//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - Libera Mentem Tuam // Story: Golden Grace, Headless Headaches // by Thadius0 //------------------------------// The worst sensation in the world that I have ever had the displeasure to experience was...well, the moment contained in Eureka. No physical pain, true, but I never quite recovered from that mental agony. I can always go back and look. The wound is still there, my friends and family just helped me cover it up. I've gotten better about it. The second worse sensation has got to be what happened immediately after the crystal exploded in my face. Because I can't recall it. All I know is that the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed, with a wide variety of machines beeping around me. I shifted around a little bit as I went over my own memories and realized what had happened, then began to curse out the stallion in my head. A polite cough drew my attention, and I saw that near my hospital room was a crystal pony wearing a nurse's cap. She had a white coat and blue mane and tail, and naturally it had all been given the crystal treatment, making her seem something like a diamond-and-sapphire combination. She smiled once she saw I was awake and paying attention to her, and she pulled a clipboard out from the front of the bed I was on. (Where they got a bed my size, I haven't the foggiest.) "Well mister Auric Fulcrum, it looks like you're going to make a full recovery. It was a bit touchy for a minute, but once we got all those shards out of your face, your own magic helped us along. Were you any po- er, one else, I can't say what would have happened." I nodded as the words sunk in, realizing suddenly that I had far more power than I had when I was knocked out. Checking, I found that the drain from keeping the mountain up had decreased by half. I probably should look into that, but I was stopped from doing so when I realized the nurse had stopped talking. "I'm dreadfully sorry nurse..." I prompted. "Oh! I'm Nurse Touch. Soothing Touch," she replied, giving me a small nod of her head. "Soothing Touch. A wonderful name, m'dear," I replied, making her blush a bit (which looks completely weird on a crystal pony). "But I was thinking of something else at the moment." "Oh it's not a problem at all, Auric Fulcrum," she replied. "I was merely asking if you required anything." I smiled and held up my right hand. "Two things. One," I extended my pointer finger, "Call me Auric. Just Auric. Was never one for the whole full name or formality business." She giggled a bit at that. "And the other, Auric?" I extended my middle finger then. "Could you get Shining Armor in here, please? I have questions, and I believe he'll have answers." She nodded at that. "I think he wanted to be told anyways. I'll pass the word along." It was a boring half-hour wait, during which I located and donned my clothes and noted that they had returned to their Day coloration, but Shining and Cadence eventually showed up. And then something happened to me which I would never expect to have happen. Just as I swung myself half off the bed and prepared to stand up, Cadence rushed me and began hugging the life out of me. Seriously, I was afraid for my life, she was hugging so hard. I noticed Shiny looking quite amused at the door, and I shot him the nastiest glare I could manage while being suffocated. Eventually the two of us pried her off me, and she apologized over and over once she saw how blue my face had become. I held up a hand to stem the tide of apologies as I recovered, and she sat down while I regained my breath. Eventually, I felt well enough to form words and sentences again. "What," I gasped out, "was that all about?" "You saved the ponies from that mare. You helped me realize what I needed to do during the time of crisis. I felt the need to thank you somehow." I popped my neck to work out what I was sure was going to be a kink later. "Yeah, but typically you don't suffocate those that you're thanking." As she looked abashed for a moment, I turned to Shining. "So where's the mare?" He frowned. "Being treated just a few doors down. Physically, she's fine. But mentally, she's got no activity. Whatever you did, she's not waking up, and we don't know why." I blanched as I realized just how bad the crystal had been to the mare. I pushed both of them aside and saw Soothing Touch standing outside. "The mare that was brought in with me! White coat, black and grey mane, flask for a mark, where is she?!" Surprised at the ferocity of my question, she pointed down the hall to the right, directly at a pair of crystal guards standing outside a door. Hearing the commotion and seeing me as the source, they lowered their spears and scraped at the ground. "Oh I do not have TIME for this!" I thrust my hands at them and called up what I could of Whirlwind that would not blow out walls. The guards were thrown down the hall by the force of the wind I had conjured, and I burst into the room they had been positioned in front of. The mare I recalled was strapped into a bed with various monitoring devices attached to her. Her heart rate was fine, but her brain activity had dropped to near non-existent levels. I drew my sword and began to focus on what I could recall of my brief fascination with Latin. "Cogito, ergo sum," I muttered, and Eureka glinted, shining from within. I was on a right track, then. "Et sic praecipio tibi, intellege te ipsam." Or, for those of you without any Latin, "I think, therefore, I am. And thus I command thee, understand thyself." The blade practically shone, then, and I brought it to rest on the mare's head. The shine transferred from the sword to her, and for a few seconds, it was like there was a second, mare-shaped sun in the ward. The light lasted for about thirty seconds, and in that time, the guards, Shiny, and Cadence had appeared at the door. It eventually dissipated, and then the monitors showed the result I had been hoping for. Her brain activity spiked. It took a moment, but her eyes opened and looked around. Once she caught sight of me, she gasped, and I swore I saw tears starting to form. Her horn lit up, the things attached to her flew off, and she jumped up at me. Instinct demanded I catch her, and so I did, and was the recipient of my second pony-hug. All the while, she was crying, and when she wasn't, she said the same two words over and over again. "Thank you." I turned to Cadence and Shining, and they seemed vaguely amused by my predicament. ----- I was sitting in the throne room, with Measured Thought laid across my lap. What? It was comfy for her, and made it easy to get at her ears, which appear to be a weak point of most ponies. As long as you know what you're doing, that is. Don't give me that look, I tried to get away from her, but from the moment she had managed to stop crying, she didn't want to let go of me. I swear, this mare was less like a pony and more like a limpet. I may have set her down once she stopped weeping all her fluids over my back, but she kept right by my legs on the walk to the palace. And she hopped up onto my lap the moment I sat down. Seriously, this level of attachment was unhealthy. For one of us at least. Cadence and Shining sat at the opposite side of the table, and I prodded Measured with my other hand, the one not busy scratching behind her ears. She blinked a few times, but turned towards the leaders of the Crystal Empire and began her tale. Apparently, she'd been a researcher at the Canterlot Research Academy for a good portion of her adult life. One day, she had been offered a post in the newest department, that of researching moi and the powers I used. This was back when I was still Dullahan, mind. She was performing an experiment on some imported soil from the Crystal Empire when her superior came up behind her and... From then on out it was like a living nightmare. She saw the worst actions she'd been forced to perform while some other stallion used her body like a meat puppet. Trapped inside her own body, screaming inside her own head, begging for freedom in one fashion or another. When I had yanked the crystal out, it was during one of those rare moments when she was aware of everything going on, and the last thing she saw was me yelling at her puppeteer. Then, it was darkness. She had retreated inside her own head rather than even attempt to wake up from her nightmare. She couldn't believe that she could ever truly be free or forgiven. She wallowed in the darkness that she had been forced to perform. And then there was light. She suddenly Understood that she was not at fault, nor would she be held accountable. Probably from me tapping her with Eureka. From then on, she wanted to live, and fought to wake up. When she saw me standing over her, she felt nothing but gratitude. Apparently, I had saved her twice over, and she wouldn't be leaving my side anytime soon. Cadence giggled at that, and even Shiny let out a snort of amusement. "Well, you seem to have a new fan, Auric." I rolled my eyes and resumed scratching at Measured's ears. "So long as she doesn't become a creepy obsessive fanmare stalker, I'll be fine. And even if she did, I have quite a bit of power on-call." I poked her in the ribs, causing her to let out a squeak, followed by a huff of indignation. "Y'hear that, little miss? Don't mess with me, or I'll get creative. I've dissolved things, y'know." At first, she blanched (somehow), but then she started grinning. "Really? You can shatter the bonds that hold all matter together? I would love to see a demonstration." I sighed, rolled my eyes, and looked to Cadence. "Is there nothing that you can do? I mean, having an admirer is fine and dandy, but one that cannot leave me be is going to get annoying, fast." Cadence put a hoof to her chin and hummed again. "Didn't you found a town? I think my aunts told me it was called Newvale. Can't you bring her there? She'd be in good hooves, or at least, amongst those that also like you." I shook my head. "That is the opposite of a good idea. If we were to draw a line between that idea and a good one, it would describe a line too big to fit in the constraints of the universe." Shining actually laughed then. Apparently, he thought it was a joke. And funny. Note to self: buy him a joke book. I sighed and put my head in my hands, causing Measured to whine a bit as the scratching stopped. "What I need is someone versed in psychiatry. I can't just dump her anywhere, my heart won't let me do that until she's capable of going five minutes without me." At this, Cadence got the biggest grin. I am not joking. It was so large, I felt the idea before she said it. And when she opened her mouth, it only intensified. "Well," she said, "my sister-in-law has been said to be the smartest filly in Equestria. I'm certain she'll be willing to help you and her out." I made the connection and groaned out loud, much to the ruler's amusement and Measured's bemusement. ----- A good while later, Measured and I had arrived via train in Ponyville. The first thing we did when we got off the train was orientate ourselves and find the library. It didn't take too long, seeing as how it was literally the only tree-building in town. Once I entered, though, I was met with, not a dragon, nor a pony, but an owl. I stood there for a moment before said owl hooted and pointed at the table in the middle. Looking at it, I saw a note. Dear Visitors, Today, Spike and I are going to the Everfree Castle, in search of any artifacts or books that have survived the past thousand years. We expect to return within a day or two at most. If you desire a book, please write your name and the book you desire on the check-out list. Much appreciated, Twilight Sparkle -And Spike! I turned towards Measured and sighed. "Well, let's make ourselves comfortable and look after the library for them while they're out, then." At this, the owl hooted, and I turned towards it and raised an eyebrow. "What, do you not approve of my plans?" The owl considered for a moment, then shook its head. "Oh, so you were thanking me?" It nodded, and I smiled. "Well, you're welcome. Get some rest, aren't owls primarily nocturnal creatures?" The owl nodded, hooted, and flapped off to some other corner of the library. I turned back to Measured Thought, who was already perusing the shelves, but the moment I sat down, she sidled up next to me, to where I would have an easy time if I wanted to scratch behind her ears, and looked up at me expectantly. I merely sighed and began to give her a little scratch session. "You're lucky I find ponies adorable," I said. And thus, we waited for the librarian and her assistant to return.