The Shaded Path

by Crensler

Chapter 13

Seeker awoke to the steady beeping of his heart rate monitor, eyes reluctant to open as he let out a soft, barely audible groan. Where was he? How had he gotten there? It took a little while for his groggy mind to get up to speed, but when it did his eyes shot open wide. Nightmare Radiance, Red Velvet, the revelation of who had killed Gray Shroud and his dream, it all came rushing back. He tried to get up, only for pain to wrack his entire body, the earth pony hardly twitching despite his best efforts. His eyes darted around the room, taking in what there was to see. He was in a bed, in a hospital from the looks of it, with an oxygen mask strapped to his muzzle and about a half dozen wires and tubes attached to him. How badly hurt had he gotten in that fight? Things got hazy after Radiance told him she'd killed the old bird, but he hadn't been this injured...had he?

It was too hard to remember anything after he'd heard his cousin admit to her crime, so for the time being he let it go. How he was injured was likely quite obvious, given who he'd been fighting. Well, fighting wasn't exactly what he'd call what had transpired between them. She'd been playing with him from the very start after all. What was he supposed to do to stop somepony that powerful? He remembered what Luna had said, about going to Ponyville, wondering how it would help. He knew one thing, though: he had to get stronger, even if he had to work himself until he bled in order to do it. Unfortunately that would have to wait, as his condition wasn't nearly good enough for him to start training. But how long could they afford to wait? How long would it be until Nightmare Radiance found her next victim? He couldn't afford to just lay in bed, but what choice did he have? He had another concern, however. Where was Mystic Star?

"I had hoped you would be awake." Luna's voice startled him, the princess currently outside his field of view. "There is much we must speak of and I am not sure how long we have to do so." She walked to where he could see her, her expression inscrutable as she gazed down at where he lay on the hospital bed. "I have lingered far longer than I should have and it is only a matter of time before my sister discovers my absence." She raised her brows when Seeker let out an unintelligible croak, leaning down and tilting her head towards his mouth in order to better hear him.

"S...Star," he managed to gasp, voice scratchy and weak, his throat feeling like someone had scrubbed it out with sandpaper. Fortunately Luna managed to catch it this time, the princess smiling mysteriously as she raised her head once more.

"She lays in yonder bed," she told him, nodding her head to indicate the area out of his view, blocked by machinery whose purpose he couldn't even guess at. "Presently she sleeps and is well on her way down the road to recovery." He wondered why she looked so amused, as if she were in on some joke he wasn't privy to or something. "We shall be joining her in dreams in order for us to speak freely given the condition the two of you are presently in." Seeker had a raise a brow at this, not knowing how she'd manage that. "I am able to link ponies together in a shared dream or bring somepony into that of another." She took up a seat upon the room's only chair, making herself comfortable. "Close your eyes, my little pony, and we shall speak again once I have completed the process."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Luna waited for Seeker's breathing to slow and his body to relax, closing her own eyes and concentrating, needing to be focused for what she wished to accomplish. The spiral of her horn was slowly traced by white light, starting at the base and working its way to the tip where it coalesced into a small orb from which sprouted two tendrils, one connecting to Seeker's brow, the other to Mystic Star's. Her world funneled downwards into light, which slowly took shape. She stood in Mystic Star's dream, sighing softly as she saw that it had not changed beyond the fact the mare was now bouncing around with their foal selves.

Seeker was beside her, standing stock still and staring in open mouthed shock, his right eye twitching as he took in the morphine induced dream that Mystic Star was currently experiencing. She found herself feeling no small amount of mirth at his reaction, having to stifle a giggle by bringing a hoof to her lips. True, she had reacted much the same way at first, but seeing it mirrored in her dour subject tickled the part of her she blamed Celestia for creating with her endless japes and jests. She let him soak the scene in for a few moments longer before deciding to intervene, loudly clearing her throat and allowing their presence to be seen while Mystic Star was in the middle of another bounce.

"Huh?" Mystic Star blinked at them dumbly for a few moments, hanging suspended in midair, her drug addled mind slowly processing what she was seeing. Suddenly the foal versions of Luna and Seeker vanished with audible, almost comical, pops and the landscape overflowing with pillows, hot chocolate and marshmallows morphed into the mare's lab. Speaking of which, said mare turned back into an adult and, with a startled cry and a resounding thump, fell to the floor, landing flat on her belly with legs spreadeagled. "P-P-Princess Luna?!" The unicorn rose to her hooves, looking decidedly dazed. "W-w-what brings you here...w-with Seeker?" Her cheeks flushed scarlet as he stared at her in silence, mouth still hanging open.

"You'll have to forgive Seeker, he is merely having trouble...adjusting to the dreamscape," Luna said to her, giggling softly as she glanced his way. Had they been in the waking world she feared he would catch flies with how his jaw seemed ready to hit the floor. "As for our purpose, we came to talk." She smirked deviously. "That is if you are quite finished with your previous bout of gaiety?" Mystic Star's flush of embarrassment only grew worse at her words. "Good, then we may move on to more important matters." She took a moment to close Seeker's mouth, the act snapping him out of his stupor. "I know you have both had a trying time lately, but please, tell me everything. Leave no detail, however small, out of the telling. Even the tiniest of facts could be important."

And so they did.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Luna listened as the pair finished their tale, Seeker even more grim of demeanor than usual while Mystic Star was not her usual peppy self. Honestly, though, who could blame them? Cold blooded, vicious, calculated murder the likes of which they had seen hadn't happened in Equestria for...well, she couldn't even remember any cases from before her banishment. Certainly there had been the odd crime of passion, but the likes of which Nightmare Radiance had committed? She shook her head, a weary sigh escaping her without the princess even realizing it. Seeker had also lost two family members in as many days, while Mystic Star had been forced to try and help the stallion process his grief.

"I am sorry for your loss, Seeker," she told him softly, sympathy greatly coloring her tone. "To lose loved ones in such a manner...I cannot even begin to imagine it." She had come close to it once, though she'd been the one trying to kill Celestia at the time. Thank Faust that her sister had managed to use the Elements by herself. "I would also like to apologize to you, Mystic Star." The mare looked surprised by her words. "I sent you with Seeker unaided, thereby putting you in great danger, and for that I am sorry."

"Princess, no, it's alright," Star assured her, giving the princess a tentative smile. "No one could have predicted what happened, alicorn or otherwise." It was true, Luna supposed, but she should have done more to assure their safety. Perhaps had them escorted by one of her guards or...no. No, it would not have helped against a foe such as Radiance. "We're both alive and we'll recover, so please, don't burden yourself with this."

"She's right, your highness," Seeker added gruffly, looking up from where he'd been staring holes into the floor. "If it weren't for you coming to the rescue we'd have died out in that desert." He bowed to her respectfully. "Thank you for helping us." He rose from his bow shortly after, looking puzzled, though still grateful. "Gotta admit, your timing was amazing. If you don't mind me asking, though, how did you know to come looking for us in the first place?" Luna didn't immediately respond, trying to quickly weigh her options.

"What do you remember after the Nightmare confessed to killing Gray Shroud?" She finally asked in a careful manner, his dream having not gone into that.

"Nothing, really," Seeker told her, looking uncomfortable at the reminder her question gave him. "I remember her bragging about it, taunting me and...and that's it, it all goes black." Luna, however, felt there was something he wasn't saying, staring the earth pony down until he ducked his head with his ears pinned back; an instinctual show of submission. "I remember wanting to hurt her. To make her pay for what she did to Shroud and Velvet." He grimaced as he continued. "I think I even hated her but then it's all black until I woke up briefly in the ravine." Luna noted that Mystic Star was staring at the stallion oddly and the princess felt she knew why.

"I believe I may be able to shed some light on what transpired during the gap in your memory," the lunar diarch informed him, gaze still resting on Mystic Star. "However I feel that your companion has something she wishes to say first. Mystic Star?" The mare flinched. "I would appreciate it if you would share what it is you witnessed once the Nightmare revealed her involvement in Gray Shroud's death." Seeker looked to the unicorn expectantly, causing her to sigh in resignation.

"I'm not sure what happened to be honest," Star began hesitantly. "It was similar to what you described regarding your transformations but you didn't seem to be under the influence of your fragment." She shifted uncomfortably as she recalled the brutal way he had attacked Nightmare Radiance. "You were like a pony possessed. Your thaumic channels, the pathways in our bodies that allow magic to flow, looked like they were on fire!" The stallion's eyes widened at this. "Your eyes were literally shining with it, Seeker, and Radiance couldn't lift a single hoof to stop you while whatever it was had a hold of you." She paused, confused by something. "B-but then it just...vanished! Magic doesn't just vanish, so it makes no sense for that sort of power to just disappear like that!" That was all Luna needed to hear.

"This is where I come in," Luna said, both ponies looking to her for whatever answer she had to give. "It begins over a thousand years ago, not long after Celestia and I trapped Discord within his prison of stone..."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The Undiscovered West, a fairly broad term for the lands west of Equestria where, as the name suggests, no pony had set hoof since before the nation had even been founded. It was a place where there was no law, no safety and, as far as anypony knew, no centers of even the most rudimentary of civilizations. The closest thing to it could hardly be considered worthy of the name, at least as far as Daring Do was concerned. The adventurous pegasus lay hidden amidst the leaves of some thorny bush she couldn't readily identify, a grimace twisting her muzzle as she watched the pack of Diamond Dogs she had been tracking for the past several days. They looked almost nothing like their Equestrian cousins, though. Larger, hardier, their fur matted and gnarly, beady eyes showing only a hint of intelligence as they greedily tore at the flesh of some animal they had caught.

Now, Daring Do wasn't one to judge a person on their diet, as griffons ate fish, but these creatures hadn't even cooked the thing they were now eating, making an awful mess of themselves and the scraps of hide they covered themselves with. Barbarians, the lot of them, and she should know. She'd met many different indigenous tribes of people during her travels, but she really doubted these Dogs would be willing to talk. Now that she thought about it, Daring wasn't even sure they could talk, as the most they had done while she had been observing them was bark, growl and grunt at one another. If it weren't for the glitter of gemstones crudely fashioned into jewelry and studding the hides they wore, Daring wouldn't even classify them as Diamond Dogs at all.

From what she'd been able to gather over the course of her investigation, these Dogs lived a more nomadic life than their Equestrian counterparts, only the biggest packs settling down in more permanent locations where gemstones were more readily found. Daring had been out in the wilderness for months, carefully observing and documenting everything she saw, trying to find where the Heart of Kevalth, a red diamond that was once the prized possession of the dragon it was named after. From what Daring had been able to gather, it was given to the Crystal Empire for safekeeping after Kevalth's death, the unicorn council that advised the royal family Platinum would later descend from having feared its mysterious powers.

Of course nopony alive today had any idea what these powers were supposed to be, given the fact the Crystal Empire vanished for a thousand years, but an artifact like that didn't belong with a bunch of filthy, neolithic mutts. Daring certainly wasn't about to leave without it, either, given the work that had gone into tracking it down in the first place. Countless hours of pouring over old tomes, carefully examining ancient scrolls ready to disintegrate if you so much as breathed on them wrong and the copious amount of mud she'd been forced to slather herself with in order to hide her scent made her bound and determined to recover the Heart, no matter what it took. Of course, the trouble was that she had no idea which tribe had it, only that one of the larger bands of roving Dogs had raided the Empire during the tumultuous time when Sombra rose to power.

A thousand years was a long time for the Heart to have changed paws, after all, and yet there were only three major packs in the region, constantly fighting against each other for territory, mates and food. The odds of some lesser, wandering pack having the Heart were slim, so before she drove herself crazy trying to track them all down, Daring figured her best bet was to infiltrate each of the big three and see if fortune was on her side. Fortunately the Dogs finished their meal, leaving the bits they didn't eat and the gnawed bones behind, along with their odious stench. How they could smell anything being as filthy as they were was beyond her, but at least she could move on now. Carefully avoiding their leavings, Daring crawled her way along the ground, ears perked and head on a swivel, not wanting to get spotted. A single howl could put the whole den on alert, so she needed to remain undetected if she wanted to have a chance of getting inside.

"The entrance has to be around here somewhere," Daring muttered to herself while peering around the trunk of a tree, feeling very exposed now that she was clear of the underbrush. "Now, if I were some stinking, stupid Dog, where would I hide the entrance to my den?" No mountains or hills, so it had to be a network of tunnels under the forest itself. She ducked back as she heard what sounded like something thrashing through the brush to her left, swiftly flying upwards into the tree she'd been using for cover to get out of sight. Instead of what she'd been expecting, however, the entire shrub was uprooted as a Dog tunneled his way to the surface. She couldn't help grinning, her luck having come through for her after all, waiting for the Dog to climb out and wander off, giving herself a bit in case any more decided to pop out.

"Infiltration mission is a go," the intrepid treasure seeker murmured before dropping into the new hole, wings tucked in tightly against her sides to keep them from snagging on anything. The tunnel snaked downwards, the pegasus sliding down into the dark, feeling glad she'd packed a lantern in her rucksack, otherwise she'd be blind once the tunnel eventually ended. The familiar thrill of the unknown filled her, the mare having to suppress the urge to let out a whoop once she came flying out of the tunnel, wings spreading to kill her momentum. Her joints ached from the sudden stop, but she'd made it, hooves touching down on roughly hewn rock. She held her breath, listening intently for any signs of company within the murky blackness of her surroundings.

Once she felt it was safe, Daring dug out her lantern and tinder box, sparks briefly lighting the darkness before she managed to get it lit. The light the lantern cast glinted off gemstone deposits in the walls, old claw marks and ragged holes denoting where the Dogs had harvested some in the past. The next thing she noticed was the smell. It was like wet domesticated dog mixed with a liberal dose of body odor, Daring fighting the urge to gag as it assaulted her nostrils. At least Equestrian Diamond Dogs had a basic understanding of hygiene, as in they bathed once a month, but she doubted these particular Dogs had any idea what a bath even was. Doing her best not to breathe too deeply, Daring began the dangerous task of exploring the den, hoping she wouldn't have to do this more than once.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"So you're saying that I somehow used your magic?" Seeker wasn't sure he could wrap his head around that fact. Him? Magic? Earth ponies don't cast spells or anything like that, no matter what Mystic Star said! "That makes no sense to me, princess. How? Why?"

"The why is simple enough to explain," Luna assured him, understanding why he was having trouble accepting it. "Your heart, your soul, they cried out for vengeance and revenge is a desire I understand all too well." She resisted the urge to sigh, instead focusing on explaining it to him. "The bond your ancestors created using the ancient zebra rituals allowed your magic to resonate with my own through your anger and desperation, but you could not control it and were overwhelmed by the experience."

"You mean it nearly killed him, right?" Mystic Star's pointed question made her wince. The princess of the night couldn't argue with the young mare's assessment given the stallion's present physical condition. "He's lucky to be still breathing after having that much raw energy flooding his system."

"I know that, Star," Seeker said, frowning as he processed all this new information. "And don't talk about me like I'm not here." He let out an indignant snort. "You said it overwhelmed me because I couldn't control it." He licked his lips nervously. "What if I trained to-"

"Oh, no way!" Star immediately interrupted him before he could voice it fully. "Alicorn magic isn't something to just mess around with, Seeker! No amount of training could possibly prepare you to become a vessel for it, not even if you were a unicorn."

"I am afraid Mystic Star is correct, Seeker," Luna told him gently. "Prolonged exposure to such an intense flame would burn you, likely causing irreparable damage in the process." The earth pony said nothing at first, glaring off to the side, clearly not happy with her response.

"Why even bother making such a connection then?" He demanded to know after several awkwardly silent moments. "First I hear they wanted to just be closer to you because of their faith, now I hear it's some kind of way to tap into your magic but it's basically useless, so why did they have to do something so bloody stupid in the first place?!"

"Because they wished to control me, as the zebra once controlled their loa." Luna's answer brought his sullen fuming to a dead halt. "When that failed I imagine they spun their ritual into a spiritual tale for those not aware of its true purpose, and so it was passed on and changed through oral tradition into what your clan tells today."

"Except thanks to Red Velvet we know that's a bunch of crap," Seeker grumbled, wondering why there had been so many secrets within the clan. Family didn't keep secrets from each other! Was this why Amber Dawn had left? She had been training to become Keeper before she ran away, so it would stand to reason that it was possible that what she learned drove her to resent their elders. "What else were Shroud and Velvet hiding from us?"

"Does it really matter at this point?" Star countered, staring him in the eye and causing him to feel uncomfortable. "I get it, you're upset and you have every right to be, but right now we need to focus on getting better, not hatching any harebrained schemes or planning stupidly suicidal training regimes." She gave his chest a sharp prod with one hoof. "Got it?"

"Got it," Seeker replied quickly, knowing that any defiance would likely lead to a hoof meeting the back of his head, like Amber Dawn used to do when he and Quick decided to do something dangerously reckless growing up. He could only grumble under his breath when Luna giggled at the sight of him so cowed before the smaller mare, shooting her a dirty look when the princess wasn't looking for good measure. "Not that this hasn't been...enlightening, but could I go back to my own head now?" He grimaced at their surroundings. "I've had enough of being in a lab to last me a lifetime."

"Certainly," Luna replied, still amused, much to his chagrin. "Good night, Seeker. Rest well." And, with a thought, she sent the stallion back to his own dreams, her amusement replaced with a concerned frown. "Keep an eye on him for me, Mystic Star. I fear he will try something reckless given his present mental state."

"You can count on me, princess."

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Sleep tight," Daring Do muttered to the Dog she'd just brained with a sizable rock, the brute now unconscious at her hooves, this being the third one she'd managed to bump into in the depths of the den. She'd had to douse her lantern, resorting to using a potion she'd purchased from a zebra that lived in the Everfree Forest, of all places, that allowed her to see as the Dogs do in the dark. Everything was a shade of grey, be it rock, Dog or gemstone, but it was more than good enough to navigate with under the circumstances. She had yet to find where their Alpha slept, which would be where she'd likely find the Heart, but she wasn't about to give up just yet.

The adventurous archeologist crept forward to the next bend, crouching low as she peeked around the roughly hewn rock to get a glimpse of the next chamber. She grinned at the sight of what awaited her; a primitive throne surrounded by raw chunks of gems, the Dogs here lacking the tools, and knowledge, to carve them. Hanging from the arm of this stone throne was a simple necklace, mere strips of rawhide binding an expertly carved and multifaceted gem. No Dog here carved that rock or she'd eat her pith hat. Which meant it could only be the Heart of Kevalth.

"Jackpot," she whispered, glancing around for any signs of a guard. About a dozen dogs lounged about the room, snoozing away, yet there were no sentries or even anyone that was awake. Honestly, what had she been expecting? Traps? Puzzles? This wasn't a temple in the steaming jungle, after all, but the den of a bunch of mangy mutts. This was going to be like taking a walk in the park by comparison. Stepping carefully, Daring crept her away into the chamber, careful not to step on any paws or tails in her trek to snatch the Heart. Yet, just as she was about to lay her hooves on it, she heard a low, feral growl from off to her right.

"Meat," grunted the largest Dog she'd ever seen, standing head and shoulders above his brethren and rippling with hard muscle. He looked like he could crush a large boulder in his paws, and he was staring at her like he was going to use those terribly large, yellow teeth of his to eat her alive. "Meat no take Stone!"

"Oh, so you can speak!" Daring observed, hiding her mounting fear behind her usual facade of bravado and bluster. "Here I was thinking you mutts could only grunt at each other." Her casual demeanor wavered as he growled at her tone. "And the term you're looking for is 'pony', buddy. Daring Do is no one's meal!"

"Meat," he disagreed, licking his jowls as he sized her up. "Small meat, no share." So he meant to keep her for himself. Talk about selfish. And gross. "No more talk! Meat die now!" And he lunged, Daring snatching up the Heart and rolling under his leap, the Alpha letting out a pained yelp as his muzzle met the hard rock of his throne.

"I don't think so!" Daring exclaimed while giving his exposed backside a swift buck, not that it seemed to do much. Still, it made her feel better, so it served its purpose. "Like I said before, I'm no one's dinner, and this stone of yours belongs in a museum!" She tucked it in her rucksack, taking to the air to get over the now waking Dogs, a chill running up her spine when she heard their Alpha let out a bloodthirsty howl. The whole den would be after her now. "Time to bail!"

"MEAT!" The Alpha roared as she galloped down the nearest hallway, fear lending speed to her legs. "KILL MEAT, GET STONE, GIVE GEMS!" Now there was a price on her head on top of it all. Well, it wouldn't be the first time, nor was it likely to be the last either. Damn it, where was the exit? She couldn't remember the route she'd taken to get here and the potion was starting to wear off!

"Meat!" Daring glanced back behind her, eyes widening as she saw several Dogs hot on her tail, barking the same word over and over again, her fear growing as prey instinct kicked in. Run, hide, escape! She did her best to fight it, to not panic, having to keep a clear head if she wanted to get out of their den alive. If the ceilings had been higher she'd have just stayed out of their reach, but right now there wasn't enough room to make the effort worth it. She let out a startled cry as two Dogs cut off the path ahead, swerving around their reaching arms and shuddering when their dirty claws brushed against her coat.

"Get away from me!" She shouted, kicking the one that had gotten too close for comfort right in the nose. "Bucking filthy mutts!" She swatted aside the second's grasping paw and slammed her pith hat protected head right between his eyes. "Coming through!" She bounded over his falling body, panting as she took off running once more. They were right behind her, barking, howling, with jaws snapping at her tail while her eyes desperately searched for a way out. It had to be here somewhere, so where was it?! "There!" She saw a tunnel made by one of the Dogs and leaped for it, squeaking in fright when the snap of teeth cut a short length of hair from her tail. The adventurous pegasus scrambled up the tunnel, panting frantically as she prayed for daylight, just as the potion wore off completely.

Panic set in as the darkness enveloped her, Daring desperately pawing her way upwards, her fear making her clumsy and prone to slipping as the rock turned to soil. She screamed, pain lancing up her right hind leg as the claws of a Dog raked down it from just above the hock. It held her fast, Daring caught and unable to pull free without hurting herself even more, the Dog starting to drag her back downwards. She had to get away, had to fly to safety before they ate her!

"Get off me!" She shrieked, giving a desperate kick to dislodge it, using her remaining three uninjured legs to hastily crawl away, kicking whenever she felt even a hint of one of them grasping for her. Had she chosen the wrong tunnel? Was this it for Daring Do? No, no she could see light ahead! She could make it! "Come on, come on!" She urged herself, scrambling upwards, the light growing stronger the closer she got to it. Yes, she was almost there now, just a bit further! "YES!" She cried in elated relief as she burst free, wings flapping hard to get her clear even as the dogs swarmed out of the ground after her.

"Sorry, boys, but pony isn't on the menu today!" Her usual confidence returned now that she was safely out of their reach, though she winced as she looked down at what they'd done to her leg. She needed to find somewhere safe to set down and treat it soon, otherwise it could easily get infected. "Later, mutts!" And with that she tilted her body to the east, intent on getting as far from those feral Dogs as she could get.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Luna stepped out of the suite the mayor had prepared for her, once more clad in armor and more than ready for what she was certain to come. By now Celestia would have learned of her departure and was likely furious with her, if also very worried. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of annoyance at the thought, wondering if she should be offended or pleased. Granted her sister's feelings stemmed from love, but she was more than a grown mare at this point and certainly capable of acting on her own. No, that wasn't it. She knew that wouldn't be why Celestia would be cross with her, but the fact she had left without telling the older alicorn first.

"She would have likely advised against such rashness," she reasoned softly, shaking her head slightly as she stepped out onto the second floor terrace. Just as she spread her wings, however, a scroll materialized in the air before her, the princess just barely snatching it up in time in her surprise. It bore the royal seal, which likely meant her sister, no great shock there she supposed. So, bracing herself, the alicorn of the moon opened it and began to read.

Dearest sister,

I want you to know how worried your sudden departure has made me. When I woke to find you gone without even leaving a message for me with your guard, I was both furious and yet unsurprised. You have always been a very willful mare, but I wish you would have consulted with me first before your departure. Perhaps you wished not to worry me or thought that it was not my problem. Either way, I cannot help feeling concerned. You are my sister and I love you dearly, and yet I realize that you are my equal and not my subordinate and so you must make decisions as you see fit. Still, perhaps next time you run off in the middle of the night you could leave a note telling me where you have gone first.

Sincerely, your perpetually nosy elder sister, Celestia~

Luna smiled at the signature, only to frown when she noticed a second page. Curious, she separated the sheets and began to read once more.

Unfortunately I must now turn to matters of a less personal nature. Less than twenty minutes ago I received a hastily written report from Twilight Sparkle. Several days ago, as you'll recall, she wrote to us about the Castle of Harmony and how it sent her and her companions on a journey far to the northeast. What she found there is both alarming and disturbing, yet I fear it must still be shared. There lays a village, not in any official census report, where a unicorn mare named Starlight Glimmer had an interesting take on what the word equality means...

0o0o0o0o0o0

Several weeks later...

"Mister Seeker, for the love of Celestia, what are you doing out of bed?" Seeker's nurse, Ruby Aid, asked in a tone that suggested that this wasn't the first time she'd caught him ambling about his now private hospital room and that it wouldn't likely be the last. "Need I remind you that the doctor ordered complete bed rest?" The word "again" was left unsaid, yet it rang loud in his ears, causing him to grimace as he hobbled about to face the stern looking mare that was his babysit-nurse. His nurse, who was looking rather tired of his antics.

"How am I supposed to get better stuck in a bed all the time?" The stallion countered, rather disgruntled himself at the moment. He was going stir crazy just laying about all day with nothing to do with himself now that he'd finished the Daring Do series for the third time since he'd learned they had it in the hospital's otherwise limited library. "Isn't exercise essential for a healthy body or something?" He was sure he'd read that somewhere at some point.

"Not if you push yourself to do too much too soon," Ruby replied pointedly, only to sigh as he remained defiant. "If you insist on being stubborn, then at least use the walker, Mr. Seeker. For the sake of my sanity if nothing else." Seeker glared at the awkward contraption that was supposed to help him walk, only giving in after a bit of grumbling and having to endure the pleading stare of his nurse. "Thank you. Now, I came to tell you that Miss Star has been asking after you." He tensed when he saw a familiar shimmer of mischief in the nurse's eyes. "She seems rather concerned about you." The devious smirk that appeared on her muzzle made him shudder. "It's sweet, really. You're a lucky stallion, Mr. Seeker."

"Luna have mercy," Seeker groaned, leaning against the walker heavily and bumping his brow against its connector bar in a show of exasperation. "What is with ponies and assuming there's something going on between us?" The nurse only chuckled in response. "Fine, I'll go see her, if only to get away from you and your constant nagging." He shuffled past her, feeling awkward and vulnerable having to rely on the walker for support, only to freeze when the mare decided he hadn't suffered enough yet.

"Go get her, slugger~"

"Oh shut up!"

0o0o0o0o0o0

It took a bit of doing, and a lot of painful shuffling, but Seeker eventually found his to Mystic Star's room. He hadn't been able to see her since the night Luna spoke with them both in dreams and the doctors he'd asked about her condition had been frustratingly vague with their responses. Still, if she was asking after him then she had to be okay, or at least recovering. Right? Steadying his nerves, the stallion reached up with one hoof and knocked on the door, finding it slightly ajar.

"Come in," Star's voice bid, causing him to sigh in relief. She sounded perfectly fine, and here he'd been worried about her. Mentally berating himself for being so needlessly foalish, Seeker pushed open the door the rest of the way and began shuffling inside.

"I heard you've been asking about me," he began, tone light as his eyes turned towards her bed. "What's the matter? Getting bored without somepony to-" He stopped short of making the joke, eyes widening and pupils contracting at what he saw. Mystic Star was sitting up on the bed, a book cradled between her forelegs. She was hooked up to several monitoring devices, the purpose of which he couldn't even begin to guess, their steady beeps echoing through the room as he stared in shock. Her horn was covered by what looked like some sort of cast, with a matte grey ring of metal at its base. What really bothered the stallion, though, was how heavily bandaged her chest still was. Had she really been that badly hurt? Why hadn't anypony told him?

"What's the matter?" The mare asked, seemingly unmoved by his open mouthed shock. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He idly noted how she had to use her hooves to close the book, his eyes glancing at her bound horn with worry clear on his face. "Oh...yeah, it's not very pretty looking, is it?" She chuckled weakly, reaching up to gingerly rub it with one hoof. "I, um, managed to burn my horn out by overdrawing my wellspring." She smiled at the look of puzzlement this brought to his muzzle. "Basically I used too much magic and hurt myself." She quickly sought to reassure him. "But it's fine, really! No permanent damage and I'll be up to casting against in just a few weeks, at least as long as I don't go using any magic in the meantime." She tapped the metal bit at the base of her horn. "That's what this is for. It's a magic inhibitor, keeps me from channeling and making it worse."

"I see." Seeker didn't fully understand, of course, but he had gotten the gist of it. Somehow she'd been forced to overexert herself and he had a feeling he knew exactly how and why she did. "I-I'm glad you're getting better, Star. I was actually kinda worried for a bit there." His guilt was smothered, buried deep, his face a mask of cheer that he put on for her sake. He was the reason she'd gotten hurt. Whether his own powerlessness or recklessness had been the cause, it didn't matter. So, he smiled, yet inside his resolve to be stronger was reaffirmed. No matter the cost, no matter how much pain he had to endure, he wouldn't be the cause of her pain ever again. "Hey, that's not Daring Do and The Ring of Destiny is it?"

"Hm?" Star took the bait, his effort to change the subject a success. "Oh, yeah. I, um, needed something to occupy my time with while stuck in bed like this, you know?" He nodded, his smile a bit more genuine now. "Though I've read the series, like, a dozen times already." She blushed, causing him to laugh softly. "Hey, don't laugh! They're a good read!"

"No, no, I get it," Seeker assured her, taking a seat and resting his wobbling legs. "So, which part are you on?"

"Well, Daring just got free of Ahuiztl's trap and..."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Griffonstone, capital of the once mighty griffon empire...

Quick Shot set down on the deck of Old Gruff's roost, stuffing the single letter for the old bird and swiftly departing afterwards, not wanting another lecture from the cantankerous old coot. He'd been working as a mail carrier for the Griffon Post since he'd moved out east a few years back. He sorted through the parcels and letters still left in his saddlebags, sighing as he glanced downwards at the despondent wreck the once great city had become. Ever since King Grover lost the Idol of Boreas, the empire the proud griffons built fell into despair, allowing their nation to crumble until only Griffonstone remained as the last bastion of their people.

"Stupid outdated travel brochures," Quick grumbled, the pegasus moving to deliver a package to someone named Gilda, only to pause at an out of place flash of color in the streets below him. "No way." A familiar looking unicorn was waving up at him, the young stallion grinning as he descended to meet her. "Amber Dawn, as I live and breathe!" He landed and hugged his cousin tight, her responding embrace oddly light given how long it had been since they'd last seen one another. "It's been way too long, cuz. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Can't I visit my favorite cousin?" Amber asked in turn, her smile looking...off. Still, he shrugged it off, happy to see her after all. "Look at you, Quick, all grown up." She gave him a playful nudge. "Still, when the old peacock told me you were off in Griffonstone...well, I just had to see it for myself."

"Not much to look at, is it." No question there, the pegasus grimacing at the stares they were drawing from the locals. "Come on, let's head over to my roost." He started down the street, the unicorn following close behind. "So, what have you been up to this past year?"

"Oh, this and that," Amber replied vaguely, the young stallion unable to see her smile morphing into a predatory grin. "Just catching up with some old friends~"

Author's Note:

And life kicked my ass, yet again. I have no words for the shameful way I let myself procrastinate and put this off, but here it is, finally, and I'll be able to begin work on the next chapter of To Know Hell. As always, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below. Have a nice day

Comments

[MysticStar1983]

I hope Cren hasn't forgotten this lovely gem of a story in all the hub bub of life in general.

[dustysculptures]

F**k! This is sum good sh*t! So glad to have read it!