//------------------------------// // The Warrior Gene and Ancient Black Lightning // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// Onyx stood outside of the small home that Beats and his sister occupied. Lifting a hoof, she knocked three times and then waited. It wasn't until a few moments after that the door opened to Beats face. “Oh hey,” he greeted with a smile, “I was just on my way to go find that wolf guy. What's up?” “Nothing much,” Onyx said with a shrug, returning the smile, “We just wanted to make sure you and your sister were okay.” “We?” he asked, not seeing a sign of the sandy pegasus around. That was until he heard a loud grunt and something fall. Sticking his head out of the door, he looked past Onyx to find Ruppy collapsed on the ground with numerous bags on her back. “Learn...to carry...your own shit!” she huffed out. “I only bought a few things. You were the one that insisted on buying everything with a price tag on it,” Onyx retorted. Ruppy simply responded with a huff and glare. Beats only looked in confusion before the unicorn explained, “We went shopping as a little celebration for ending the Fallen Kings.” Beats eyes had widened a bit, “You did it!? That's great!” he exclaimed, “But, uh...well, I think it'd be easier to show you,” he cryptically explained before nodding over to the side of the house. Onyx followed behind while Ruppy struggled and lifted herself off of the ground, wobbling over to where the two were. He led them to a thick bush where he pushed aside some of the branches to reveal the problem he spoke of. And what a problem it was. Under the branches, there was the body of one of the Fallen Kings thugs. His neck had been snapped clean in one swift movement. “He was lurking around the house yesterday,” he explained, “When I dropped Scootaloo off at school that morning, I noticed him on the way back and took care of it, but I haven't been able to do much. It's kind of hard to move a body, but if I leave him out here any longer, he's gonna start to smell, and I really don't need Scoots and her friends to find him.” “Don't worry,” Onyx reassured, “We'll help you move him tonight. I'm sure Silver could get rid of it if he has to.” Beats nodded and covered the body back up with the bush branches, “Speaking of which,” he began as he and the mares stepped out from beside the house, “Where can I find him? I've been meaning to ask him about Scoots watching you guys train.” “You can just go talk to Princess Twilight,” Ruppy informed, “She should usually know where he is. Just go to the library.” “Cool, two birds with one stone. I was going to submit an application as well for her guard,” he said as he went to the front door and locked it. He began trotting to the Golden Oaks afterwards. From where he lived, the walk would only take about ten minutes. “So you're really signing up, huh?” Ruppy inquired. “Yeah. After all, I owe you two,” he reminded, “and you said this was how you wanted me to repay you. Besides, I still haven't found a job yet, and if the Princesses are willing to approve of you two, then I don't see why they wouldn't do the same for me.” “Hmm, well I suppose we could put in a good word for you,” the pegasus teased. Beats simply rolled his eyes. “I don't think it will work like that,” Onyx commented, causing both to stop and turn to face her with confusion on their muzzles. “It wasn't Princess Twilight that picked us,” Onyx began to explain, “It was Silver, remember? I don't think she really had a say in it before. But now that she's accepting applications, she's going to be judging you by her own standards. So while Silver might approve of you, it doesn't mean the Princess will.” Well...that threw a wrench in their plans. “Oh well,” Beats said with a shrug as he continued his trot, “Won't know until I try.” A set of purple hooves paced back and forth across the wooden floor of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight had been wandering in circles since she got back from Silvers, wondering what she could say to Rainbow Dash to help comfort her. Should she go by herself, or should she bring the others with her? Oh, but they might be busy! But this is also one of their best friends who's suffering from a traumatic experience! Should she bring a gift, or should she just go give her support? Ohh, what to do? What to do? Her internal conflict had ceased for a moment when she heard a knock on the door. “Come in! It's open!” she called through. Honestly, when were ponies going to remember this is a library, and anyone could come in. The door opened and Beats, Ruppy and Onyx strolled in. “Yo!” Ruppy greeted wearily, a mountain of bags slung over her back. Onyx and Beats simply bowed in respect, before the latter spoke up. “Hello Princess Twilight, I was hoping I could speak with you. I understand you're trying to put together your own royal guard.” The way he spoke seemed...odd. He was polite and mannerly, and had a tone of complete respect. While he wasn't necessarily rude most times, he certainly didn't speak with such regard. “Yes,” Twilight said with a sigh, “Though it's been a bit of a slow process. I haven't had many request to join, and Luna and Celestia can only send over so many of their own. On top of which, Silver says I should think about how I want my guards to operate, which has only made it harder to pick who I want to join. And then there's this grimoire mess and...” The alicorn trailed into another tired sigh. The problems just seem to keep piling up. “Well, if I may request,” the stallion began, “I'd like a form to join your guard, ma'am.” “Oh, you would!” She said in a chipper voice, a sudden turn around from her previous tone. She trotted over to a small packet of papers on the center piece of the library. After shuffling through to make sure they were the right forms, she floated them over to the hooves of Beats, “Here you are! Please make sure to fill out all of them and come see me tomorrow for an interview.” Beats nodded and placed the papers into his saddle bag before turning back to Twilight, “One last thing ma'm. I was wondering where Silver might be.” “Silver?” she pondered for a moment, “Hmm, he came back with Luna shortly after leaving and then...Oh I know!” Twilight quickly trotted over to a small desk on the side of the couch. A flash came from her horn and the desk illuminated for a moment, the stopped. She pulled out one of the draws and lifted a key out. Ruppy and Onyx had recognized it. It looked like one of Silvers Dimension Keys that he'd given them, but this one was a vibrant purple and not blue. The alicorn trotted over to the hall and stopped at the door she always used, “I think he's at Star Shines. She came by later when he and Luna came back, then he said something about being pudgy before she dragged him off,” She put the key in and turned it. A violet light came through the cracks of the door and died out, just like it would with Silvers. She pushed the door open and stepped in, followed by the three ponies behind. The room was dark and smelled horribly. With what little they could see, they could tell the floor was cluttered and barely visible, even if the lights were on. Twilight, for some reason, had no issue with maneuvering around in the dark mess. She made her way over to the wall and flipped on a switch, revealing the inside of the room. In all honesty though, it was more of a lab than a room. Sure, there was a bed tucked away in the corner, but every other space had been occupied with some kind of scientific machinery. Twilight sighed, “I keep telling her she should keep her house cleaner. Oh well,” She turned and walked over to a machine with a number of monitors showing numerous rooms. A few of them were recognizable, as they were part of the Canterlot Palace. After a moment of looking, Twilight had found the room where the wolves had ran off to...and found a third in there with them. “Found him,” she informed, then trotted off to the opposite side of the room where they had entered and down a hall. Ruppy, Onyx and Beats followed, more than glad to get away from the pigsty of a room. It took a good three minutes of walking through the hall until they finally heard the voices of two familiar wolves chatting away. “I still don't see why this is necessary,” Silvers voice carried through the hall. “It's necessary because it affects your ability to protect the princesses,” Star Shine shot back. “Oh please!” Silver dismissed, “The only ones in Equestria capable of matching our power are the princesses, Discord and dragons. And even then, Discord has been reformed and dragons haven't made trouble in Equestria for centuries. What's the point?” “He's kinda right, Star,” another voice chimed in. One that none of the ponies recognized, “If we actually put in even a little effort, then I seriously doubt that there's a pony in this country that could stand up to us.” The four ponies rounded a corner and finally an exit could be seen. They wandered into a large room. An incredibly large room. It was easily the length of four hoofball fields combined and as wide as two. It's height was some three stories tall. When they exited the hall, they came out on a balcony of sorts, that connected to the floor below by a staircase on the far side. It seemed the wolves down below hadn't noticed them yet. Among them was one Twilight nor the others recognized. He was completely black with two white bandannas attached to him, one around his neck and the other just above his paw. “Even if we are the second most powerful creatures in the land, we still need to be in peak condition. That wound on your side is more than enough proof that I'm right,” the female of the canine trio fired back. “I got hurt because I was trying to get away without having to kill that pony,” Silver retorted, “When it actually came down to fighting, that pony was barely stronger than a timberwolf. Though, I'll admit. His little Fairy Wisps caught me off guard.” “Exactly!” Star Shine exclaimed, “If you were in top shape, you wouldn't have been so much as scratched. And that lack of strength makes you a liability. And you know how I handle liabilities.” Silver simply rolled his eyes while she continued, “Besides, we don't need you twos other issues getting out of control. Training is a good way to make sure that doesn't happen.” Both of the male wolves ears feel flat, “Fine...” they mumbled together. “Star Shine! Silver!” Twilight called from the staircase, grabbing the attention of all three wolves who turned to see her and the other three approaching, “Hey, we were looking for you two.” The black wolf had smiled at her and bowed respectively, but...something bothered about him bothered her. “What for?” Silver asked. Twilight ignored her uneasiness and sauntered over to peck the wolf on the cheek, “Well I just wanted to see my wolf-friend, but Beats said he wants to talk with you.” “Hell--” the stallion began, only to be cut off by a growl. “Silver....” Star Shine hissed with a deadly glare, “What was that?” ….Well she was going to find out eventually, so might as well get the ass kicking over with now. “Um....” the wolf attempted, but was silenced by a lavender hoof over his mouth. Twilight stepped forward between Silver and Star Shine, “Star Shine, I understand that you're upset, but I will date who I please, even if it is one of my bodyguards. I will have to ask you not to intervene in my relationship or reprimand Silver, as he has done nothing wrong.” The female wolf's anger deflated into a pout, “Yes princess...” but she will get the details sooner or later. Twilight nodded happily, “Now Beats, you had something to say?” Said pegasus strolled toward Silver, “H-hello, sir,” he nervously squeaked out, sticking his hoof out to shake. Silver took his offer and shook, “Drop the sir, I look to young for that,” he corrected. Sure. The wolf looked too young. “Right, sorry. So, I was wondering, um...My little sister asked if she could come watch Ruppy and Onyx train. She's really into fitness and exercise so I figure it's something like a hobby for her. A-and I promise she won't get in the way.” Silver quirked a brow. He hadn't heard of anyone coming to watch some pony else train before. It was...well it was a little creepy to be honest. But hey, what's the worst that could happen? “Well I'm fine with it, but are you sure you want her seeing stuff like that?” Silver questioned. It was the stallions turn to be confused, “What do you mean? You're not making them do unlawful things or something, are you?” The silver wolf shook his head, “Well not for training, but...well I think it's best if you just sit and watch what I mean,” Silver gestured a paw to the raised path they used to enter, indicating to a black piece of glass and the door that led to the room behind it. Now all the ponies were confused. What was there to watch? Star Shine clapped her paws togther, “Chop-chop boys! I need some data to work with!” then turned to the group of ponies, “Come on,” she said with a nodded and began heading to the staircase, “we don't want to be down here when they start.” “Start what?” Twilight asked, falling in line behind her. “Sparring,” she replied. While still confused, the group headed back up the stairs and to the indicated door, leaving only the two male wolves behind. Upon entering, they found it was much like Star Shines room, only less of a mess. All of the walls were occupied by screens and machines that monitored the floor below. They all move to look out of the glass window and below to the two wolves on the floor. Star Shine held down a button on the panel in front of them, then spoke into a microphone. “Alright guys, start when you're ready,” She said, her voice amplified by the speaker. Silver put a distance between the two of them, not quite going to the other side of the room, but still a good ways away. The other wolf had simply removed his bandannas, revealing white, archaic marks under them. “Star Shine, I've been meaning to ask. Who is that wolf?” Twilight inquired. “That's Black Wing. He guards Princess Cadence,” she informed while flipping some switches and turning some knobs. A few of the monitors flicked on and displayed numerous charts and graphs, along with two images of wolves. “That's Black Wing?” The alicorn looked back over to the floor and examined him, “He's a King, right?” Star Shine nodded, “Yep. A bonafide bad-ass.” Twilight continued to stare. She was still unable to shake the feeling he gave her. Like she was overwhelmed by some unknown force, “He kinda makes me uneasy for some reason.” “Yeah, he does that to everything,” Star Shine casually explained. “What do you mean?” The alicorn asked. “He has an immeasurable amount of magic power, and I'm not exaggerating,” she pointed a paw over to one of the screens that turned on, which showed a bar on a graph suddenly spiking, presumably measuring his magic output, “He easily surpasses both Silver and me combined, in terms of magic. It's what makes you so uncomfortable. His presence is too overwhelming.” Twilight had heard of it happening before, though she never experienced it herself. In some cases, if the pony was too strong, they would actually knock other ponies unconscious simply by walking in front of them. “So he's stronger than Silver?” Ruppy asked from the back, finally having a moment to drop her bags. Star Shine shook her head, “No. While his magic is his greatest attribute, it's also his greatest weakness. The sheer amount of it puts a strain on his body, and it becomes weaker. That's what the bandannas are for. They seal off part of it so he can move efficiently. So while he has Silver beat in terms of magic, Silvers body is stronger.” “So of your pack, Silver's the physical power house, while Black Wings the magic master?” Twilight pondered. Again, Star Shine shook her head, “Not quite. Silver's...a little difficult to explain. Maybe you'll understand if you see him fight.” The alicorn nodded and turned her attention to the wolves below, who were just about to start. “How long has it been since we've done this?” Silver asked to his friend on the other side of the room. “Probably....I have no idea. Too long though,” he replied. Silver chuckled, “Well said. Now, it's been a while,” he said with a crack of his neck, “But I guess I could flip my switch.” In a moments notice, his normal grin became maniacal and blood thirsty. The air around him shook and the floor was crushed by his paws. His wings shot out as he activated his Steel Wing spell. Black Wing went through the same experience. Both seemed to go into a battle crazed state in seconds. Both of them disappeared a second after, a loud boom resounding in the room after they vanished, and the floor beneath where they were previously standing had become craters. They reappeared in mid air, their wings clashing and sending out a shock wave that shook the room before disappearing again. Again and again they clashed, their wing blades striking with more force than a lighting bolt, and just as fast too. It eventually sped up to the point where no pony could follow their movements, and could only see the various sparks erupting throughout the room where their wings made contact. “Holy shit!” Ruppy exclaimed, “What the fuck is going on!?” Before someone could answer, the clashing died down and both wolves went skidding across the ground on their paws, their claws digging in and tearing into the floor. “Strike him down” Black Wing muttered as he shot out...black lightning? Was that really black lightning? “Split.” Silver muttered back, as a vortex of wind quickly wrapped around him, then fired off a blade of wind. The two magics collided and exploded, the shock wave causing the glass to wobble and flex. Again, the two of them disappeared at a blinding speed, only their attacks thrown at each other were able to be seen as they danced across the room. “What's going on? They're going to kill each other!” Twilight exclaimed. “Of course, that's what they're trying to do after all,” Star Shine calmly explained. The alicorn turned to the wolf with wide eyes, “They're what?!” The battle continued to rage on as both wolves appeared again. Silver flew into the air, then bolted down towards Black Wing with a tunnel of wind surrounding his body, forming a point like a spear. Black Wings body erupted with lightning and he bolted up towards Silver as well. They connected and the following explosion rocked the room harder than any of the previous ones. When they finally landed, Twilight and the others had noticed something odd. They were smiling. Not a happy, everyday smile. Not a smile you make while you laugh. But a psychotic one. One that only a madwolf would wear, and at the moment, they indeed seemed like madwolves. “There's something we should have told you, Princess,” Star Shine began, “About the wolves of Houndland. I'm sure you can tell that Silver is behaving in a way like you've never seen before.” Twilight nodded. “It's called the warrior gene,” she continued, “It causes high level of aggression in whoever is born with it. Unfortunately, all wolves have this gene. It's why we're all so adept in violence. But, there are some...exceptions, I suppose you should call them. You see, while all wolves are born with the gene, the females don't necessarily express it. It lays dormant until we're put under extreme duress or if our hormones get out of control, like when we're pregnant. “But for the males, it's always present. Most learn to control their aggression though. Do you remember when we went into Silvers memories and stood on the water?” Twilight again, nodded. “That was his suppression. It was the barrier he used to keep himself from going out of control. But...every once in a while, they need to blow off some steam. If they don't, they become violent and burn everything around them. That's...what made Saber. He was out of control and fell prey to his instincts. It was the same with Black Wing.” “Wait...do you mean that Black Wing's one of the Fallen Kings?” Twilight asked. It was a bit of a leap, but the way Star Shine phrased it made it seem like he was. And she was right. The wolf nodded, “He was called Lancer at the time. And like Saber, he was one of the ones who ended the Territory Wars, at a price though. Anyway, my point is that the warrior genes aggression must be wrung out from time to time, otherwise they'll fall back into their old ways, and I don't think Equestria or any other country could survive that.” “So they try to kill each other?” Ruppy flatly asked. “It's the only way,” the wolf fired back, “There's no other creature that can take them on except for each other, and violence is the only way for them to work it all out.” There was another earth shaking explosion and the two wolves flew across the room once more. “Well by the looks of it, they have a lot of pent up aggression...” Twilight commented. Silver bolted forward once more and Black Wing launched another bolt of black lighting. Silver weaved around it and got into his face, bringing his hind leg up and kicking the black wolf under the chin. Black Wing was knocked back into a wall, but dug himself out seconds after. Six black balls of electricity formed around his body, then connected to each other in a chain. They all fired out six individual shots, all aimed for Silver. The wolf of the wind took to the air, the lightning following after him as he flew around the room. He managed to dodge four of them, but was struck down by the last two and landed on the ground shortly after. They were even now... “What is that?” Twilight asked, “I've never heard of black lightning before.” “Oh that? It's called a Lost Element,” Star Shine informed while punching in some data on the panel, “They're part of elemental magic but are thought to be long forgotten and lost in time. I've heard of a few creatures in the world that revive them by studying certain forms of the elements, but it's rare and I'm not sure if that's how Black Wing learned it. He won't tell anybody, not even Silver.” “Hmm...” Twilight may have just found a new research project. If he won't tell, then she'll just have to experiment, “But then...what makes Silver so strong?” Before she could get an answer out of the wolf in the room, Star Shine had turned to look at the room below. Finally the violence below had died down, and the two wolves stood there huffing and grinning at one another from opposite sides of the room. “Alright, I think they're done,” She clicked the button for the microphone once more, “Hey guys! You done?” Both grinned up at the room, then fell over and collapsed on their sides. “Silver!” Twilight called, then teleported out of the room and was by his side in milliseconds, “Silver, are you okay?!” she exclaimed. The wolf nodded and rolled onto his stomach, picking his head up as he went to speak, “Yeah, I'm good. Never felt better, actually.” The alicorn let out a sigh of relief, before sitting down and running a hoof over his back. The fur was slightly singed and a little bruised, but that was to be expected after all, “You know, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with me to see Rainbow, but I think it's best if you rest for a little while.” “No,” he grunted as he went to stand, “I want to see her too.” “Are you sure you're okay to? You did just go a little crazy after all,” Twilight reminded, gesturing a hoof to the wrecked room. There were several dozen holes and craters punched into the walls, roof and floor where they magic and blows had missed or been reflected. How the room had not collapsed yet was still a mystery. “Don't worry, I'll be okay,” he said as he brushed off some dust from his coat, “And I need to get the medicine for her from Star anyway.” “You're giving her medicine?” the mare inquired. “It's just something to help her sleep,” he informed, then began walking over to where Star Shine and the others were. Black Wing had raised himself at some point as well, and had already began talking with her. “So how's it looking?” Silver asked as the two of them approached, “Do you have an idea of what you want to do yet?” Star Shine hummed as she looked over the numbers she had scribbled down on a clipboard before leaving the room, “Well, you're not in the worst of shapes,but you're definitely lacking. Compared to your peak conditions, you're both at about 60% strength.” Silver winced, “Oh, that bad huh?” “Afraid so. But don't worry, I'll come up with something. In the mean time, you two get back to your jobs,” she said, shooing them away with a paw. “Okay then. But first, do you have that medicine I asked for?” the wind wolf inquired. Star Shine paused and hummed for a moment, “Hmm...Oh yeah! It should be on your couch. I forgot about it when I grabbed you earlier.” Silver sighed, “Alright then. First we can make a stop at my place, then we'll go see Rainbow. Ruppy and Onyx can put their stuff away too,” he noted, pointing out the pegasus mares exhaustion. “Finally!” said mare groaned, “Now lets go home!” The group had left the home of one wolf and traded it for the home of another. Everyone but Beats piled through the door, the stallion having left to go pick up his little sister. And a few shovels... Luckily for him though, since he didn't walk into the sight of a very angry earth pony mare sitting in Silvers living room. Honestly, the majority of his female guests have been found sitting on his couch with a wrathful look in their eyes at some point or another. But, fortunately for the wolf, he wasn't the main target of the wrath this time. No, that honor went to Ruppy. Aerial turned from her position on the sofa, her glare causing every pony walking through the door freeze instantly. “Hello...” she spoke with a low tone. She rose from her spot and marched over to the sandy pegasus, “You have some explaining to do...” “Uh...I do?” Ruppy replied. She honestly hadn't known what she did wrong. Aerial held her glare, her silence only adding to it's frightening appearance, “Do you know what I learned this morning?” Ruppy shook her head. “Well, I learned that a certain building was burned down last night in Manehatten,” she calmly informed, though her stare never ceased, “and over two dozen ponies were killed in it. The reports showed that they were already dead when the building collapsed, and from the looks of the bodies, the guard assumed it was the work of a rival gang.” “Uh...” the pegasus uttered, unsure of where this was going. Sure, she could be upset about the killings, but then why was her anger directed only at Ruppy? Onyx was just as guilty, so why wasn't she on the receiving end as well? Aerial let her sentence hang in the air for a moment before speaking again, “The Fallen Kings, Ruppy!” she shouted, her voice starling the others in the room, “I know you and Onyx had troubles with them in the past, and I also know you two went to Manehatten yesterday! Now tell me, was it the two of you!?” Silver and Twilight had taken a step back, whispering to each other. “They killed over two dozen ponies?” Twilight said in a hushed voice, though the tone she carried with it indicated her grieve and a slight anger. “I meant to tell you about it, but I kept forgetting. Sorry...” he whispered back, his voice showing his own guilt. The alicorn sighed. Well, in a way, he hadn't done anything wrong. After all, his promise not to kill unnecessarily only applied to him, not his protegees. Of course, if they were going to remain a part of her guard, that would have to change. “Okay yes,” Ruppy stated calmly, “Onyx and I went to Manehatten and finished off what was left of the Fallen Kings. I can understand why you would be mad about that, but in our defense, they tried to kill us first.” Aerials eyes went wide. Fear washed over her face as some of the color drained out of her, “You...you were what?” “They attacked us on the way back from Las Pegasus two days ago,” Onyx informed, stepping into the conversation, “The new leaders were the old ponies we used to run with, and I guess they didn't like us leaving them for Silver, so they tried to have us killed.” Aerial fell onto her haunches, slumping over with her head down, “You...you could have been...” she trailed off as she covered her mouth with a hoof, now only making shudders and gasps as she tried to fight back the worry building in her heart. “Hey, hey,” the sandy pegasus comforted, pulling her into a hug with her wing “It's okay. You couldn't have known, and it's perfectly normal that you would get mad over us....killing so much...” The words she spoke seemed to hold a different feel this time. Ruppy never had any trouble before with speaking about the ponies she's killed, save for those she killed when she went berserk. But now...it was like she'd crossed a line that was never there before. Like they'd done too much. Aerial sniffled and shook her head, “It wasn't the killing I was upset about. I know the two of you have done it before and probably will again. It's just...it was just the two of you against a small army. You could have been killed and...I-I--” she choked on her words as a tear ran down her cheek, “I don't want to loose anymore of my friends....” “Anymore?” Well that was something knew. Aerial had never talked much about herself, but they always figured that was because there wasn't much to talk about. She seemed like she'd had a normal life before she met Silver. Were they wrong? But that would have to be answered later. Right now, Aerial needed comfort. A brief gasp escaped from the crying mare as her chin was lifted by a sandy hoof, “Aerial...I'm sorry we made you worry, but this is what we do. This is going to be our life from now on. We'll finish our training an become guards for Princess Twilight. We'll have to put our lives on the line time after time.” Aerials pained expression only grew as more tears found their way down her face. That was, until she heard the next words spoken. “But I promise you, that no matter what, we'll always come back. I don't care if we half to break through mountain, I swear to you, we will always come back home.” The earth pony suddenly found herself wrapped in a hug from both sides as Onyx had joined in, “We promise.” Aerial returned the hugs with as much strength as she could, “You better...” she whispered. Twilight and Silver sat to the side, watching the moment unfold. “I think our little family just grew by one more.” Silver nudged the alicorn with a wing, “Come on,” he whispered, “Let's give them some time. Besides, we still need to go see Dash.” Twilight nodded, leaning over to see the small bag of medicine on the couch and floated it over before silently making her way over to the door in Silvers paw-steps. Now to go find a traumatized pegasus... Perhaps maybe her heart could be healed today as well, even if it's only a little.