//------------------------------//
// New Friend 
// Story: Guardian of the Pure Elements of Harmony. 
// by Aura Zero 
//------------------------------//

1 week later...

The town of Ponyville is bustling as usual. Everypony is out and about in the early morning taking care of their daily routines. 

Derpy is out delivering mail, nearly running into things along the way. Applejack is selling apples at her stand, making a large haul as usual. Rarity is in her boutique finishing up some last minute orders for dresses, which seems to always happen. Fluttershy is at home tending to her animals, one in particular is being greedy and insisting on more than just the everyday carrots for lunch. Pinkie Pie is at Sugarcube Corner making treats for everypony that enters, occasionally snacking on a treat herself. Rainbow Dash is taking her daily nap in a cloud she kept after clearing the sky, as usual. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are running around town trying to partake in the days activity of being auctioneers, getting scolded by Applejack because they try to auction her Stetson. Twilight is in the library, studying a new book that came today after she ordered it a while back. And lastly Spike is getting ready to head out after completing his chores for the day.

"I'm heading out to see Saph again Twilight!" Says the dragon grabbing his bag and heading for the door.

"Okay Spike! Let me know if anything changes!" She yells out to him.

"Will do." He agrees before closing the door.

Ever since that incident a week ago, Sapphire has been unconscious and in the hospital. The nurses were amazed to see him alive after they saw Spike bring him in. Ever since, Spike has decided to visit Sapphire everyday to see if he awakens but no such thing has happened yet. He usually stays there for a little while so he can notify the others should he awake and they aren't around. But every once in a while, some of them will pop up on their own time to see for themselves. Most still have lives and things to do as Spike only has chores before he is allowed to do what he wants. That's what makes him the perfect candidate to check up on him, at least that's what Spike figures.

Spike decides to walk there today so he can say hi or to chat with others while heading towards the hospital. He greets a number of passerby's like Bon Bon and Lyra walking around as well. He also sees Berry Punch chatting with Carrot Top at their stands but they turn and wave at the dragon once they see him. Most are surprised at his new look but they quickly get accustomed to it. He smiles and waves back but hears a familiar voice call out to him.

"Hey there Spike!" Applejack calls out to him from behind her stand.

Spike walks up to greet the cowpony with a smile. "Hey there Applejack. How are the sales going today?"

"Why, they are goin' great! Sold over half my stock already!" Applejack says proudly.

Spike nods sagely. "That's good to know, but not too surprising. Everypony loves your apples after all."

Applejack tips her hat and nods. "Yer right about that. So ya heading to the hospital again?"

Spike looks towards the hospital. "Yeah. Hope he wakes up today. It's been a week already."

Applejack sighs before she walks around her stand. "Ah know. Ah still can hardly believe what Ah saw that day. I'm sure me as well as everypony else would want some answers. Especially Twilight. She probably has an essay on what ta ask em."

Spike chuckles at the thought. "Yeah, but don't bombard him with too much. He'd probably be out of it when he wakes up."

Applejack nods and places a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't worry Ah won't. Can't say the same fer Twilight. Make sure ya inform me when he does come to."

Spike nods. "I will as soon as he does."

He waves at the earth pony before he departs again. As he is walking, he looks up in the sky. He has a slight urge to join the skies but pushes the urge back down. He notices a lone cloud floating and upon closer inspection, he sees a rainbow colored tail hanging from it.

Dash is probably napping as usual. He thinks but then gets an idea. I can probably sneak up on her and scare her! The look on her face would be so priceless! He chuckles at the idea.

He puts his plan into motion, taking to the sky and hovering behind Dash's head. As he guessed, she is asleep. He takes a deep breath and shouts near her ear.

"HEY DASH!!!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

She proceeds to jump over 5 feet higher into the air and lands right back on the cloud clumsily. She turns and sees Spike laughing hard, barely able to keep himself from falling.

Rainbow glares at him "Spike! What the heck! Why did you do that?"

Spike calms down enough to speak. "I'm sorry, but it's the only opportunity I had to ever scare you; I had to take it. You should have seen yourself! It was hilarious!" He starts laughing again.

Dash rolls her eyes "Ha, ha very funny. What are you doing over here anyway?" Rainbow notices her cloud has moved quite a distance from her place nearby Fluttershy's cottage and she sees the hospital nearby.  "Are ya heading to go see Saph?"

By now he is slightly calm and he nods. "Yeah, hoping he is awake by now. You wanna come with since you are not napping anymore?" He asks with a smirk.

Dash rolls her eyes again. "Nah I cant. I promised I'd hang with Scootaloo today. You know how she gets."

Spike shakes his head imagining her number one fan. "Yeah she practically worships you. How does it feel to have a fan of you that big?"

Dash shrugs. "I honestly don't know what to think of it. Sure it's great to have a pony that admires my greatness, but I don't want her to be too clingy. But I don't want to push her away either, ya know?"

"Yeah. Celestia forbid your greatest fan not admiring your 'greatness'." He says jokingly.

Dash merely stares at him with a deadpan expression.

"Well, I'm going to head out now. See ya Dash." He says as he prepares to leave.

"Later Spike and don't wake me from my naps again!" She yells at him.

He smiles before he heads back to the ground and proceeds with his walk. He is nearly there; he just has to pass Rarity's boutique.          

I wonder if Rarity is there... He ponders but before he can make a decision, he already finds himself walking up to the door. He decides to knock, but before he can, the door opens to reveal three ponies.

"Hiya Spike!" Sweetie Belle says happily upon noticing the drake.

"Oh hey girls. What ya up to?"

"We're tryin' ta get our cutie marks as auctioneers but we couldn't find anything ta auction." Apple Bloom says dejectedly.

"Don't worry girls. I'm sure you will get your cutie marks soon." Spike sympathizes.

Scootaloo smiles. "Thanks Spike. So are ya heading to the hospital again?" She asks noticing his backpack.

Spike nods. "Sure am. Do you guys wanna come?"

Sweetie Belle lights up at the offer. "I'd love to!"

Suddenly a voice from inside calls to her. "Sweetie Belle? Would you be a dear and help me finish these last few dresses?"

Sweetie Belle groans. "Ugh, NOW she wants my help? Sorry Spike. I'll try to come after."

He waves off her concern. "It's okay. How about you Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom shakes her head no. "Sorry Spike but my sis is finally gonna let me buck apples with her today. Ah'm so excited!"

He nods. "Okay well I’m going to head out then. I'll see you girls later." Spike says and turns to leave.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna ask me too?" Scootaloo says as she rushes in front of him.

Spike shrugs. "I already know that you will be busy with Dash, Scootaloo. She already told me."

She scuffs the floor with a frown. "Yeah, but you still could have asked me..." She mumbles while looking down.

Spike sighs and lays a claw on her shoulder. She looks up at him and he smiles. "Yeah, you are right. I'm sorry Scootaloo. Tell you what, I'll get you a treat from Sugarcube Corner. Sound good?"

Scootaloo lights up quickly at that. "Really? Thanks Spike!"

"Hey! What about us?"Spike turns and sees the other two pouting and staring at him with wide eyes.

Spike raises his claws. "Fine, fine I'll give you all one.” 

They all cheer and Spike shakes his head at their antics. “Well I'd best be heading off. I'll see you girls later. Give Rarity my regards Sweetie." He says with a wave.

"Bye Spike!" They all say as they go their separate ways. Apple Bloom heads towards the farm, Scootaloo flies off to see Dash, and Sweetie Belle goes inside to help her sister.

Spike makes it to the hospital not too long after leaving the boutique. As he heads inside, a nurse inside waves him over.

"Hey Spike! Here for Dark Sapphire again?" Asks the nurse.

He smiles and nods. "Hey nurse Redheart. And yeah. Any new news?"

Redheart looks at a chart. "He seems to be healing quite nicely. Nearly all the scratches on his body are gone. All that is left is the damage to his left wing that is also healing well, but slowly. If something like that happened to any other pony, they probably wouldn't be able to fly. I'm still rather surprised that a pegasus can even use magic!"

Spike nods in agreement. "Yeah, everyone is..."

Redheart smiles. "I sure do hope he wakes up soon. I would like to thank him personally for saving the town."

"I'm sure he would be happy to hear that. I'm going to head over now." He says before heading towards the stairs.

"Okay take care. Let us know if you see any changes."

"I will." He says and heads up to the second floor toward the room numbered 214.

He opens the door and walks in. The room is bland as usual; a small table with two chairs, a door that leads to a restroom, and finally a bed that is currently occupied by his new friend. He walks over, grabs a chair, and sits it next to the bed backwards. He sits on it and his arms fold on top of the back of the chair before he rests his head on them.

"Hey Saph. You've been asleep for a week now. You need to wake up so we can thank ya."

Sapphire merely lays there unresponsive; his breathing the only indication he is alive.

Spike smiles as he continues. "We really appreciate what you did. Not only did you protect the town, but you got rid of all our injuries and saved Derpy's life. I think she is the most grateful. She visits a lot and always asks me if you are getting better. I even caught her here earlier than me one time with her delivery outfit on. Said she wanted to see you before she went to work.”

He pauses, but continues. “But that doesn't mean she is the only one. From your first encounter I'm pretty sure you already know that Twilight will have mountains of questions for you when you wake up. I’m sure she won't go too overboard...Maybe.”

He chuckles slightly at the thought but continues, “Dash was impressed by the speed you flew and has been itching for a race. Says that you may be fast but she could have passed you easily if she was at full strength.” 

He rolls his eyes as he imagines the cocky pegasus. “Anyways, Rarity also made a nice suit for you and is hoping for you to try it on when you see her. It made me kinda jealous but I know it's just her way of thanking you.”

He hears two ponies chatting as they walk past the door. Once it gets quiet again, he continues. “Pinkie wants to throw you a party for saving the town. She may be a little eccentric at times, but she is a good mare and trust me, you will love her parties. Last party she threw for me was pretty wild and we all ended up passing out in the library. Last time I will agree to have a cider drinking contest with that mare. She drank all of us under the table.”

He wonders again how she manages to keep all of that cider down when she had had six challengers but chalks it up as another mystery before he stresses his mind on it. 

He remembers something else and speaks on it. “Oh! Applejack wants to share some of her secret apple pie with you too! She rarely makes it unless it's a special occasion. I can tell you right now that once you have a bite, you will be hooked! My mouth is watering just thinking of it!”

He wipes his mouth and tries to think of other friends that has came to see him. “Fluttershy, is a little different. She worries for you of course but she is too overcome of fear that you might not make it. So she doesn't come as much because she always leaves in tears. I always go after her of course to calm her down and tell her you will be okay. If you even saw one tear come from her, I’m sure you would have woken up immediately for her.”

He smiles slightly as he remembers the look Sapphire had when he first saw her. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders visit too at times. Scootaloo is also impressed by what you did, even calling you the third coolest in Ponyville, after her and Dash of course. Apple Bloom is kind of similar to Fluttershy in the sense that she is afraid you won't make it, but she makes sure to visit as much as she can. And then there's Sweetie Belle. I think she might have a small crush on you. She is here even more than me and is always willing to come see you. She is more positive and believes you will turn out okay and wanted to be first to find out when you wake up.”

He looks out the window. “Other ponies ask how you are doing too. Some heard rumors of what happened and some even saw from their windows. All were surprised to say the least, but I can honestly tell you that not one pony has shunned you. They all want to be your friends and thank you for what you've done. But first you have to wake up..."

Spike notices something move out of the corner of his eye near the bed. He quickly turns to him, hoping he might be coming to, but Sapphire is still. After a few seconds, a large yawn comes from the dragon.

"I guess I can take a quick nap before I go..." He says before he closes his eyes and welcomes the sleep that overtakes him.





Sapphire slowly opens his eyes and notices he is in a dark room. He looks around and can’t see anything.

"W-Where am I?"

"You are inside yourself..."

Sapphire jumps at the voice and looks around again. "Who's there?"

"It’s you."

Sapphire grows confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I am the you that you shut away...the guilt, anger, regret, and sadness that you hide..."

Suddenly a light shines behind Sapphire. He turns around and sees a pony. This pony looks just like him...but he is also different. His mane and tail are as black as his coat and his eyes are red instead of blue.

"You are alone in this world. No one will ever accept you. You are a freak that goes against the normal laws of the world." He sneers.

"T-That's not true!" Sapphire shouts back. "The ponies in Ponyville said they will accept me! I made friends!"

"Are you sure you accepted them yourself?"

Sapphire blinks. "What do you mean?"

"Look around you. What do you see?" He gestures with a hoof.

Sapphire hesitantly looks around. "There is nothing here..."

He chuckles darkly. "Exactly. You haven't accepted them and you don't know for sure they've accepted you. This place is inside you! You have nothing here! You are alone..."

Sapphire hesitates, but shakes his head. "I-I don't believe that! Derpy said she would be my first friend! And all the others accepted me too! Twilight said they would never shun me!"

"Say what you want, but that doesn't change the fact that nothing is around you. You don't believe your words."

Sapphire stomps a hoof angrily. "I do! I do. I...do...don't I?"

The pony grins. "You are doubting your words!"

"No!" Sapphire slams his hoof on the ground as he yells. "I believe them! I will trust them all! I'll prove it!"

"Then wake up and show me!” He yells.

All of a sudden a blinding light engulfs Sapphire.

He jerks awake.

He blinks a few times, getting adjusted to the light before he surveys his surroundings. He finds himself in a small room. There are two doors to the left, a table with a chair in front of him, and a window to the right. Also, a purple and green dragon is asleep on a chair.

"S-Spike?" He breathes, coughing slightly.

The dragon stirs at hearing his name. "Huh? Wha?"

Spike looks and sees Sapphire staring at him weakly. "Sapphire? SAPPHIRE!" The dragon yells in excitement before rushing over and giving his friend a bear hug.

Sapphire is hit with a surge of pain and taps on his shoulder three times. "Pain...hurts...Spike.."

"Oh, Sorry! My bad." he says, pulling away quickly from the injured pegasus.

Sapphire catches his breath and leans back on his pillow. He smiles weakly at Spike. "It's no problem. Where are we?"

Spike’s eyebrows rise. "Can't you tell? We are in the hospital. You sure are a crazy pony to transfer all of our injuries to yourself."

Sapphire chuckles weakly. "Yeah I kind of don't think things through sometimes. How long have I been out?"

"A whole week." Spike says pointedly.

"Whoa, that's a long time..." He then remembers something. "Derpy! Is she okay?"

Spike chuckles. "Calm down Saph. You took all of her wounds remember?"

He shakes his head slightly. "Yeah, but I've never dealt with internal damage and Twilight said she had broken ribs and internal bleeding...I didn't know if I took those also..."

Spike's eyebrows raise once again. "Wow. And here you are, surviving even that. I didn't even know. I guess the doctors spared us from some info. But don't worry; Derpy is fine. Everyone is."

Sapphire sighs like a weight is lifted from his back. "I'm glad everyone is okay."

"Speaking of everyone..." Spike starts but then grabs his bag and pulls out multiple scrolls. He proceeds to blow fire on each of them, making them disappear out the window.

Sapphire takes note of the strong wisps of flame he shot per scroll. "Looks like your fire is stronger."

Spike blushes slightly and nods in embarrassment. "Heh, yeah. I've been practicing."

Sapphire looks towards the window as the last one leaves in a green flame. "So who were those letters for?"

Spike smiles. "Everypony that wants to see you."





"Whew! We got a good amount of work done. Let's take a quick break and get a drink." Applejack says while wiping the sweat from under her Stetson.

"Okay sis. How did Ah do?" Apple Bloom asks while following her older sister to the barn.

"Ya did mighty fine fer yer first time. With practice, Ah bet ya will be buckin' all the apples out in one kick." She compliments as they head into the barn.

Apple Bloom smiles happily. "Thanks sis. Ah just hope Ah can be as great as you are someday."

Applejack pours herself and her sister some apple juice and slides Apple Bloom a glass. "In due time sugarcube."

They both drink their beverage rather quick. Right after they finish, out of nowhere, two scrolls appear in front of them and land on the floor.

"Huh? Spike sent us some letters." Apple Bloom says while picking up one.

"Ah wonder what's up?" Applejack says curiously as she grabs the other and begins to read. She notices it only says two words:

He's Awake!

"He's awake? Wait, he must mean Sapphire! Sapphire's awake!!" Apple Bloom says in excitement.

"Well what are we waitin' for! Let's go see em!" Applejack says with a large smile.

They both place their dish in the sink and hurry out of the barn and straight to the hospital.





"Aaaannd done!" Rarity says while putting the finishing touches on the last dress. "Perfect! And I wouldn't have been finished so quickly without you darling sister. I have to admit, you have become quite helpful as of late."

Sweetie Belle smiles. "Thanks sis. I learned a little more about making dresses so I could be more help."

Rarity smiles and nuzzles her sister. "And I'm very glad you did. Thank you Sweetie."

Just then, two scrolls appear right in front of them.

"Scrolls? Wherever did these come from?" Rarity says as she picks one up. Sweetie Belle does the same in curiosity.

"Oh, they are from Spike. I wonder what they say." She says before reading her scroll.

He's Awake!

It takes Rarity only a second to realize what this means. "Oh my Celestia! Sapphire is finally awake! We need to get over there as soon as possible! Sweetie Belle, I need you to..."

Rarity turns and pauses when she sees Sweetie Belle already bolt out the door.

"Well, somepony is excited!" She says with a giggle as she closes the door of the boutique. She changes the sign to ‘closed’ before hurrying to catch up to her sister.





"Ding! An order for two! One hot blueberry muffin for Derpy and a strawberry cupcake for Fluttershy!" Pinkie says happily while giving sweets to the two mares.

"Thanks Pinkie." Derpy says, but she doesn't reach for her treat.

"Thank you Pinkie." Fluttershy says sadly, still looking at the ground.

She frowns at the two mares who look depressed. "What's wrong girls? You two are down in the dumps today."

Derpy looks up. "I'm just worried about Saph. He's been unconscious for so long."

Fluttershy fiddles with her cupcake. "Me too...what if he doesn't wake up? I'm so worried..."

Pinkie didn't like seeing her friends sad. She wanted to cheer them up somehow, but before she can, she starts shivering and twitching. The two mares notice it as well. After the series of twitching ends, Fluttershy speaks up.

"That was your Pinkie sense! What's going to happen?" She asks while looking up to make sure nothing was going to fall on her.

Pinkie smiles. "That was the good twitch! Something good is about to happen!"

As soon as she finishes, three scrolls appear in front of them.

"Scrolls?" Derpy says in confusion while picking one up. She opens it and reads it, the other two leaning in to see what it says.

He's Awake!

Their eyes grew wide.

"Sapphire is awake!" They all yell excitedly before bolting out the door. Pinkie stops before she leaves and turns around.

"Mrs Cake! I'm taking my break early!" Pinkie yells as there is a sudden crash outside.

"Why? Something wrong?" Mrs. Cake asks once she exits out of a room.

"No. Something right!" She smiles before she bolts out the door.






"Looking good Scootaloo! Keep up the pace!" Rainbow Dash yells while watching the orange pegasus swivel through some poles at high speed. She is doing well, but at the second to last pole, she bumps it, knocking her off balance and making her hit the ground.

"Ow." Scootaloo groans as she gets up.  " Dang, I was so close!" Scootaloo pouts.

"Don't sweat it. Let's take a small break." Dash says as she walks towards a sports bag.

"Sounds good." Scootaloo agrees as she heads over to a bench and relaxes. Dash comes over and tosses her a water bottle.

Scootaloo catches it with a wing. "Thanks coach!"

Dash smirks. "No prob. You are improving a lot. And you are getting pretty fast."

Scootaloo absorbs the praise like a sponge and smiles happily. "Thanks! That means a lot coming from you. But I'm not nearly as fast as you or Sapphire..." She then remembers that day. "Wow...he moved so fast that I couldn't even see him!"

Dash nods. "Yeah even I have to admit I was surprised." She then puts on a cocky grin. "But now that I know this guy has speed, I gotta have a race with him when he wakes up!"

Scootaloo frowns. "Do you think he will?"

Dash turns to the mare and rubs a hoof in her mane. "I'm sure of it. He looks to be one tough pony. I'm sure something this small won't make him kick the bucket."

Scootaloo smiles. "Yeah you are right. The third coolest pony in Ponyville wouldn't die over some scratches!"

Like on que, two scrolls suddenly pop up in front of them.

"Hey, Spike sent us some scrolls! Wonder what they say.." Scootaloo says while picking up one and reading it. Dash does the same.

He's Awake!

"Sapphire's awake? Finally!" Dash says excitedly.

"Woo! I knew he would wake up!" Scootaloo cheers.

"Let's go and see him!" Dash says as she spreads her wings.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo says and gets ready as well before they both take flight and dart towards the hospital.





Twilight is still engrossed in her new book. She gets to a good stopping point and decides to go get a drink and a snack. She quickly heads to the kitchen and opens the fridge. She sees a bag with two daisy sandwiches and a note on it that says 'Twilight's lunch'. She smiles and grabs the sandwiches with her magic as well as making a cup of apple juice before heading back to her study. She finishes the meal quickly and sighs.

"I really hope Sapphire wakes up soon. I have so many questions for him. Plus I want to properly thank him. Without him, the town could have been overrun by those things..." Twilight pauses. "What were those things anyway? And why did they attack here?"

As she is lost in thought, a scroll appears right in front of her.

"Hm? Spike sent a letter. Maybe it's from the princess. Let's see.."

He's Awake!

"Huh. That's pretty short for a message from the princess. I wonder what...it..."

Her eyes grow wide. "He's awake?! Sapphire is awake!! Oh gosh I have to get there now!" She says before rushing downstairs, changing the library sign to 'closed', and locking the door. After she is done she quickly focuses and in a second there is a blinding light before the library becomes empty.





"So who do you think will be here first?" Spike asks a few seconds after he sent the scrolls.

Sapphire ponders for a moment. "Hmm, good question. Who do you think?"

They both grow quiet before saying at the same time,

"Twilight."

Just then a flash of light shines in the room. After blinking a few times they see who made the light. A certain lavender unicorn they just mentioned. She is facing away and looking side to side.

"Huh. I hope I went to the right room..."

"Hey Twilight."

The mare turns around so quickly it surprises the two males.

"Sapphire! You're awake!" She says while happily rushing over to the pegasus and hugging him. He feels a bit of pain at the contact, but happily returns the gesture.

"Yes I am. Glad to be awake." He says as he enjoys the embrace of the lavender unicorn. Her fur is nice and soft and she smells delightfully like berries to him.

They break the hug and she stares at him. "So, how are you feeling?"

Sapphire spreads his wings slightly, flinching from the pain. "Very sore. The only real pain is my wing. Other than that I'm fine."

"Oh that's great!" She says happily before frowning at him.

Sapphire looks confused. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Why did you take everyone's pain to yourself? That was dangerous and you could have died!" Twilight scolds.

Sapphire flinches at her anger and looks down. "I'm sorry; I panicked. I couldn't let anything happen to Derpy. She became my first friend here...I was desperate to save her. Out of desperation I used too much magic and ended up taking the pain from anyone nearby."

Twilight's frown softens considerably. It seems Sapphire really cares about Derpy even though they've only met for less than a day. 

How can I stay mad at anyone so devoted to their friends? She sighs and smiles. "I understand. I also want to thank you for saving us and everyone in town."

Sapphire smiles. "Anything for friends....we are friends, right?"

Both are surprised at this question. "Of course! Why would you ask that?" Spike asks in slight confusion.

Sapphire looks down. "You'd be surprised at how many ponies avoid me because of this problem..."

"Problem? You think that you using magic is a problem?" Twilight asks, slightly bothered by that statement.

Before Sapphire can reply, he is assaulted by two pegasi that comes in from the window.

"Saph! You're awake! Awesome!" Dash says happily.

"We knew you would wake up!" Says Scootaloo, both of them still hugging Sapphire. He returns the hug happily.

"Good to see you two too." He notices both of these mares coats are nice and soft, Dash's especially. Scootaloo smells like outside, which wasn't that bad, but Dash's coat smells sweet, like strawberries. It’s a pleasant smell. He is so entranced in the smell, that he didn't notice that they already broke the hug.

"So how ya feeling Saph?" Dash asks.

Sapphire snaps out of it and smiles at them. "Much better, thank you. I see you two are fine. Scootaloo you look a little different.."

Scootaloo perks up. "Yeah! I've been training with Dash like every day to get stronger and faster and stuff. Dash says I'm improving fast."

Sapphire nods. "Nice. The two coolest ponies in Ponyville working hard I see."

"Well, we added a third to our group." Scootaloo replies with a smile.

"Oh? And who would that be?" Sapphire asks curiously.

Scootaloo shrugs. "I don't know, maybe a pony that just single-hoofedly destroyed those creatures that attacked and protected Ponyville! Plus saved a pony's life!"

Sapphire blushes immensely and rubs his mane. "Heh, I guess that was a little cool."

"A little? Try a whole lot! And that's something coming from me." Dash adds happily.

"Thanks girls."

Dash waves it off. "Don't sweat it, although me and you are definitely going to have a race when you get out of here."

Sapphire hesitates at that. "Uh, I'm honestly not the competitive type..."

Dash frowns. "Oh no, we are going to race! I've been waiting to have one this whole week! You can't flake on me!"

Sapphire notices the determined look on her face that says if he doesn't accept, she will make him. He sighs. "Fine. I'll race you."

Dash cheers. "Finally! I can't wait!"

"I'm so gonna watch this!" Scootaloo says excitedly.

"I'm watching this too!" Spike chimes in.

Just then they hear hoofsteps coming from outside the door. The door slams open to reveal Sweetie Belle and Rarity. They both are wide eyed when they see him smiling at them.

"Hey Rarity, Sweetie Belle." Sapphire says as he waves at them.

"Sapphire!" They both say before bombarding him with hugs.

"Darling, I'm so glad you are okay!" Rarity says while nuzzling him, Sweetie Belle doing the same on the other side.

They both smell amazing to him. Rarity's coat smells like lavender and is amazingly soft and comforting. Sweetie Belle smells like mint. Her coat is just as soft.

"I'm so glad you finally woke up! It hasn't been that great since you've been in the hospital." Sweetie Belle says while smiling at him.

"You've only known him one day." Scootaloo points out.

"So? And we became friends that day!" Sweetie Belle retorts.

"We all did." Rarity chimes in happily as she gets off the bed. Sweetie Belle decides to stay on the bed. Sapphire doesn't mind at all and merely smiles at her.

"Now, I know that since you haven't eaten in all those days you've been unconscious, you must be starving. Though I am quite surprised that your physique hasn't changed at all." Rarity says while analyzing Sapphire.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing." Twilight agrees.

Sapphire smiles. “ Actually, I learned a spell that uses my magic as food for my body if I can't get food in. It keeps my body the same but takes quite a bit of magic from me every 12 hours. But, it doesn't keep me from feeling hungry. So yeah, I am starving." Twilight has a small spark in her eye at this information and makes a note to ask about it later.

Before anyone can speak about the matter, they are once again greeted by more ponies; Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Derpy.

"Hey girls." Sapphire waves as he notices them.

When they see him waving, Fluttershy and Derpy pause. Tears suddenly start to well up in their eyes.

"Saph! You're finally awake!" Pinkie says before jumping on the bed, the impact ending up knocking Sweetie Belle off while she gives Sapphire a hug. She smells like all kinds of sweets which makes him even more hungry. Her coat is nice and soft too. She is also nuzzling him rather affectionately which makes him blush a little, but no one notices except Sweetie Belle.

"Hey!" Sweetie Belle pouts.

"Oops sorry Sweetie Belle!" She says while climbing off the bed and helping her up. "Well? Are you two just gonna stand there? Don't worry! He doesn't bite...much." She says jokingly looking at the two frozen ponies.

Sapphire shakes his head at the mare. "I don't bite at all Pinkie. But I would like a hug from you two if that's okay..."

At hearing this, the two leap over everypony and dive right to him, hugging and nuzzling him, tears running down their faces onto his coat.

"Sapphire! I'm so happy you're awake! I kept getting scared thinking that you wouldn't make it! I'm so glad I was wrong." Fluttershy says while still nuzzling his left cheek.

"You saved my life Saph! No one has ever done anything like that! Thank you so much!" Derpy says with tears as well, squeezing him even tighter but not too tight.

They both feel and smell amazing to him. Fluttershy smells like vanilla, while Derpy smells of cinnamon. A great smell mixed together in his opinion. Plus they feel so soft, he could have fallen asleep.

"We're so glad you're okay Sapphire." Fluttershy whispers.

Sapphire smiles warmly and any pain he feels is washed away from hearing that before he nuzzles her. "I'm fine, don't worry. And I will do all I can to be there for all of you. I've never had so many friends before and I treasure you all."

Everyone smiles at his confession.

"Now all we're missing is Applejack and Apple Bloom." Spike says.

As if on cue, they hear a voice

"We're right here Sugarcube."

Everyone turns to the door and sees them standing there with smiles on their faces. Apple Bloom decides to get a head start on her sister and jumps towards the bed to hug Sapphire.

"Welcome back ta the world of the living sleepyhead." Apple Bloom says while nuzzling him. He happily returns the hug. She smells of apples and her coat feels rather different than the others; more firm, but still comforting.

"Glad I'm alive and kicking." Sapphire jokes while smiling.

After a second of hugging, she pulls away but not without first doing something that surprises everyone. She lands a soft kiss on Sapphire's cheek.

Sapphire blushes hard and becomes flustered. "W-What was that for?"

"That's fer protectin' me." She answers with a smile.

Everyone is surprised that she did that; one mare doesn't like it so much.

After she hops off, Applejack gives a quick hug as well. She smells like apples too, but she is even more toned and firm than the others. He actually enjoys this feeling quite a bit and slightly wishes it lasted longer as she pulls away.

"Thanks fer everythin' ya did sugarcube. Ah want ta reward ya with a little something when ya get out of here." She says with a smile.

Sapphire shakes his head. "You don't have to. I was glad to help my friends out."

"Naw, Ah insist. Ah'm sure you will like it." Applejack insists.

Twilight gasps. "You don't mean your special pie do you?"

Applejack smirks proudly. "Ah sure do!"

At hearing this Sapphire looks around and sees the others either drooling, or fantasizing. Some are doing both.

Sapphire chuckles. "From the looks of everyone here, it must be really good."

"It's unbelievable! I would pay so much just to get another slice!" Spike says while still drooling.

"Yup and ah'm gonna give ‘em the whole pie."

Everyone’s eyes grow wide. "What? I've never had more than a slice!" Dash complains with slight irritation.

Sweetie Belle hops back up on the bed and scoots very close to Sapphire. "You wouldn't mind sharing a small piece with your favorite unicorn would you?" She asks while putting on the most adorable puppy dog eyes Sapphire has ever seen.

"Uh, sure Sweetie Belle." He says while smiling, a faint blush on his cheeks. That is so cute! How did she do that? He thought.

"Yes! I get a piece!" She cheers happily.

"Hey no fair! Ya can't do that!" Apple Bloom says angrily.

"Yeah! You can't do that Sweets. That's cheating." Scootaloo agrees.

"Too bad!" She says before snuggling up to Sapphire. He blush deepens at the contact. The unicorn receives a few glares from the group, but she doesn't mind; she is happy.

"Hey Applejack, ya think you could make another one for everyone else to share?" Dash practically begs.

Applejack shakes her head. "No can do Dash. He deserves it, and if he decides ta share then that's on him."

Everyone snaps their heads towards Sapphire with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll share." He says with a smile.

They all cheer and thank him.

Twilight clears her throat, getting everyone's attention. "So, now that you are feeling better, we can get down to business." Twilight says in a rather serious tone.

Hearing her say that makes Sapphire flinch, but he already knew the questions will come eventually. Though he really didn't have time to prepare. However, he lets out a big sigh and nods.

"Yeah. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions. I'm ready when you all are."

"Ok I'll start with the biggest question. How can you use magic when you aren't a unicorn?" Twilight asks the question that has been on everypony- and dragon’s- mind.

Sapphire sighs again. "I figured you would ask that first Twilight. Well, I can't very well give you a textbook answer because I haven't found one, but I can tell you how I'm able to perform magic."

Everyone nods at that before he continues. "You know how unicorns focus their magic to their horns before they cast any spell like that is their pentacle? Well, my pentacle is my entire body."

Twilight eyes grow wide. "Wait so what you are saying is when you use your magic, like our horn,  your whole body glows? Like when you fought those creatures?"

"Well that makes sense since he was glowin' and all." Applejack points out.

Sapphire shakes his head. "Not exactly. My magic is a little different. I have two types of magic. Basic magic, like the one unicorns use, and burst magic that I used a week ago.

"Burst magic? What's the difference?" Dash asks curiously.

"Well for basic magic, I can use magic like unicorns until I exhaust myself out from overuse or something like that. And as long as I don't use magic, I'll be fine. However, burst magic is different. It basically multiplies my magical power exponentially."

"Wait, so you can increase your magic power by yourself? But why don't you just keep it to that level or just keep using burst magic?" Twilight asks in confusion. 

Sapphire rubs his mane as he tries to explain. "There are a few problems with that question. First, I can't increase the burst magic on my own. I can only unlock it, which in turn increases my magic by a set amount that is based off my basic magic's power. So the stronger my basic magic is, the stronger my burst magic will become. Also when I'm using Burst magic, it never stays the same. Whether I'm using magic or not, my burst magic is slowly depleting. Can you guess why?"

Everyone grows quiet. Then Sweetie Belle speaks up.

"Does it have to do with that aura around you?"

Sapphire smiles. "Yes, that's exactly it Sweetie Belle. You catch on quick."

Sweetie Belle blushes slightly at the praise. She cuddles more into Sapphire, making him blush before he continues.

"The aura isn't like when a unicorn uses their magic to cover an object or themselves. It's basically my magic in a visible form, coming out of my body. It's always slowly exiting my body as time passes. Over time, the burst magic will run out.

Twilight nods. "That makes sense. But, is there anything special about using burst magic? Or does it just mean you can use magic continuously?" She asks.

Sapphire puts a hoof to his chin. "Well, I could shoot hundreds of laser projectiles without tiring out. But it is mainly for other major purposes. You remember the attacks I used on the creatures?"

Scootaloo chimes in. "Yeah and they were cool! First you got in position like you were bucking a tree, but when you kicked, it destroyed everything behind you! Then you made a tornado with your wings! And lastly you made a huge green Phoenix that burned them all to a crisp! It was awesome!" Scootaloo explains excitedly.

Sapphire blushes slightly but nods. "Thanks. The last spell was actually much more powerful because of Spike's fire. But anyways those are too powerful to use from my Basic magic. I could use them, but...let's just say I'd be in the hospital after using just two of those spells and in worse condition than this..."

Everyone's eyes grow wide. "Those spells sound dangerous to have backlashes that can put you into worse situations than this!" Sweetie Belle says in a panic.

"Yeah, and that's why they are called Forbidden Spells."

Twilight perks up at that. "Wait, I've heard of those! There are thirteen in all. They are the most dangerous spells that even the princesses didn't use. But I heard that the book that contains those spells is locked up in the abyss by the princesses' mother. How did you learn them?"

Sapphire smiles. "Well, what do you think?"

Twilight gasps. "You didn't..."

He nods. "I went into the Abyss."

Twilight's mouth drops in astonishment. "But...but...how is that possible? No one has ever lived going in there! They had to seal it off and the three keys that were to open it were lost!"

Suddenly a small void appears out of nowhere and 3 different keys emerge from it. One key is a solid black color. It's blade has Spikes protruding from both sides and its bow is a circle with spikes aiming in like sharp teeth. Another key is a dark red color. It's blade has a solid back but the teeth are jagged and sharp. The bow is in the shape of a triangle and has a smaller triangle in the middle of the hole connected by three thin bars. The last key is a dark purple that seems to have its own aura around it. This one's blade is like a simple key but there are only four teeth and they are rounded. The bow is shaped as a spade but in the center, there is an eye. Sweetie Belle shivers as she looks at it.

"The chaos, destruction, and doom keys." Sapphire introduces.

Twilight is shocked. "How? How did you find them? The were hidden everywhere in Equestria!"

Sapphire smiles. "It was actually quite easy. The first two I found at a random shop in Manehatten. I got a tip that someone was selling them there. The third one I found hanging around this stallion's neck in Trottingham. He gave it to me for two thousand bits."

"TWO THOUSAND BITS?!?!" They all yell incredulously.

"Ow. Way to yell in my ears." Sapphire says as he rubbed his ears slightly.

"Sorry." they all apologize.

“Two thousand bits seems like an insane price for a key. That's like a thousand of Applejack’s apples!” Apple Bloom adds.

"So how did you get all that money Saph?" Derpy asks. 

"Well, I never really had any money problems. Otherwise it would have been hard to travel. When my town was burned to the ground, I decided to take my family's money from our underground vaults. No point in leaving it there." He points out.

"Oh, well how much was in there?" Fluttershy asks in curiosity.

Sapphire pauses for a moment. "Uh, I think it was a little less than fifty thousand bits."

"F-F-Fifty t-t-thousand..." Rarity breathes before fainting. Applejack catches her.

Spike whistles after hearing that. "Wow. So your parents were are rolling in bits huh?”

Sapphire chuckles at that and shakes his head. "Not anymore. I don't have any of that money actually."

"Wait, so you spent all that?" Spike asks. By now Rarity has woken up and blushes at her sudden faint spell before listening as he speaks.

"Nope. I actually gave it away to charities when I got old enough to get jobs. I only kept enough to hold me over until I got my first job." He says proudly.

They are surprised to hear that. "Wow. That's really nice of you." Twilight says with a smile.

Sapphire nods with a thoughtful smile. “Yeah, I felt it was a good choice.”

"So, how much do you have now? Since you're working and all?" Dash asks.

“Stop prying Dash.” Twilight scolds at the nosy mare.

Sapphire smiles and waves it off. "It's fine. I'm actually not working at the moment. I’m hoping to find a job here as well as start this idea of a job I made myself. As for the amount, I have about eight thousand bits.

"That's still enough to keep ya going for at least a year. Why do you want ta work so bad?" Applejack asks.

Sapphire rubs his head. "Honestly, I kinda enjoy it and it gives me something to do. I've done quite a few things. I'm not the best at a lot of them, mostly because I don't like to use magic much or at all, but I'm willing to learn."

"Ya sure are somethin' aren't ya?" Applejack says, rather impressed at how hard working he sounds.

He rubs his head smiling, a very faint blush visible on his face. “Thanks.”

"So back to the other subject." Twilight interjects, still wanting to know more. "How did you survive the abyss? I heard there are monsters much bigger and more viscous than Ursa Majors in there."

"What?!? Bigger than a major? That sounds dangerous!" Rarity says in shock.

"Yeah, it was. I really thought I was going to die.” He pauses, but continues,”It was horrible there. You see things that I wouldn't wish upon even criminals." He says, shivering while thinking of that dark place. Sweetie Belle suddenly nuzzles him, which surprises him, and he smiles at the contact before continuing.

"It took 4 months of being in there before I found the book of forbidden spells and left the place."

Twilight gasps at that. "Whoa! Four months?!? So you slept in there? With all that crazy stuff for four months?!?" Scootaloo asks with major interest.

Sapphire nods. "Yeah. It's not like I could have left anyways. The door shuts as soon as you go in."

"That's right. You have to find an abyss key to leave." Twilight says in thought while remembering what her mentor told her.

"Yep. I almost died fighting a ghost dragon to get to it."

"Ghost dragon?" Spike says in confusion. 

"A dragon made from the greed and malice of other past dragons that faded with time." Twilight replies to her assistant.

"Exactly. They were one of the hardest things I had to face in there. If I didn't have burst magic in there, I probably would have died..."

"Whoa. So did you find anything else in there?" Dash asks curiously.

Sapphire nods. "To tell the truth, the book of forbidden spells wasn't the reason I went in that place. I actually found out about it while I was in there."

"So what did you go in there for?" Fluttershy asks.

Sapphire sighs at that question and looks to the ceiling. "To see if the rumors of a magic elixir that can revive anyone from the dead was there. I wanted to use it to revive a mare that was very close to me.” 

They all frown at that. “May I ask her name?” Fluttershy asks quietly.

He nods. “ Her name is Quick Decisions."

“You two must have been pretty close.” Sweetie Belle says.

He smiles at the thought of his treasured friend. “More than you know.”

"So, about the life potion? Was it there? Did you get it?" Twilight asks with a hint of excitement.

"Yeah it was there, and I got it but..." Sapphire sighs.

"Was something wrong?" She asks in concern.

He looks down. "It doesn't revive anyone that has been gone over 24 hours."

"So you couldn't use it..." Twilight surmises sadly.

"What was she like?" Pinkie asks.

Sapphire smiles remembering her. "She was like my best friend. She was a unicorn that had a light pink coat with a long light purple mane and tail. She also had lavender eyes. Her cutie mark was a light bulb and a question mark. She got her cutie mark at a very young age too. I have a picture if you want to see her."

The group nods and Sapphire makes a blue void appear. Out of it comes a photo. It looks slightly charred but they can make out the picture. There are two ponies with one having a hoof over the other pony. One is a tiny Sapphire smiling widely. He looks happier than they have ever seen him. The other pony is the mare in question. She looks like she is giggling when the picture was taken.

"Wow! Sapphire looks so cute!" Pinkie says while giggling. It makes Sapphire blush.

This pony reminds me of someone... Sweetie Belle thought as she examines the mare.

Sapphire continues. "We were always playing together when everyone else ignored me...we were even playing together before...that incident."

The knowing ponies frown at that. "Was she with you when it happened?" Spike asks carefully.

Sapphire shakes his head. "No. She went home because it was dinner time. We promised we would meet at the park to celebrate my birthday when we were done...that never happened."

"It happened on your birthday??" Pinkie says in shock.

He nods. "Yeah. After the incident happened, I went to look for her."

"Did you ever find her?" Scootaloo asks.

"Yeah..." Sapphire frowns deeply. "After I got attacked myself, I thought I was going to die...someone called my name..."

"It was her." Twilight says quietly.

Sapphire nods. "I opened my eyes and she was there. She said she was going to try to help me. But before she could..."

Tears fall from Sapphire as he continues, "He stabbed her...right in front of me!"

Everyone's eyes grew wide.

"She fell next to me, coughing out blood...and...I blacked out. Next thing I knew, I was standing up next to her with a blue aura around me. All my wounds were healed and only a few yards away was that pony. He was impaled, with a metal object..."

"Wow. So that's when you realized you could use magic?" Sweetie Belle asks curiously.

He nods. "I didn't know exactly at first what was going on, but I quickly accepted it. For some reason I knew how to heal. So I did and tried to heal her. I healed her wounds, but she didn't wake up... Her heart had already stopped... I cried for what seemed like hours. But then something happened. Her body started glowing white and shifts, forming into a necklace..."

Everyone looks at him in confusion.

"I was surprised, but I just grabbed it and put it on. After that I made a promise to do everything I can to bring her back to life. And after a few years, I heard of the life potion."

"But you couldn't use it because she was gone for too long..." Sweetie Belle says sadly.

"Yeah...but I haven't given up yet. Also, there was one other book I found in the abyss."

Twilight's interest is piqued. "Another book? What was it about?"

Sapphire raises a hoof. "First, there is one thing you should know. I can't say much about the book because when I touched it, it disappeared. Like the forbidden spells book, it turned to information that went straight into my head. So I don't have those books."

Twilight frowns. "Well, that does make sense. If the books were to come out, there might be problems."

Sapphire nods in agreement. "Also I can't describe how the spells work. For one major reason is I would die,” All their eyes grow wide slightly at that, “and two is because I haven't been able to unlock all the forbidden spells yet. I have to get stronger I guess. Right now I can only use four."

"Wait...you would die?" Rarity asks incredulously.

Sapphire rubs his mane. "Heh, Yeah. If I tried to teach the spells, a magic spell would trigger, stopping my heart. It's to prevent others from learning the spells."

"Okay...so what about the other book? What can you say about it?" Twilight asks, hoping to get any new information possible.

"Well, you all heard of the Elements of Harmony right?"

Everyone is surprised at this question. Twilight speaks up first.

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?"

Sapphire rubs his mane again. "Well, that book says that they are incomplete. It talks about something called the Pure Elements of Harmony."

Everyone's eyes widen. "Incomplete? Pure Elements of Harmony?" Twilight asks in surprise.

He nods. "Yes. Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic are the initial Elements of Harmony. However, there is much more to the Pure elements. There is the Element of Concern, the Element of Bravery, and the Element of Resolve."

None of them can believe what they are hearing.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You are telling me that there are more elements?" Rainbow Dash asks in confusion.

Sapphire nods. "Yeah. The book says there is more info but I can't access it in my mind...so I decided to at least go and find the initial Elements of Harmony. I heard that they were nearby Canterlot and had been searching, but I haven't been successful, and the guards wouldn't let me have an audience with the princesses. I had a tip to come to this town to search, but I have no idea where to start either." He says sadly.

"Well they are closer than ya think Sugarcube." Applejack says with a smile.

Sapphire ears perk up. "Wait, do you know who they are Applejack?"

She smiles. "Well, ya lookin’ at the Element of Honesty right now."

Sapphire's eyes grow wide.

"I may be the coolest pony ever, but I'm also the Element of Loyalty!" Dash says with a smirk.

"Yes dear and I'm the Element of Generosity at your service." Rarity says with a smile.

"I'm the Element of Laughter! I'm always laughing and having fun!" Pinkie exclaims while hopping up and down.

"Oh, and I'm the Element of Kindness. If you ever need anything, I'll help the best I can..." Fluttershy says while slightly hiding behind her mane.

"And I'm the Element of Magic. So it seems you made friends of the elements already. And you didn't even know." Twilight points out with a smile.

Sapphire is speechless. He made friends of the elements without even knowing it. And it is faster than he would have ever thought. 

 Wow, I’m really making progress.  He tries to calm down before speaking.

"Wow...I didn't think...I didn't know...wow..."

"Hah! He's speechless!" Dash laughs while pointing at him.

Rarity giggles. "Oh hush Rainbow. He is probably just surprised is all."

"I would be too if I didn't know you girls." Derpy points out.

Sapphire smiles. "Well I'm glad I met you all for another reason now." 

I'm getting closer, Que....

"Now, back to the original subject." Twilight starts.

Sapphire chuckles. "Heh, yeah we did seem to drag off a bit. So yeah, I've talked about the forbidden spells, I'm betting you are curious about how I healed you guys."

Everyone nods before he continues,  "that was actually from a book I got from an ancient relics dealer on the outskirts of Equestria. I went there on an anonymous tip that he had some books about healing. However the books' magic is quite dangerous. It contains 5 magic spells in great detail, four of which are very powerful and dangerous for the user. If you want I can lend that book also Twilight."

Twilight grows excited. "Yes please! Now about the one you performed?"

"That is one of the dangerous ones. Its called Health Swap. It takes other's pain and puts it on the caster. But there is one specific spell in that book that I'm still trying to find a loop in somewhere..."

"Which one?" Twilight asks curiously.

"Its called Life Swap. It uses all of the casters magic to revive someone. However, the caster loses their life."

"Then there would be no point!" Sweetie Belle says while frowning.

"Yeah. She would be alive and then you would be gone!" Apple Bloom agrees with a frown as well.

Sapphire looks down. "Yeah, that's why I haven't tried it yet."

"Yet? You mean you are thinking of trying it??" Rarity asks incredulously.

"I've thought about it..."

"No!" They all yell making Sapphire jump.

"It's not worth it if you lose your life!" Derpy says getting close to him.

Sapphire sighs. "Yeah I know.”

“Promise you won't do that Saph. I mean it!” Derpy urges.

Sapphire notices the serious look on her face and nods. “I promise.”

Everyone calms down. "So what do you plan to do now? Ya know, now that you know the elements?" Apple Bloom asks.

Sapphire lifts a hoof, then pauses. "Well...nothing. Now that I know you all are here, it says the others will show themselves soon enough. The elements would know the last three very well. I also have this spell that let's me know if someone is an element…but I'm not too keen on using it."

"Wait, why not?" Rarity asks in confusion.

"You should. That way we can find out who the other elements are quickly." Twilight explains.

Sapphire shakes his head. "I'd rather not. It requires me to do a certain something I'm not comfortable with doing."

"Well, what do you do?" Sweetie Belle asks.

Sapphire blushes slightly and looks away. "Well...I have to kiss them..."

Blushes encompass everyone's faces as their eyes grow wide from hearing this.

"I guess going around kissing everyone wouldn't be a good idea." Spike says chuckling at all their embarrassed faces.

"Yeah I agree." Sapphire says while nodding.

"So we know them? I wonder who they are..." Twilight says in thought.

"What if it is Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom?" Derpy guesses.

Everyone's eyes grew wide. The three mares in question smile at the idea.

"Well we do know them..." Twilight admits.

"That would be awesome! I'd be an element just like Dash!" Scootaloo cheers.

"And I'd be one like mah sis." Apple Bloom says while looking at her sister smiling.

"But if we were, who would be which element?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"I so want to be bravery!" Scootaloo raises her hoof and shouts in excitement.

"Hey I wanted that one!" Apple Bloom complains.

"Well there is only one way to find out. We have to kiss Sapphire!" Sweetie Belle chimes, a small blush on her face as she looks at him.

Everyone's eyes grow wide. Sapphire jerks back a little away from Sweetie Belle and almost falls out of the bed.

"I don't think that would be a good idea..." Sapphire says hesitantly.

Sweetie Belle frown. "Aww, why not?"

"Well...uh...I kinda have never kissed anyone before and I was waiting to save that kiss..." Sapphire says while blushing madly and looking away.

Sweetie Belle is sad to hear that. "So you have a special somepony already?"

"Well, no..." Sapphire pauses. "I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"Oh, okay." Sweetie Belle sighs. She is happy he doesn't, but there seems to be more to his story. She decides to leave it at that for now.

"Well if it is you three we will find out soon enough. I'm going to have to write a letter to princess Celestia about the situation. Spike, you think you can help out?"

Spike nods. "Of course Twi."

Twilight looks at Sapphire. "That's all the questions I'll ask for now. Spike and I are heading out now. I have some things to research on."

Sapphire nods but remembers his offer. "Oh, okay but before you go..."

Sapphire focuses and a blue void appears again. Out of it comes three medium sized books.

"Here are the three books you wanted."

Twilight cheers and quickly takes the books out of his magic. "Yes, yes, yes! I'm going to read these immediately! Thank you Sapphire!"

"You're...."

Before he can finish, her and Spike both disappear leaving a blinding light.

"...welcome?"

"She always does that without warning anyone. Oh well. Me and Scootaloo have to get going too. Get well soon so we can race!" Dash says happily. And with a wave, they both leave out the window they entered.

"Well, me and Apple Bloom gotta go finish up on our work." Applejack says while looking at her sis.

"Yeah! Turns out Ah'm gonna be a natural at bucking trees pretty fast!" Apple Bloom exclaims happily.

"I'm sure you will be great at it." Sapphire compliments with a smile.

Apple Bloom blushes and smiles. "Thanks. We will see ya when ya get out!"

And with a quick hug, they both leave as well.

"We should also get going. I have to deliver the dresses I made today to the customer. Are you coming dear sister?" Rarity says looking at the mare still clinging to Sapphire.

Sweetie Belle groans. "Do I have to?"

Rarity makes an adorable face as she looks at her sister. "Please? It would be greatly appreciated."

Sweetie Belle looks at Sapphire. He smiles and nods at the mare.

"Go on. She needs your help. I'll be out by tomorrow."

"Promise?" Sweetie Belle says hesitantly.

"I promise Sweetie Belle." He assures her with a smile.

After a moment, Sweetie Belle gives in. "Fine."

She hugs and nuzzles Sapphire tightly. He returns the hug and enjoys the smell of mint once more. But before she lets go, she copies Apple Bloom's earlier action and kisses him on the cheek, making him blush profusely.

"W-What was that for?"

"No reason." She replies with a smile before she hops up and walks towards Rarity. She has a knowing smile on her face as her and Sweetie Belle leave the room.

"I guess I should go as well. The animals might be hungry..." Fluttershy says while in thought.

"Me too! I got to go back to work! Cupcakes don't bake themselves you know." Pinkie says with a giddy smile.

Sapphire chuckles and nods. "That's true. Thanks for coming girls." He then turns to Derpy, whom is smiling widely at him. "What about you Derpy? Got some mail to deliver?"

"Nope! I was hoping to keep you company for a while if you don't mind." Derpy offers with a smile.

Hearing his new best friend wanting to stay brightens his mood even more. "I'd love to have your company Derpy." He says happily.

Derpy cheers lightly. "Great!"

The other two mares give a hug once more. Fluttershy gives a longer one and Sapphire loves every second of it, even zoning out when she lets go.

"Sapphire?"

He blinks at her in a half daze with a small smile on his face. "Huh?"

"Are you alright? You’re staring..."

He slams his mouth shut and starts blushing again. He can't believe he was just gawking at her like that. “It was a great hug is why.” He says quickly.

Fluttershy starts blushing as well and hides her face behind her mane. "Oh, well I'm glad."

Pinkie smiles a mischievous grin. "Alright let's go Fluttershy! I need to talk to you!" She says while pushing her out the door.

"Oh, okay." She then looks at Sapphire, blush still intact. "Goodbye Sapphire."

"See you Shy. Bye Pinkie."

Pinkie waves at him with an unreadable smile on her face. "Bye Saph! I cant wait to see you when you get out!"

And with that they are gone. As soon as they are alone, Derpy jumps in the bed and cuddles with Sapphire making him blush hard.

"D-Derpy?"

Hearing her name makes her nuzzle deeper into him and sigh quietly. "Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Cuddling with you." Derpy says simply like it was normal.

Sapphire merely stays quiet. He is actually wondering why she was doing this.

Derpy looks up into his eyes cutely. "Why? You don't like it? Sweetie Belle was doing it. I was curious how it felt so I wanted to try."

Sapphire relaxes at that. "Oh okay. I don't mind at all. I really enjoy it actually."

Derpy smiles before nuzzling into him again. "It does feel nice! I can see why she did it!"

Sapphire laughs and holds the mare. He also starts to brush her mane with his hoof, which she seems to enjoy. It stays like that for a few moments before Derpy speaks up.

"I'm glad you came to Ponyville Saph." Derpy says while sighing happily.

Hearing that warms Sapphire completely. He moves his head to nuzzle Derpy's mane. "I am too Derpy."

She smiles and nuzzles him back. Afterwards a nurse comes in the room.

"Hello there Sapphire, Derpy."

Derpy turns to her with a smile. "Hi nurse Redheart!" Derpy waves.

"Hello there." Sapphire says with a smile and a wave as well.

"I see you two are pretty close for your second day together." Redheart points out while giggling.

They both realize what they look like and quickly move away blushing.

"We are just friends Redheart." Derpy blurs out, blushing even more.

Redheart rolls her eyes. "Okay, if you say so. But I'm here to inform you visiting hours are over. He needs all the rest he can get."

Derpy frowns. "Aww. I wanted to stay with him a little longer."

"You can always come back tomorrow." She points out.

Sapphire speaks up at that. "Not really. I'm getting out tomorrow actually."

The nurse raises a brow. "Tomorrow? What do you mean? Your injuries require you to stay another few days."

Sapphire shakes his head. "I think you might have forgotten something about me nurse: I can use magic. And a lot of it. I can literally heal all these wounds now if I wanted to."

"Oh? No unicorn I've seen could heal injuries as bad as yours that fast. Can you prove it?" She asks with a smirk.

"With pleasure." He says while closing his eyes. A second later he is engulfed in a blue aura Derpy remembers he talked about earlier. The nurse stares in awe, and after 10 seconds, it's gone.

"And done." Sapphire says while getting up.

He spreads both of his wings out and lets the bandages come off. His right wing seems perfectly fine. The nurse gawks at the like new wing of his.

"Wow. I have to say I'm impressed. You sure do have some impressive healing magic. You could check out today if you want."

Derpy cheers at the idea. "Yeah! And we could walk home together!"

Sapphire sits back down and looks at his hooves. "Heh, I don't know if that will be the best idea for me..."

"Why no-" Derpy pauses once she takes notice of something. Sapphire is shaking a lot. "Are you okay Saph? You're shaking."

Sapphire starts to take slow deep breaths. "Well, it's kind of because of the spell I used. It heals the wounds completely, but the pain of the injuries increase substantially...so I honestly don't think I could even make it to the door without collapsing."

"Then what was the point of using that spell? You still are going to be in pain that's now even worse." The nurse says in slight worry.

Sapphire winces slightly as there's a sudden pain on his right side. "Well the time to recover is a decreased. I'll be back to normal in two hours."

"Oh....well I guess it still is useful then. So you want to wait two hours before leaving?"

Sapphire nods slowly. "That would be nice, thank you."

"Okay, well I'll be going and be back in two hours." Derpy says happily.

"Sounds good to me. I'll try to nap this off if I can." Sapphire says, still wincing from the pain.

Derpy has a slight worrying look before she shakes it off and smiles. "Okay. See you soon!"

She gives him a quick hug, which still hurts but he doesn't mind, before leaving past the nurse.

After she leaves, Redheart speaks up.

"I also wanted to say thank you for what you did for our town." Redheart says with a smile.

Sapphire is surprised by this. He blushes slightly and rubs his head. "Heh, it was no big deal really."

Redheart shakes her head. "No Sapphire, it is a big deal. I heard the story from the others. You basically saved us from having Celestia knows what happening to us. I know all the residents here want to thank you as well, so I'm pretty sure I speak for us all when I say thank you for what you've done." After she said that, she does a small bow before smiling warmly at him.

Sapphire is speechless for a moment before a large smile and a thin line of tears flood his eyes. He quickly wipes them. "I'm glad to be of help."

Redheart nods at him before excusing herself and leaving.

Sapphire lays down and thinks about the one day, consciously, he has had here and how impossible it can be better than it is now.

"I told you I have friends..." He says before succumbing to unconsciousness.