst avoiding to reveal the truth!" Celestia smiled "That, and he is understanding with you most of all..." She frowned pleadingly "Please, Luna...I know that what I've done has left many scars, but for the sake of Equestria, Cuatro is not to know of his past. It wouldn't sit well with the friends he has made or the lessons he has learned. Can you not help me with that?" Luna stared, and after contemplation over the reason, nodded reluctantly "Very well, Tia. We'll abide to thy reasons for now...But we expect thee to keep thy word in explaining and apologizing to Twilight and her friends. As we've made clear, they're just as involved in this as we are..." A thought had occured to Luna after she agreed to Celestia's deal: For as long as she had met him, she did not look into Cuatro's dreams at all. She smiled inwardly at the thought of communicating with Cuatro in his sleep. Celestia nodded "I will..." She looked up "In fact, if I'm to recover by tomorrow morning, I'll invite Cuatro and the element bearers to a conference." Luna stared out the window "And we'll make sure that Sir Cuatro will keep calm and move on after we've spoken with him..." She closed her eyes "We're pleased thou would finally open up to us, sister." Celestia smiled "So am I..." She responded softly "I think it's best to continue with your royal duties while I recover. It won't be long with my knowledge of healing magic." Luna gave a curt nod and made her way out of the infirmary. She looked back at her sister for a brief moment before opening the door and leaving. Now she knew what to do once night falls, though she felt sad to leave Cuatro in the dark. _____ Later that day, Pinkie trotted her way towards Ponyville library with a large sack on her back and a determined smile on her face. When she reached the door, she made her way inside and sported a toothy grin "I'm back~!" Twilight was found on the sofa reading a book with a cup of tea at her side, and looked up when she noticed Pinkie's entrance "Pinkie, what are you doing back?" Pinkie hopped up to Twilight while she balanced the sack on her back "What does it look like? I'm here to cheer our mopey little friend up! I'm not leaving until I see that he's back to normal!" She answered with her signature bright smile. Twilight shook her head "You're going to face a rough challenge...We've given him enough time to himself and he still hasn't opened up yet. Spike waddled into the main lobby with a frown "I know he's sad and all, but it's starting to get a little troublesome! I think Pinkie's the ideal choice for getting Cuatro up on his hooves." Pinkie gave a mock salute "Just leave it to me! Where is he at?" Spike pointed a claw up the stairs "He hasn't left his bed since he got back. Twilight even gave him a cup of his favorite tea and he didn't drink so much as a drop of it!" Pinkie held a serious gaze as she rubbed her chin "This is serious...Well, I'm not gonna let THIS one get past me! Pinkie Pie away~!!" She said as she went into a pouncing stance with narrowed eyes before nonchalantly pronking up the stairs with a chipper smile. Twilight and Spike glanced at each other and decided to join her to see if she'll end up being successful. When Pinkie spotted the mass of black and white on the guest bed, she squinted her eyes 'Target acquired...' She inched her way over and nudged at Cuatro three times, earning his attention "Hello there, Mr. Sad Sack!" Pinkie bucked the sack off of her back as it landed on the floor, pointing to it with a grin "I'd like you to meet Mr. Happy Sack!" She dug into the sack and pulled out an item "He even has is own hacky sack!" She chirped as she began playing with it in front of Cuatro. Cuatro's mood had lightened during his moment of solitude, but Pinkie's premiere effort in cheering him up had no effect "I appreciate you giving me your time, Pinkie, but I'm in no mood for games..." Pinkie stopped playing with her hacky sack and quirked an eyebrow "Who said anything about games? I'm here to cheer you up, silly!" She dove into her sack, ruffling inside of it "Now let's see what can be the key to making you feel better!" Pinkie's head popped out with a grin, followed by her forehooves holding a plum. Twilight and Spike were easily thrown off by Pinkie's random item "A plum?" Spike asked. Pinkie turned to her friends "Not just any plum! A HAPPY plum! And there's more where that came from, too! My happy plums will make anything happy!" She turned back at Cuatro and reeled back her hoof holding the purple fruit "Open wide, Cuaty~..." Pinkie quipped as she held a look in her eyes similar to an archer aiming for their target. Cuatro stared "...But I'm not hung-" He was interrupted as Pinkie shoved the plum in his mouth, causing him to grunt in displeasure. When it was deep enough, Pinkie brought out her hoof while Cuatro gulped down the plum and gasped for breath. Twilight frowned "You didn't have to do that, Pinkie!" Pinkie crossed her hooves "Sure I did! This is one of my many advanced ways of cheering anypony up! Now we play the waiting game..." She said as she stared diligently at Cuatro, who managed to catch his breath. There was silence, and Pinkie frowned when she saw that Cuatro's features have not changed "You gotta be kidding me! You must have some high-quality super sadness if one happy plum isn't enough! Looks like we'll have to feed you some more!" Spike winced "I don't think stuffing Cuatro's face will cheer him up, Pinkie. Can't you find another way?" Pinkie rolled her eyes "Oh, alright! Let's have a looksie!" She dove back into her sack and sifted through her contents, muttering to herself "Okay, we have a...jokebook, party cannon, flugelhorn, a sombrero, and-..." She froze in her search. Twilight was curious "What's wrong? Are you missing something?" Pinkie paused for a moment before speaking in a low tone "No...I have just the thing for Cuatro..." The mentioned alicorn stared at Pinkie's frozen form. "Hopefully not another plum..." She pulled herself out, and in her hooves rested a cube with each of its sides containing nine squares of six different colors "Behold! The answer to your problem!" Cuatro stared at the cube "What is that?" Pinkie grinned "It's something I found on my own time! It's pretty fun!" She twisted a portion of the cube and it twisted into a different side, and repeated the process on a different side, leading up to the middle as the colors became more mixed "All you gotta do is make sure every color's the same on each side! This isn't a game, but I know that you're smart like Twilight, so this should be fun for you! It's a puzzle!" Twilight examined the cube with a smile "I'll admit, I'm curious to try myself, but if Cuatro feels up to it..." She stared at Cuatro expectantly. To her, Pinkie was onto something upon noticing Cuatro's invisible curiousity. Cuatro contemplated the cube and wondered if he would be able to solve this mysterious device. He levitated the cube out of Pinkie's hooves and brought it in front of him, shifting each possible portion he found. In no time at all, he was engrossed with it, constantly shifting each portion while paying rapt attention to each side and their changing colors. Twilight and Spike were stunned to see Cuatro's depression give way to focus on the cubic puzzle 'Pinkie Pie, you're a genius!' The more Cuatro shifted the cube, the more Twilight wished to have a go at it once he was finished. Pinkie held a triumphant smile upon watching her successful plan in action. She was impressed when she noticed that Cuatro was close to completing it in such short time. He finally finished it, with each side of the cube being one color instead of nine different ones, and Pinkie clopped her hooves together in joy "Alright, Cuatro! You're really good at puzzles!" Cuatro studied the cube "I'll admit, this is quite a puzzle you've presented to me...It managed to take my mind off of my troubles..." He levitated it back to Pinkie's hooves and rose from his bed "I believe you've actually succeeded in cheering me up, Pinkie...Thank you..." Pinkie grinned "No problemo, Cuaty! If I play my cards right, I'll have you smiling in no time!" She lifted her sack and smiled "Well, my work here is done! See you later, everypony!" Pinkie then trotted down the stairs and out of the library, her accomplishment met. Twilight, Spike, and Cuatro waved goodbye as she left. Spike took a deep breath before smiling "Pinkie really is a master of brightening up everypony's day!" Twilight giggled "I'll say." She looked up at Cuatro "It's good to see you're feeling better, Cuatro." Spike waddled up to him and patted one of his forelegs "Don't be discouraged about your memories, buddy! I'm sure you'll get them back soon!" Cuatro went silent, and the memory of his fight with Celestia slowly returned "My-...My memories..." He stated in a near-sullen tone. Twilight perked up and frowned anxiously before she thought of an idea "Um, hey, Cuatro! You remember your list of collected memories you've kept downstairs? Did you pick up anything at all?" Cuatro paused for a moment in thought "Now that you mention it...I have..." He trotted past Twilight and Spike towards the stairs "Excuse me..." Unbeknownst to him, Twilight heaved a quiet sigh of relief. He made his way down and approached the sofa where his list of memories laid. Cuatro levitated the parchment towards him along with a quill as he thought carefully over what he had collected. "...I will defeat you...Ulquiorra!!" Cuatro remembered hearing that small addition to his memory; the same one he had collected back at the spa five days ago. The name had sounded entirely different from the other exotic terms he had collected. It wasn't from Mexicolt, nor was it Neighponese. It grew more familiar the more he sounded it out in his mind. "Ulquiorra..." It would be wise to write it down and focus on it at a later time. He jotted down the strange name and set his list on the table "I wonder if I'll ever gain all of my memories and figure out my origin in Equestria..." Twilight and Spike smiled compassionately "You will, Cuatro. We're sure of it." Her words were sincere, but she was clouded with doubt and worry over her opinion of Celestia. Spike's stomach grumbled, and he chuckled awkwardly before piping up "Why don't I make us some dinner? You guys just sit tight!" He scampered into the kitchen, leaving Twilight and Cuatro alone. Twilight looked at Cuatro hanging his head and trotted up to his side "Please, Cuatro...Don't be sad. Maybe she'll explain herself for what she's done." "It's not so much her..." Cuatro's eyes lidded in sadness once more "It's Luna..." Twilight listened intently "You've said you've harmed her...was it intentional?" Cuatro shook his head "No...Nor was it physically...and now I've ruined my chance of sharing my affection with her..." Twilight perked up "Affection? You mean-" "Yes..." Cuatro turned to Twilight "I love Luna...With all of my heart..." Twilight stared before she held a touched smile "Oh, Cuatro..." She stared at him with a reassuring glance "We'll think of how to approach the princesses tomorrow. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'm sure we'll make things right for both of us!" She gave a determined smile. Cuatro stared, and leaned his head in for a small embrace for the first time, catching Twilight by surprise "I appreciate what you've done for me, Twilight...You and your friends...Words cannot express my gratitude..." Twilight smiled warmly as she returned the embrace "It's what friends are for, Cuatro..." To be continued...