The surgery lasted a little longer than the earth pony's original estimate. He was called away to deal with an emergency, leaving James and the assistants to finish the mostly automated work on his shoulder.
As the gryphon explained it, the machine Astral was bolted to was basically a glorified sewing machine. It was stitching together the cut muscle fibers, nerves, and blood vessels at the cellular level using a microscopic protein thread that would dissolve over time and promote healing. Damage to the bone had been repaired first, through the use of a plaster-like synthetic calcium compound.
When the internal damage had been dealt with, the two unicorns started closing his wounds. They slathered any broken skin with a thick, gooey nutrient gel, and used a combination of electrical pulses and guided magic to accelerate the growth of skin cells and fur. It was a slow, messy process, and when it was over, Astral, the operating table, and the floor around it was covered in grey goop.
But, he was healed. The regnant pain, overwhelming and unbearable a few hours ago, was barely more than a memory. There was a dull ache in his shoulder, something James assured him would only last a day or two, but other than that, there was nothing.
"I'd say that just about does it." James gave Astral a final once-over, both visually, and with various diagnostic devices. “There’s still this scar on your hoof though. If you ever want it taken care of, it would be cheapest to do the dermal reconstruction now, while we have the equipment and nutrient gel set up.”
“Don’t touch it,” Astral said quickly. “I just want out of here.”
“Very well.” James shrugged, then turned to his assistants. "He should be ready to move now. Do either of you know the spell for undoing a neural dysjunction?"
The two unicorn exchanged glances, then one of them slowly stepped forward. It wasn't exactly confidence inspiring. "I do, doctor... I think."
"Be more confident, Lilybellle. You're learning from the best." The gryphon maneuvered his cart behind the volunteering unicorn. Then, much to Astral's surprise, he stood up and walked away from it, flicking the joystick with his tail. The cart started forward, bumping into Lilybelle who fell back onto its seat. "And I told you, it's James!" The cart stopped short of the table, unceremoniously dumping the pink-coated Lilybelle in a pile of goo. "Oops."
Astral had to stifle his laughter as the mare tried to get up. The nutrient gel was apparently a rather slick substance, and it took her several tries to make it to her hooves. "Are you OK?" Astral asked as she wiped the goop from her face.
"I'm fine." Lilybelle shook her head, sending bits of nutrient gel flying. She then gave her giggling counterpart a short glare. "Laugh all you want." She turned back to Astral. "Nutrient gel is wonderful for the fur. Gives your coat a beautiful shine that lasts for weeks."
Astral sighed and let out a low, drawn out, "great."
She looked down at her hooves sadly. "But it's dyed to match the patient's fur color." She whined. "I'm gonna be all splotchy."
The other unicorn was giggling even louder now. "Cheer up, some colts like the pinto look."
James started chuckling, and Lilybelle magically launched an easily dodged glob of gel at each of them. "Shut up, Annabelle."
Astral would have shook his head if he could. "Um, is it really safe to be playing with that stuff like that? I mean, isn't that technically medical waste?"
James shrugged. "Technically, I suppose, but it's perfectly safe. Everyone in this room, yourself included, went through a thorough decontamination and screening. Combine that with our sterilizer fields and nutrient gel's inherent properties, and there isn't a microbe in this room that even a compromised immune system couldn't fight off. This stuff is so clean that it'll be scooped up, processed, purified, and recycled into fresh gel, pet food, cosmetics, or survival rations." He nodded slowly. "But Lilybelle's right, this stuff stains like there's no tomorrow."
Astral looked down at the goo with newfound horror, at a little blob of it just a few centimeters from his snout. "They don't really make rations out of this, do they?"
"Sure they do," Lilybelle said as she wiped nutrient gel off her coat and onto the floor. "That's why no pony eats those things unless they absolutely have to."
Astral swallowed dryly. He had been living off of ration bars for the last two weeks, blissfully unaware of their origins. "Let's get this over with. I'm getting a little stir crazy being stuck like this."
"Oh, OK!" Lilybelle took up a standard concentration stance and starting taking deep breaths. "This may sting a little, but don't worry. I've been practicing."
Astral waited patiently, prepared for what he assumed would be a small shock, or a sensation similar to the neural disjunction. Instead, he got a jolt that felt like a taser. His body jumped and twitched of its own accord as every muscle tried to respond to the artificial nerve signals Lilybelle provided. It was over a second later, and Astral hung limp, halfway over the edge of the operating table and slowly sliding on nutrient gel.
James rushed towards the table. "Watch out! We need to-" Gravity was faster than the gryphon, and Astral's slide ended with him slumped against the side of the operating table, headfirst on the floor. "-catch him. Sorry." He cleared his throat. "So, do you think you can move, buck?"
Astral groaned. "I'm surprised you ponies haven't been sued out of orbit."
James pointed at himself. "I'm not a pony."
"Fine. You folks, or whatever. The sentiment still stands." The upside down unicorn slowly moved his right hoof. It responded like it was supposed to, even if it did feel like it was made of lead. Astral tried his left hoof next. Aside from a tight ache from his shoulder, there didn't seem to be a problem.
James laughed happily as Astral slowly stood up. "How's that girls? Your first 24 hour surgery."
The two mares smiled proudly. "It wasn't so bad," they answered in unison.
James laughed even louder. "You're just interns. Wait until you become doctors, and have to do three of them in a row while babysitting interns of your own. Caffeine addiction is a serious risk in this line of work." The gryphon walked up to Astral and patted him on the now repaired shoulder, making the unicorn wince. "You didn't immediately collapse in a ball of tears and agony, that's a good sign. You're free to go, but make sure stop by the office. We've got some paperwork for you, info that will help your recovery along, tips, precautions, exercises, and the like. In case you're the impatient sort, I'll summarize. Don't use your leg for anything beyond walking or picking up a glass of water. Try to keep your movements slow and steady, and use your magic for anything requiring any sort of effort."
"Thanks." Astral bent and stretched his left leg, slowly testing its range of movement. "I might be impatient at times, but I want this to heal up right."
"Finally, a reasonable patient." James pointed to the door. "You'll be able to get cleaned up out there. Press the blue button when you enter the decontamination chamber, and hold your breath when you see the red light."
"Red light, got it." Astral walked over to the door and hit the control panel. "Well, thanks again, James, Lily, Anna. I hope I don't have to see you again."
James chuckled softly as the door opened to a small room visually similar to the operating room. "Likewise, even if it is just a pipe dream."
Astral walked through the door confused by the gryphon's words. He took it to mean that they would see each other again, but he wasn't sure if it was another reference to the size of the station, or an insinuation that the unicorn wouldn't be able to keep himself in one piece.
The door closed behind him, leaving Astral alone in the small room. Room probably wasn't the right word though. Closet might be better. Booth might be even better. It was quite small, comfortable enough for a pony to stand in and turn around, but it would be cramped for a gryphon like James. In addition to the door that closed behind him, there was a door to the left.
There was only one other feature in the small room, a control panel with three shaped buttons and a display screen opposite the entrance. The buttons were a green circle, a tall blue rectangle, and a red diamond. Right now, the display panel showed a big green circle. The words, "no harmful contamination detected, press green button to open door," scrolled across the screen above and below the circle like news tickers.
Astral glanced back at the door. He was pretty sure that James said to press the blue button. He looked back at the control panel. The buttons themselves weren't labelled, and the screen currently gave no info regarding the red or blue buttons. He tapped the screen, hoping it would be a touch screen, and display a menu, but no such luck. For a moment, Astral debated just hitting the green button, but followed the doctor's instructions and hit the blue one.
A small chime sounded. Then, the green circle on the screen spiraled away, and was replaced by dozens of little blue arrows, all pointed down, parading across the screen from top to bottom. The word, "preparing," pulsed on either side of the parade.
There was a mechanical sound from beneath Astral's hooves, the sound of a latch, followed by a whirring noise. The unicorn looked down. A small section of floor, roughly the size of his hoof, had pulled away to reveal a polished metal grate.
A beep sounded from the control panel, and Astral looked up. All traces of blue were gone, replaced by a solid red screen with the word, "cycling," in bold black letters.
Astral remembered to hold his breath just as another mechanical sound, identical to the one below, played above him. He looked up and saw that another panel had opened up. This time, instead of a grate, there was something sticking out that sort of looked like a nozzle.
Astral screwed his eyes shut and ducked his head in time to avoid a pressurized blast of water to the face. Instead, the jet of water hit the back of his neck before tracing along his spine. The water was warm, almost uncomfortably so, and even though he was trying to hold his breath, Astral could smell a strong fruity smell, like surberry soap.
The water jet traced up and down his back a few more times, and Astral moaned happily. It had been a while since he last had a shower, let alone one with warm water, and this was actually kind of nice. He chuckled as the small room started to steam up. Why did James tell him to hold his breath for an automated shower?
He was answered by a series of beeps. He looked at the panel. The word, "cycling," had been replaced by an outline of him and the words, "sensing complete, beginning particulate removal process."
As he looked at the panel, he could hear more panels opening up around him. At least a dozen, maybe more. "Oh-"
"Pshhhhh!!"
The first new water jet hit him in the side of the face, and was quickly followed by more. Astral couldn't tell how many there were, they kept turning on and off, pushing the unicorn around the small room, and threatening to knock him off his feet entirely. They would alternate between constant streams and frantic pulses, and seemed to have no care where they hit.
The water stopped as suddenly as it began, accompanied by a bright ding from the control panel. Astral looked over with a groan. The screen was no longer red. Instead, white letters on a sky blue background informed him that, "the particulate removal process is complete." The screen then went blank blue, and whirring noises signaled the closing of the various water jet panels.
Before astral could manage a sigh of relief, a large white arrow appeared on the screen, along with the words, "please look left." The arrow, however was pointed to the right.
A now familiar and hated mechanical noise sounded to the right, and several panels opened to reveal fans embedded in the wall. They turned on one by one, each coinciding with the click of a relay.
By the time they were all running, Astral was pressed against the exit door, artificial windstorm screeching in his ears. He fought against the squall until the fans cut off, then he stumbled back into the center of the chamber. The panels on the right wall closed, and the control panel dinged again.
With trepidation, Astral looked at the panel. A little pony smiley face sat above the words, "Thank you for choosing Safe-T Tech© D-Con® Chambers." There was another ding, and a green arrow on a white background appeared. There was no text on the screen, only the arrow pointing at the ceiling.
Astral looked up with a groan. "Isn't this over yet?". Above him, another panel opened, and a towel dropped through, landing on his head. With a loud sigh, he pushed it back and let it hang around his neck. On the screen, the green circle was back. The ticker tape words beneath it had changed though. They now said, "have a nice day, press green button to open door."
Astral hesitantly pressed the green button. Given the spin cycle he just went through, the green button probably activated something akin to an ejector seat, but he wanted out. He was pleasantly surprised when the doors opened without any further fuss. He was less pleasantly surprised when he walked through them.
He stepped out onto a metal floor with towels thrown down. Curtain rods stretched across movable stands with small tripod legs, creating a makeshift canvas room. The sounds of machinery, construction, and hastily barked orders filled the air, as did the smell of oil, coolant, and electronics.
Astral peeked through the curtain. He was in a large room filled with several more of these canvas ones. Off to the left, he could see a door leading out to some sort of common area. A young pinto stallion wearing a red scarf and a welding mask was making repairs to its frame. Off to the right was a maze of canvas.
Astral sighed and sat down. Then he started drying himself with the towel, finishing the job the fans left undone. He had some time to think now, about what happened to him.
Seeing the rest of the station, even this small glimpse at it, reinforced what James said about the restaurant. This was not the sort of place you go for fine dining. There were four other major space stations in the Canterlot system, but it was unlikely that his employer would have gotten something as important as the name wrong. That made it almost certain that the attack at the system's edge wasn't a chance encounter, and that the pony who was controlling those drones was hired to attack him. The only reason Astral could think of was that he was supposed to take whatever had been hidden in the shipping container, the reinforced box the Celestial had taken.
Astral heard a muffled chime from the decontamination chamber. He looked back as the sound of water jets reached his ears. James or one of the interns was going through the shower. His guess was Lilybelle, since she had gotten dirty. The other two could probably just go straight through.
After a few moments, the door opened and Lilybelle walked out with a towel wrapped around her shoulders. The thing Astral wasn't expecting was that she was shivering, and her teeth were chattering.
She sat down next to Astral and furiously toweled off. "The, um, h-hot water doesn't always work twice in a row."
Astral shrugged."Hot water isn't much of an improvement. I let my guard down because of it."
The young mare giggled. "It has a way of doing that, then bam! It hits you. We have a nickname for it, the Dempsey Chamber."
Astral's head tilted slightly. "Dempsey?"
Lilybelle nodded. "Jack Dempsey. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of him. I hadn't either. He was an old human boxer, known for being able to hit hard and fast using something called a Dempsey roll."
"Huh, a fighter then. Did James name it? No, it was probably his wife, that mare seems like the kind of pony to know something like that."
Lilybelle shook her head. "Actually, it was that telepath, Ribbon Dancer."
"Really? She seems a bit sensitive for that sort of thing." He sighed. "And that reminds me, I need to go apologize to her."
Lilybelle looked at Astral like he was crazy. "You're really going to go talk to her?"
This took Astral a little by surprise. "Why wouldn't I?" He noticed the odd look the two interns had given the telepath earlier, but at the time, he didn't know what to attribute it to. "You're scared of her, aren't you?"
Lilybelle rolled her eyes. "Duh. Aren't you? You yelled at her pretty good back there."
Astral rubbed his face with a hoof. "I wasn't exactly thinking straight back there. And it wasn't exactly fear, it was anger. And I wasn't angry at her, I just had a bad experience with a telepath recently."
Lilybelle shrugged. "I don't know, it's still pretty creepy, isn't it? Digging around in somepony else's head?"
"But you aren't scared of me? Even though you know I killed somepony?"
"If you had a record, your Iris scan would would have told us, and nurse Growl would have arrested you. But we didn't even find your name. You're probably just some freighter captain who does really well under pressure."
"Nurse Growl? Is that her name?" Astral chuckled. "It's fitting isn't it? Mr. and Mrs. Growl?"
Lilybelle shook her head. "That's not it. The docto- I mean, James, doesn't have a last name. Most gryphons don't. Growl is her name. James said there's an interesting story behind it, but I haven't been brave enough to ask her about it."
"It's still fitting." Astral shrugged. "But, what if the iris scan was wrong? Or if I just haven't gotten caught yet?"
The mare scratched her chin. "Would you really be asking me that if that were the case?"
Astral hunched his shoulders and laughed mock-maniacally. "Or maybe I'm some sort of egotistical villain who explains everything to his victims?"
Lilybelle scoffed. "Now I know you're harmless. Besides, it wouldn't make much of a difference. I may not look it, but I was top of my class in combat magic. I could incinerate you before you could do anything."
"You think you could take me?"
She looked him up and down carefully. "You look like you'd be pretty agile for a stallion, but I saw your base magic levels when were running your diagnostics. I lasted a full eighteen seconds when I dueled the instructor, and we can both use military level spells. You wouldn't stand a chance."
Astral shrugged. "In a duel, probably not. but what about real life?"
"They're not that different."
He pointed at her chest. "Your towel would disagree with you."
She looked down. The towel she left hanging around her neck was tied in a knot. It wasn't tight, but was still tied. "When did you- I didn't even see your horn light up."
The towel untied itself and lifted from her neck. It then hovered next to Astral's head. His horn and the towel lacked the visible energy that usually accompanies unicorn magic. "It's true that I can't match many ponies in terms of power." He grabbed the towel with a hoof. "But I worked very hard to make the best of what I have."
"Yeah? You did a good job of it. I didn't know that was even-"
A burst of static drowned her out. It came from what seemed to be an overhead intercom. It was followed by nurse Growl's distorted voice. "Attention medical. Respond any available pony to fabrication bay three. Non-emergency. Bring a burn kit." There was another burst of static. "And somepony fix this intercom before I tear it out and throw it out the airlock."
Lily belle took her towel back from Astral, taking a second to pay attention to the pink glow surrounding it. "Well, I guess that's my cue. James and Annabelle are still cleaning up the operating room." She tossed the towel around her neck and pulled the canvas wall aside. "Before I leave, what is your name?"
"Astral. Astral Plane."
The mare nodded slowly. "It fits you. Well, it was nice meeting you Astral, I hope it's under better circumstances next time."
Astral smiled as she ducked out past the curtain. "Same here, Lilybelle."
A few seconds later there was another burst of static, followed by Lilybelle's voice. "This is Lilybelle, responding from medical. I'll be there in three minutes."
Astral shook his head. Something weird was going on. The Iris scan Lilybelle mentioned should have returned his name. It should also have returned his record, one count of justifiable homicide in self-defense, and one count of justifiable homicide in defense of the common interest. Astral supposed there would be another count of either one added after this, but why didn't the others show up? Those weren't exactly things that went away.
Astral sighed. Answers weren't going to come to him, he was going to have to start searching. The best place to start would be at the beginning, contact the original employer and play dumb. Something along the lines of, "Oh no, I was attacked! But I got away. What do I do with the cargo?" should draw out some interest. Only, he would be prepared for a trap this time.
Astral Walked out past the curtain. He wasn't going to get anywhere as long as he was in here. He had to get to the office and get his paperwork, then he had to check on the Philomena. But first, he had to find the office. He could see the exit, but everything else was hidden in the canvas jungle that filled the lobby.
He started walking towards the exit, planning to ask the welder for directions, but noticed something on the ground. There were several lines of tape running along the floor. They were all different colors, and each one was labeled with arrows and words. There was one for "exit," pointed in the direction he was walking, there was one for "equipment," pointed off to the left, and a few others for things like, "burns," "cuts," "dental," and "busted skeletons." There was also one for, "office," but it was different from the others.
For one thing, it was a much newer tape, like it had recently been replaced. The floor had lines on it that suggested the tape was replaced on a regular basis. Astral could see why too. In addition to the arrows and the word, "office," the tape was scribbled with graffiti. Things like, "watch out," "don't go there," and, "think happy thoughts." There was also a rather artistic rendering of two ponies with satellite dishes strapped to their heads, along with the words, "the latest break-through in interpony communication."
Astral followed the tape into the maze of canvas rooms.every so often, there was a small gap in the tape, presumably where something vulgar had been torn out. The unicorn sighed sadly. It wasn't hard to piece together the reason for the graffiti. He even came across, "get out of my head," a few times.
When he reached the end of the tape, he found himself in front of a door that obviously belonged to a closet at one time. The simple control panel was jury rigged and off-level, the words, "janitorial supplies," were only halfway scraped off, and the word, "office," was above the door in block letters made of tape. It seemed that even the letters weren't safe from graffiti. Somepony, rather, two of them, based on differences in the writing, had gone through the trouble of writing, "she's listening," and, "you're safe out here," on the "o" and "e."
Astral tapped the panel and the door slid open. If anything, the inside was even more clearly a closet. Aside from the mop and pail just inside, it was cramped. In the middle of it all, there was a desk that was too big to fit through the door. It was either teleported in, or assembled in place. An ancient computer terminal sat on the desk, wires running from it to the wall, and papers covered everything except for the spotless, carpeted floor, and a spot occupied by a single, steaming coffee mug. Around the desk, there was barely enough room for a pony to walk around the room.
The far walls were lined with filling cabinets, not an unusual sight for a hospital. The medical field was one of the last bastions of paper paperwork. Of course, filing cabinets were also great for holding the various pads and thin screens that had mostly replaced paper, so they weren't exactly rare. Next to the filing cabinets, there was a beanbag chair stuffed in the corner, and in front of it, a stack of books, real ones, not digital, caught Astral's eye. He recognized the cover of the top book. It was a Daring-Do book, an old one by the style, and it was in mint condition. It was either a custom remake, or worth a fortune.
Eyes on the book, Astral stepped through the door. He was greeted by a shriek and a clatter from his left. He jumped at the sound and looked over. Ribbon Dancer was cowering in the corner. It looked like she was putting some paperwork into the last cabinet on the left when he walked in. "D-did you need something?"
Astral stared at the mare in disbelief. She was almost just a filly really, and the look in her eyes wasn't hard to place. It was fear. "Are you-"
She nodded quickly. "I'm fine."
"Are you-"
She nodded even faster. "Yes, yes, I'm sure."
"Did you just-"
"No!" Ribbon Dancer ducked in the the corner and covered her horn with both hooves. "I mean, not on purpose. I can't really control it. I didn't mean to. Honest!"
"Oh." Astral scratched his mane. She was a true telepath then. Those were rare, even among-
Ribbon gave a loud harumph. "I wish they were even rarer, then maybe I wouldn't be one."
Astral looked over. "Can you at least let me finish my own thoughts?"
She ducked down even tighter. "Sorry!"
Astral sighed. This was shaping up to be a long day. "I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to stay curled up in the corner."
She peeked up at him. "You... you mean that."
Astral noticed that it wasn't a question. "Of course I mean that. Couldn't you tell when I walked in?"
Ribbon slowly got up and shook her head. "It doesn't really work like that. I can't really read your mind, I can only hear thoughts that are really strong."
"How does that work?"
"Um, like, right now, there was an echo. You asked how it works, but you thought it first, like you were saying it to yourself first. Only, I could hear it too."
"Ok, I think I get it." Astral nodded. It must be useful to have a preview of what somepony's going to say.
Ribbon shook her head. "Not really, most ponies talk without thinking first." With a quiet squeak, covered her mouth with her hooves. She moved them to say, "like that," then covered them again.
Astral laughed. "At least you're honest about it." He looked down. There was a clipboard near his hooves. Ribbon must have dropped it. He picked it up, meaning to give it to her, but he noticed the names on the paper.
"Ah!" She grabbed the clipboard from him. "You weren't supposed to see that!" She looked down at it. "She wanted to stay anonymous."
It was too late though, and she knew it. Names are important, and the moment Astral saw his, or rather, John Q. Buck's name on the page, he immediately looked for others. John Buck is the standard medical term for a stallion without a name. According to Lilybelle his name wasn't known. As such, he was a complete unknown, no family, next-of-kin, etc. So why was there a completed receipt for payment of his surgery? And who was this pony that paid it, Twilight Sparkle?
Ribbon groaned as she put the clipboard in the filing cabinet. "I don't know who she is, but should be grateful. Not everything's a conspiracy, even though there are a lot of them." Astral's head tilted to the side, but he didn't get a chance to voice his confusion before Ribbon Dancer pointed at her horn and continued talking. "Telepath, remember? A small conspiracy is still a conspiracy. Makes it really hard to go to the commissary around any major holiday. Anyway, this mare contacted us via subtext transmission so she could make a charitable donation, wanted to make sure we were well stocked, and offered to pay the bills for any and all current patients. She wrote each transmission like a personal letter, lots of 'dear' and 'sincerely' like some old , old, grand-mare would. It was kind of cute. Anyway, we made it clear that there was an emergency case, you, undergoing extensive, expensive treatment, but she didn't care. Even tacked on enough of a bonus for us to replace one of the Dempsey Chambers."
Astral sighed. He was hoping the name would lead to something useful, but-
"It's not, you're just gonna have to deal with it." Ribbon slammed the filing cabinet shut. "And make sure you write her a letter or something. Your treatment was very expensive. It took four hours just to cut you out of that power armor of a suit you were in. We went through two dozen saw blades, and burnt out three saws." She looked down sadly and tapped the filing cabinet with a hoof. "At least, that's what the report said, I didn't get to help. It's kind of hard for me to help with emergency calls, so I usually get stuck doing paperwork in this magically shielded broom closet." She looked up quickly. "Oh yeah, why weren't you confused when I mentioned the Dempsey Chamber? Most ponies are."
Astral chuckled. "For somepony who deals in thoughts, you sure talk a lot."
"I can't help it," she whined, "I don't get to talk to anypony. Except for James, Growl, and my instructors, everypony's afraid of me. Now, can you answer my question, or at least think it?"
With a wry smile, Astral obliged.
"Oh! Lily told you." The colorful mare nodded, making her rainbow mane bob up and down. "That makes sense. I think she's starting to like boxing too. I just wish she would talk to me. It would be so nice to have another fan to talk to, but her and her cousin Anna don't like me all that much." She started digging around in the papers on the desk. "We're all students at Luna's Academy, in the medical division, but I don't really know them that well. I'm the only real telepath there at the moment, so I have a lot of training and study that I have to do alone. There are a few pseudo and trained telepaths too, but I don't spend much time with them either. Apparently, it makes a big difference if your powers are natural or not. Besides, a lot of them are kind of stuck up, like they think they're better than everypony else. And there's this one guy who's a total nut! I think he wants to become a supervillain or something. But there are a lot of nice ponies too. And dragons. Oh! And gryphon's, too."
Astral sat and listened politely while she dug through papers and told him about Mary, the gryphon whose brother is a telepath. And how she wasn't afraid of her. And how she found out that Ribbon liked boxing. And how they joined a boxing gym together. And how they got kicked out after Mary ripped a sandbag in two with her claws. Then, the "conversation" shifted to why sandbags still use sand, and what kind of sand is best, and how ponies have to use special gloves and techniques in order to box.
She was in the middle of explaining proper punching form when she suddenly stopped and lifted a grey folder off the table. "Here it is! I forgot, I color coded it so it wouldn't get mixed up." She handed it to Astral. It was almost the same color as his coat. "These are the care instructions for your shoulder. You'll especially want to make sure you follow the instructions for the diet, or may wind up with kidney stones because of the protein thread."
"Thanks." Astral took the folder and gave it a cursory flip-through. This is what he had originally come for, but he was having fun listening Ribbon's off topic ramblings. "So, how did you ever get interested in a human sport like boxing?"
"Well, I like boxing best, but I love all sorts of competitive fighting. Dueling, mock dog fights, wrestling, and of course, boxing, they're all great. Here, take a look at this."
She opened the bottom drawer of one of the filing cabinets. There were no papers inside, but rather, the sort of personal effects one might expect a young mare to have. There was a brush, several flavors of lip gloss, and a little locking journal. But there was also a pair of boxing gloves, black with red lightning bolts, in her size, a blunted dagger with a rainbow colored wooden handle, and a small crystal box.
She pulled out the box. "I almost wasn't able to get this." She slowly pulled its hinged lid back. Inside was a little slip of holographic paper. "These are the last two tickets, the absolute last, to Xander vs. Crchek."
Astral nodded and smiled. " That means absolutely nothing to me."
Ribbon Dancer shrugged and put the box away. "It doesn't to most ponies. But Xander Johnson is the oldest human heavyweight champion since George Foreman. Crchek is a Curaxxan, and the longest running heavyweight champion ever. He was going on two hundred years when Xander unseated him nearly three decades ago, and now he wants to take his title back. Crchek was once once a student at Luna's Academy, so I'll be rooting for him, but between you and me, he doesn't stand a chance. Xander's going to take him down, then retire undefeated." She let out an excited, filly-like squeal. "Oh, I can't wait! But the fight isn't for another two years. I have to learn how to block out crowds by then."
"I'm going to have to catch a recording of it then."
Ribbon closed this door with the greatest of care. " Make sure you do, It's going to be great!"
Astral laughed. "The way you're going on about it, sure, but you never answered my question. How did you ever get into fighting?"
She scratched her neck. "I'm not sure how, exactly, probably my mom, but I can tell you why."
Astral nodded. "I guess that's good enough."
She nodded her head a bit from side to side, like she was trying to think of a way to word her thoughts. "It's honest, you know? When two ponies get into the ring, there's no confusion about the end result. One will win, and one will lose. The goal, the path, and the method are all set. But even then, the journey, the outcome, is unknown. It's unpredictable, but when it gets there, you know you've got the truth."
Astral nodded slowly. She had a good point. "But deception is a large part of fighting, misleading your opponent in order to trap him."
She shook her head. "It's still honest. Because, you know why. A lie is two parts, the lie and the reason. If you already know the reason, you're really just looking for something that you know is there. It's more honest than a lie that you know about, but don't know the reason for." She gave a small shrug. "At least, that's kind of the way I see it. It's kind of like you. You're just honest in a different way."
Astral straightened up. "How do you mean?"
"You're honest about life, survival. You want to live no matter what, even if you don't know why. You have a goal, and a reason, and you follow it. Everypony you face knows that, so you can't really deceive them."
Astral set his folder down on the desk. Something had been bothering him for a while now, but he hadn't quite been able to pinpoint it until now. "How much do you know about me?"
Ribbon looked down. "A lot more than I should. Your pain, and anger, in the operating room made you much more honest than most ponies ever are." She looked up just as Astral opened his mouth to speak. "Before you ask, yes, that's why I was so scared of you when you walked in. I've seen first hoof, through your eyes, just what you're capable of, what you can do, what you have done." She smiled slightly. "You overwhelmed me earlier, and I was stuck with a jumble of thoughts and memories that weren't mine. But being near you now, talking, and listening, is helping me sort it out. Your thoughts are so strong, it makes you easy to listen to, and I'm getting a sense for how you think."
Astral sighed. "I don't know if that's good or bad, but it's nice to have somepony understand."
Ribbon shook her head. "I don't quite understand it, not the way you're thinking. Oh, and don't worry, you haven't asked, or even thought it yet, but I won't tell anypony anything you don't want me to."
"Thank you." Astral picked up the folder again. "I appreciate it."
"Wait." Ribbon reached out and grabbed the folder. "I know you want to go see your ship and start investigating what happened to you, but I need you to promise me something."
Astral looked down at the hoof. It was shaking slightly. "Sure, after what I did, I owe you that much."
She pulled her hoof back. "Knowing you, I almost don't want to say it, but when you find the Celestial who was on your ship, don't hurt her. Or at least promise me that you'll consider that you might be wrong about her."
Astral clenched his jaw. "Why? Why would you ask me to promise that?" It took everything he had not to raise his voice at the young mare. "You saw what happened out there."
She shook her head. "I can't tell you why until you promise me."
"Not good enough." Astal turned to leave. "I can't promise anything."
"I know her." There was a short pause. " Well, I don't, 'know her,' know her, but I've talked to her."
Astral turned around. "You have?"
Ribbon nodded slowly. "I can't believe she would have done what she did without a reason."
"It better have been a good one," Astral growled.
"Promise me you won't hurt her, and I'll tell you how you can ask her."
Astral glared at her for a moment, then kicked the desk hard enough to dent the thin sheet metal. "Gah!" He grabbed his shoulder. It was probably a bad idea to use his left leg to do that.
Ribbon rolled her eyes and rubbed at her shoulder. "You think? That hurt!"
Astral sighed and mirrored her actions. "Fine. I promise I won't hurt her."
Ribbon nodded as she listened to the silent caveat that followed. "But, if she attacks you, or your ship again, all bets are off. I had a feeling that would be the case." She looked Astral in the eyes and held it for a moment. "I can tell you aren't happy about it, but you'll keep your word." She looked down at the desk and pulled a piece of paper off of it. "Here, this is where you can find her."
Astral took the offered paper. It was a pamphlet for Luna's academy, one of the Canterlot system's largest schools, and one of the most respected in the galaxy. The pamphlet was advertising public courses that were available for anypony to take during Canterlot's summer. On the front of the pamphlet, there was a picture of the current generation's Luna wearing the school's traditional robes.
Most ponies anywhere knew at least a little bit about Luna's Academy, and Astral was no exception. He had even taken correspondence classes from there a few times. They were free, but demanded a lot from their students in terms of commitment and quality work. If they thought you weren't taking things seriously, they kicked you out and made you try again later. It was a family run organization, passed down from mother to daughter from generation to generation. The mare in charge was always named Luna, and she was always a dark, blue, purple, or black pony with an affinity for the night. Beyond that, little was known about the family.
Astral opened the pamphlet. The center leaflets were filled with photographs of a large number of students and instructors. Text about how fun it is to learn plastered in every available space. He was about to close the pamphlet when he noticed Lilybelle in a picture. Her fur was slightly singed, ruined protective gear littered the floor at her hooves, and she was proudly pointing at a digital readout that displayed, "18.04 seconds." It was a photographic version of the story she told him earlier.
Then he he noticed the pony behind her. She was pretty far back in the picture, but there was no mistaking it. The Celestial was wearing the robes of a Luna Academy Instructor. Judging by the picture, she was the combat arts instructor.
"How fitting," Astral said dryly.
Ribbon nodded. "Nopony's ever beaten her. But, she teaches other things too. I think." She took the pamphlet back. "I don't know her name though. I haven't taken any courses under her, but she seemed really nice when I talked to her."
"Anything else?"
The mare shook her head. "Not really. But she was always sad when she talked to me. I think something about me brought up bad memories."
"You think? Couldn't you tell?"
She shook her head again. "There was always something different about her thoughts, like listening to music in a different language. You might get the point, but you don't know what's being said."
"Probably because she isn't a pony."
She nodded. " I know, she's a Celestial. I saw it, but it's hard to believe. It's hard enough to believe that they're even real."
"What's real?" Astral turned around. Ribbon's father had just walked into the small office, and he didn't seem too happy to see the grey stallion. "You again? Come to yell at my daughter some more?"
Ribbon walked over and smacked him in the side. "Astral came by to pick up his care papers and apologize." The blue stallion raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know, he's the first one. And yes, he meant it. No he didn't actually get to say it, but he was going to. And no, I don't think you could convince him that you're a telepath too."
He rolled his eyes. "Not after you said that." He examined Astral carefully. "So, Astral was it? You seem to be doing well. How's the shoulder?"
The grey unicorn moved his left leg around to show him. "Much better than having a hole in it, that's for sure."
The stallion smiled. "Good to hear. You know, I don't mean to brag, but..." He looked over at Ribbon Dancer as she giggled. "Not a word, young lady." He looked back at Astral. "OK, I am bragging, but I'm not a regular doctor here. I'm an automated surgery specialist, and I was only supposed to be installing that device we used on you. It's my own design, half the size, twice the needles, and a twenty percent boost in heat dissipation. Cuts surgery time by forty-seven percent on average."
Astral rubbed his shoulder just thinking about it. "You mean, that could have taken twice as long as it did?"
He nodded. "That's exactly what I mean." He threw a hoof around Ribbon's shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to discuss some dinner plans with my daughter, limited though the options may be."
”Sure. I have things to take care of anyway." The three ponies shuffled around the small office so Astral could make it out. "Take care you two."
Before walking out, he magically grabbed a marker off the corner of the desk. It fell to the ground the moment he stepped past the threshold. When he looked back, Ribbon kicked it out to him. "That's the magical shielding I mentioned. It can be a hassle, but it keeps it quiet in here."
Astral shrugged. "You do what you have to." Before Leaving the hospital, Astral added his own line to the graffiti above the door.
"She's nicer than you lot. ~Astral."