Gathering Pieces

by Random_User

Healing and Restoring

Chapter 14 Healing and Restoring

“You alright back there?” Starry asked, his breath coming out in white plumes that were carried away by the air rushing past.

Cobalt, his voice muffled by the cloak wrapped around him, answered, “Yes! This is awesome! It’s even better than flying on the ship!”

Chart pointed towards the ground. “That’s the spot! Follow me down.” Chart guided them down in a smooth spiral towards the ground and to a landing zone that had been marked off by Lunar Guard banners. Once they landed, Chart glanced at the position of the sun. “Not too bad as far as time for the flight, considering I was carrying a heavy load of supplies and you were carrying supplies and a passenger.”

“The ground looks all torn up.” Cobalt said, looking over the remnants of the battle. “The fighting must have been really bad.” He turned to Chart. “Do you know who got hurt and how bad?”

Chart shook his head. “The messenger didn’t say. He said that there were several frost bitten ponies, a few that got roughed up, and a few wounded, but he didn’t tell me much more than what Bitter and Gauze wanted us to bring.”

Starry added a single bounce to his walk, jolting Cobalt. “You’re going to need to be brave. Getting wounded is part of battle, and we need to keep the spirits up of those that got injured. No frowning or looking worried, all right.”

Cobalt nodded, “I can do that.”

Freight stepped out of the cave. “I thought I had it timed about right. Chart, you’re as reliable as a clock.”

Chart grinned, “Thank you, ma’am. We brought what was asked for.”

“You look like you saw some action,” Starry said.

“I got a little bruised up and dirty, but I’m fine.”

“We know ponies got hurt,” Cobalt blurted out. “Is anypony...” he stopped, choking on his words.

Freight took Cobalt from Starry’s back. “I won’t lie. Things got nasty and a couple of ours won’t be going on patrols for a while, but we didn’t lose anypony.”

“Thank Luna above,” Starry said, closing his eyes.

“Come on, those supplies are needed inside. It’s a bit of a tight fit, so we’ll have to walk single file in, with you carrying those bags.” Freight led the way into the cave. “Cobalt, just to warn you, Grayson and Bonsmara both got hurt.” The passage opened up, and Freight looked around the chaos that the semi-organized chaos that the chamber had become. “The special delivery’s here; medical supplies and a morale boost!”

Cobalt caught sight of Grayson and Bonsmara, where they lay on the stone floor, and ran to them. “Are you going to be all right?”

“My hip will recover, but my dignity will not!” Grayson groused. He pointed a talon at Gauze. “She shaved most of my backside, and look what she did to my tail!”

“We had to make sure that the area around the wound was clean,” Gauze said, as she applied salve to a guard’s frost bitten ears. “You had a couple of more fragments besides that larger one that needed to come out, so the area that had to be shaved had to reach those too. Besides, nopony can see your haunch, since it’s covered by the cloak.”

“I can’t hide under this thing forever, and I suppose the ribbon on my tail was to make it not hurt!”

“I didn’t hear you complaining while Bitter was giving you the stitches. You were too busy being a grouch about me tying the bow and flipping your tail around.”

“That’s beside the point!”

Freight stood beside Cobalt and leaned close to his ear. “Did you notice he didn’t take the bow off?” she whispered. “He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, the big softie.”

Cobalt moved to check on Bonsmara. He looked her over from her hooves to her horns. “How bad are you hurt? I can’t tell with the cloaks covering you.”

“Do not worry. I got banged up a bit is all.”

Fierce, who was sitting at Bonsmara’s side, patted her shoulder. “Dear, a broken fibula and tibia on one leg and a femur on the other with dozens of bad bruises all over is a bit above getting banged up a bit.”

“We do not know they are broken for certain quite yet.”

“You might not be, but I am,” Bitter said, as he made his way over to them. He grinned at Cobalt. “Don’t worry, kid. From what I understand, the Crystal ponies can have you up and running from broken bones in no time.”

Bonsmara held up her right hand, showing off a bright blue ribbon. “I got a ribbon too. Evidently Gauze gives them to all her patients.”

“They’re from my family’s shop, so they’re extra special.” Gauze said, as tied a ribbon around a foreleg of the guard she had been helping. “I like to think of them as long lasting hugs from me so that everypony can get better quicker.” Finishing the bow, she hugged the guard. He blushed at the contact and hugged her back.

Cobalt looked around. “Where’s Stone?”

“He’s in the back, in Sombra’s chambers, with the Empress,” Bitter said. “He had a pretty rough time of it and is resting right now.”

“Cobalt, you’re here! I didn’t know you would show up so quickly or I’d have been there to meet you. I’ve been helping Bitter and Gauze get everypony patched up.” Puca trotted over to Cobalt and put her forehooves on his shoulders.

“We’re keeping her,” Bitter announced. “That goo of hers is great stuff and she has a wonderful way with our troops. I just have to figure out which forms I have to fill out to get her transferred.”

“I’m not part of the Equestian Guard,” Puca told him.

“Then I’ll file a petition with Luna to have you drafted.”

“There is no need for something that drastic. There are other changelings out there. I am sure a couple would love to work with you. I’ll see if I can get them in contact with you.” Turning from Bitter, Puca put a hoof to Cobalt’s cheek. “What’s wrong? You’re feeling worried.”

“That guard said that Stone was in the back.” He looked past Puca, towards the entrance to the chambers. “He said he got hurt pretty bad.”

“The name’s Bitter Root, and that’s not quite what I said.” Bitter patted Cobalt on the shoulder. “Stone’s not hurt. He’s suffering from exhaustion. He needs a lot of rest and he’s filthy, like most of us, but he’s fine. We’re having to ration water for drinking and medical work or we would have cleaned him up.”

“Before you go check on him, I would like a hug,” Bonsmara said.

Cobalt tenderly gave Bonsmara a hug.

Bonsmara pulled him in a bit tighter. “I want you to know I am going to be needed a lot of hugs and snuggles till I get better.”

“I can do that.”

“So I have met my replacement.” Fierce put a paw to his chest and slumped forward. “I concede. It is impossible for an old dog like me to compete with a young, handsome colt when it comes to hugs and snuggles.”

“You, I have different plans for that will require much more than snuggling, but they also require me to make a bit of a recovery before I can act on them.” Bonsmara said, with a smile that made promises.

Cobalt moved towards Grayson, then paused as he drew close.

Grayson sighed and reached out with a talon towards Cobalt. “One hug, that’s it.”

Dwarfed in comparison to Grayson’s size, Cobalt stood on his hind legs and hugged the griffin around the neck. “I’m glad you’re going to be all right.”

Grayson hugged Cobalt and put his chin on top of the colt’s head. “Thanks.” Grayson pulled back a little and mussed Cobalt’s mane. “Go see your brother. Even if he’s not awake, he’ll know you’re there.” He nodded to Puca. “Take her with you. She’s about ready to collapse herself.”

“I’ll take you to him,” Puca said. As she led Cobalt to the back, she told him, “Cadance and the Nightmares are back here too, along with three of the ponies that were ponynapped.”

The guards stationed at the door to the chambers nodded as Puca and Cobalt approached. “The Princess would like to see the colt, after he sees his brother,” one of them informed them.

“I’ll make it quick,” Cobalt said.

“We’ll have to be quiet. They have a number of the guard that got hurt worse back here so they can rest with some quiet.”

Puca led him past the guards and into a small hallway that had several pieces of furniture lining one side. She stopped at the first door they came to. “They moved the furniture out here so there would be space enough for everypony. We’re going to have to be careful not to step on anypony.”

Cobalt nodded. “I can do that.”

“He’s going to look horrible. He’s dirty and he has blood on him, but the Nightmares patched him up before they left him so he’s not hurt.”

“Thanks. I don’t want to freak out on him.”

Taking her time to make as little noise as possible, Puca opened the door. The moderately sized room had been made into a makeshift infirmary. Several wounded guards rested on bedrolls and cloaks. A couple of them smiled and nodded to Cobalt and Puca as they entered the room, but did not break the silence. In the far corner, cuddled together and resting, were Sunburst, Starlight, and Trixie. Next to them was Stone.

“I know Trixie and Starlight,” Cobalt whispered. “Who is the stallion?”

“Sunburst, Flurry Heart’s Crystallyer and their special somepony.”

Cobalt gave her a confused look.

“I’ll explain later. Come on, we’re letting a lot of light in.”

Puca, softly closing the door behind her, followed in his steps. One of the guards made an uncomfortable noise, and Puca turned towards her. “I’m going to check on her. Frost had her shoulder blade cracked and may need some help. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”

Cobalt made his way to Stone and stood beside him. With each second he looked over Stone, his expression saddened. “Puca was right, you look terrible,” he whispered. Tears started to course down his face. “I’m so sorry.”

“Trixie will not allow this.” The illusionist got to her hooves and stepped over Sunburst and Starlight. “You two, keep my spot warm. Trixie will be most displeased if she returns to a cold bedroll.”

“Remind me, what do we see in her?” Starlight asked.

“Despite being a bossy, narcissistic, showoff she has a caring soul,” Sunburst said, shifting himself on the bedroll and pulling Starlight to him and kissing the back of her head.

“Trixie does not know whether to be flattered or insulted.” She sat down behind Cobalt and pulled him into a hug so that his back was to her chest. She put her chin on his head and asked, “Why are you crying?”

“It’s my fault he got hurt.” He reached out and, holding his hoof just above Stone’s side, traced the hairless path of the cut his brother had received. “I know that the Nightmares healed him, but I still feel terrible about it.”

“Did you force him to do what he did?”

“Sort of.”

“No, is the correct answer. Just like nopony forced us unicorns to try and help the Nightmares. He did what he thought was right and, just like the rest of us, is paying for our decisions. You should be proud of him. He was brave, fought like an ursa major, and saved our lives.” She put her cheek against Cobalt’s head. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“I tried to kill him. You can’t see it, since the mark is on his other side, but I stabbed him with my horn. If I had hit something vital and the Nightmares couldn’t heal him fast eno-” For a second, her breath caught. “I would have never have been able to live with myself, if I had.”

Cobalt turned and wrapped his forelegs around Trixie. “You didn’t mean to.”

“Trixie was supposed to be helping you, not the other way around.”

A pair of orange forelegs wrapped around her from behind bringing her and Cobalt into a group hug. “Right now, we all need to help each other,” Sunburst said. “We’ve been through a rough time, and we will all need to support one another so we can recover from it.”

“Keep in mind, we all tried to do him in. We didn’t mean to, but we did.” Starlight rubbed Stone’s shoulder. She paused and shook her head. “He’s cold, that won’t do. For him to get proper rest, he has to be warm.”

“Why doesn’t he have a blanket or a cloak?” Cobalt asked.

“He refused one, saying it should go to somepony that was wounded,” Sunburst said.

Cobalt sighed and smiled in a frustrated, proud way at Stone. “That’s my brother.”

“Body heat it is then,” Trixie said. “He’s joining us.”

Cobalt looked up at her and shook his head. “Please don’t,” he whispered.

Sunburst looked at him quizzically. “He needs to be warmed up. Why don’t you want him with us?”
“I want him to be warm, but I want…”

“I think he wants a certain somepony to provide the heat for his brother.” Starlight made a motion towards Puca, who had stopped to help another of the Guard.

“Ah, now I see.” Sunburst released Cobalt and Trixie. “I’m not sure how we can manage it, though.”

“I’ll be right back.” Starlight rose from the bedrolls and made her way through the maze of resting and sleeping ponies to Puca. She whispered in Puca’s ear for a second or two and Puca nodded.

When Starlight returned, Sunburst asked, “What are you up to?”

Starlight settled back down on the bedrolls and grinned. “I told her that there was somepony that needed her help, when she was through. Play along.”

Puca joined them and asked, “Who needs help?”

“From the looks of it, you do,” Trixie said. “You’re about to drop.”

Sunburst steadied Puca with a hoof. “She’s been providing a lot of the healing gel. That’s probably why she is exhausted.”

“Your patient is right here.” Trixe nodded to Stone. “He is suffering from overdoing it and an acute lack of a blanket. You will have to substitute for the latter, rest will fix the former.”

Puca shook her head. “I can’t right now. There are too many others that need help. Would you mind him joining you?”

“I don’t think that would be the best course of action.” Sunburst adjusted his glasses and inspected Puca. “How can you expect to help others if you fall asleep on your hooves while attending to them?” He nudged her, and she had to fight from toppling over. “If you don’t watch it, you’ll end up like Stone.”

“I just need a little pick-me-up and I’ll be fine,” Puca said.

“We can help with that.” Sunburst looked to Trixie and Starlight and smiled. “We can provide the boost; you provide the body heat for Stone for a few minutes, while you recharge.”

Trixie asked, “How are we going to provide a boost?”

“She can sip off my love for you two while resting with him for a few minutes and she should be good to go again.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “What’s this ‘my love for you two’ stuff? Why not ‘our love for each other?’ Are you implying that we don’t love you back?”

Sunburst folded his ears back and looked bashful. “That’s not at all what I meant. Since I care for you both so much, I thought my feelings for the two of you would be enough for her to get what she needs.”

Trixie and Starlight looked at Puca. “Would it be enough for you?” Starlight asked at the same time that Trixie asked, “He isn’t kidding is he?”

Puca grinned. “It would more than enough for me to ‘sip’ on, and he isn’t kidding.”

Starlight nodded. “Trixie, I think we’ll keep him.”

“I think so too.” Trixie released Cobalt. “While you are a good hug size, Trixie must let you go so that she can help your friend help your brother.” She returned to the bedrolls and gave Sunburst a come hither motion with her hoof. “You’re in the middle this time.”

“You won’t hear me complain.” Sunburst settled down between the two mares.

Cobalt looked to Puca expectantly. “Your turn now,” he prompted.

Stone rolled over to face them. “Am I still out of it or am I hearing Cobalt?” He grunted as Cobalt pounced on him. “Yep, that’s Cobalt,” he said, his voice distorted by Cobalt’s enthusiastic hug.

“You’re awake!”

“I’m sort of awake. I feel like I could still sleep for a couple of days, but it’s not as bad as it was.”

“You should get more rest,” Sunburst said. “You’ve only been asleep for about six hours.”

“I think I’ll do that.” Stone put his forehead against Cobalt’s. “Sorry, I would tell you about what happened, but I’m worn out and I would probably fall asleep in the middle of it.”

“I understand. You’re not the only one, Puca’s about to fall out too.”

Stone leaned back from Cobalt and looked at Puca. “I hate to say it, but you do look dead on your hooves.”

Cobalt wiggled out of Stone’s hug and got to his hooves. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. The Empress wanted to talk to me after I saw you. I’m keeping you from resting too.”

One of Stone’s ears flicked. “I can tell there is something else going on in that head of yours.”

“You’ll have to move over, but she’ll fit.”

“I knew something was up.” Stone looked over to Puca and smiled. “You’re right, though, I think she will.” He moved to the edge of the bedroll and extended an inviting hoof to her.

Puca gave him a reluctant shake of her head. “They might still need my help.”

“You won’t do anything good for anypony, if you pass out on them. Please stay, just for a few minutes.”Stone gave her a vulnerable smile. “I’ll be able to rest better, if you’re here.”

“All right, I’ll stay.” She gave Cobalt a look. “You’re way too excited about this.”

“I can’t help it,” Cobalt said, grinning.

Puca took Stone’s hoof and joined him on the bedroll, resting against his side and putting her head down on the mat. “I must be tired, if I didn’t think about his before. If you’re supposed to be getting warm, I should have turned into a pegasus and wrapped you in a wing.”

Stone put his head next to Puca’s and leaned so that they touched. “You’re warm enough just as you are.”

“You better go, Cobalt,” Starlight said. “You don’t want to keep the Empress waiting. We’ll keep an eye on them for you.”

“Thanks.” Cobalt looked back to Puca and Stone. “Rest well.”

“We will,” Stone assured.

Cobalt made his way across the room, careful with his hooves as he moved through the maze of sleeping and resting guards. After opening the door he glanced back, smiled, and then silently entered the hall and shut the door behind him. He went further down the hallway and stopped in front of a door watched by a trio of the Lunar Guard. “Excuse me. Is this the room where the Empress is?”

“It is,” One of the guards said. “You must be Cobalt. Freight said you would be coming by soon. I would let you in, but she, the Empress, and...” The guard and his comrades came to attention, as the door opened.

Freight glanced at the guards and smiled. “The Crystal Guards are on duty now. They will be coming shortly, so guys can go and get some rest.” She looked at Cobalt and smiled. “Good timing. You’re just the pony I was about to go get.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” the guard who had spoken to Cobalt said to Freight. He nodded to Cobalt, “Take care.”

“I will.” The guards left him and Freight standing in the hallway. “How is Cadance?”

“She’s doing much better, now that Shining is here. We just got through with a meeting about what had happened and how we were going to organize things when nightfall comes and we can move the Nightmares without them getting scorched by the sun.”

Cobalt blanched. “Shining’s here?”

She chuckled. “So you did spend the night with the Empress.”

Cobalt’s ears pinned back and his tail tucked between his legs. “She told you and Shining?”

“She did, and about Fierce teasing you about it. Trust me; you’re not going to end up in any dungeon.” She gestured for him to enter the room. “Come on in. They both want to see you.”

“There he is,” Cadance said, as Cobalt entered the room. “How is your brother doing?”

“He’s doing all right. Puca is looking after him right now, but she is about as give out as he is.”

“I’m not surprised. As soon as the triage process started, she was in the middle of things and helping with the worse of the cases.” Cadance extended and cupped a wing in a gesture of invitation. “Come here, I need somepony to cuddle.”

Cobalt froze and looked at Shining.

Shining thumped his armored chest with a hoof. “I wouldn’t be much a snuggle buddy right now, wearing all this plate.” He tried to look stern, but a slight grin ruined his attempt. “I know it’s not the first time you’ve been under her wing too, so might as well make it two times.”

Cobalt slunk, appearing guilty, to Cadance and was pulled to her side by the inviting wing. “Thank you,” she told him and nuzzled the top of his head. “Keeping the shield around the Nightmares is not that tough, but it makes me tense. Having somepony close helps.”

Freight moved and stood before the sphere of magic holding the Nightmares. “To their credit, they have behaved and not made this any worse than what it is.”

The genderless voice of the Nightmares responded, “It would be a futile effort to attempt to escape. Doing so would also accomplish nothing more than garnering more ill will with you ponies.” Changing the patterns and ways that it moved in the sphere, the mass gave the impression that it had turned its attention to Cobalt. “So you are the one who responded to our spell.”

Cobalt nodded. “I am.”

“We are grateful that it was you. Our gambit did not work as we had planned, but it allowed us to get the help that sought nonetheless. Had another been affected by our spell, it could have led to a much different end for us and for this world.”

“I didn’t do much.”

“You have done far more than you realize. The Empress, her Consort, and we have discussed it, and we would like to put something in your safekeeping.” The Nightmares changed the direction of their swirling again, as if to draw Cobalt’s attention to a spot across the room. “There, in the bottom right drawer of the desk, you will find a bag. Retrieve it.”

Cobalt did as he was asked, and settled back under Candance’s wing. He looked up at the Nightmares. “Is this what I think it is?”

“If you assume that it is the collection of fragments that we had gathered of Princess Amore, you would be correct.”

Cobalt clutched the bag to his chest. “I will take care of them, I promise.”

“Of that we have no doubt.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, but we will have to be brief in our response. Our endurance is limited and may have to be maintained for a prolonged period. While not arduous, speaking in this manner demands a degree of effort.”

“Why me? Why did the spell chose me when there were so many others that it could have reached. There were even unicorns close by. I would have thought the spell would reach them first.”

“Earth ponies have their own unique magics. As Princess Amore was turned to crystal, which earth ponies have a natural magical connection to, it is not surprising to us that you were the one that the spell affected. The spell’s nature, combined with Amore’s will, sought out the one most likely to not only to hear its message, but also possessed the conviction to act on it.”

Cadance gave Cobalt a squeeze with her wing. “You should be proud. You were magically determined to be hero material by a princess in need.”

“A hero who steals wing hugs and snuggles from other ponies wives,” Shinning joked.

Cadance put her nose in the air. “He does not steal them. I give them to him all on my own.”

“I stand corrected. I guess I can’t put him in the dungeon after all.” Shinning lowered his head so that he was on eye level with Cobalt. “Kidding aside, thank you for staying with Cadance last night. She gets really anxious when ponies she cares about are in danger. You helped her rest and settle her mind when she really needed it. I am glad you were there for her when I couldn’t be.”

“In other words, you make a great stuffed toy,” Freight teased.

“There are worse things to be, especially when a mare like my wife is the one doing the hugging.”

“She does give great wing hugs.” Cobalt looked down to the bag and put a protective hoof on top of it. “Are these the last of the pieces?”

“They should be,” Cadance said.

“So she can be put back together now, right?”

“That’s what we’re hoping.”

“How long will it take?”

“I don’t know. There are a couple of very complex magical problems that will have to be figured out before we can try anything.”

“If we might be as so bold, we would like to point out that you have a gathering of some of the most gifted magical talents in Equestria at hoof,” the Nightmares said. “With their collective knowledge and skills, the task might not take as long as you might think.”

The door to the room opened. One of the guards announced, “Princess Celestia has arrived.”

Cadance’s ears shot up. “Did she bring Flurry?!”

“I did,” Celestia said, striding into the room, Flurry Heart riding on her back. “I thought you could use some rest, so I’ve come to take over the guarding of the Nightmares. I will remain here, with the Royal Guard, while you and Shining return to the Crystal Palace.” Celestia wrapped the Nightmares in her magic and drew them from Candance’s magical hold.

Fierce motioned for Cobalt to come to her, as Celestia levitated Flurry to Cadance. Cadance sat up and took her filly in her forelegs. Flurry cooed and laughed, as Cadance hugged and kissed her. Shining, taking care with his armor, embraced them both. “Now, things are all right. I have the ladies I love back with me.”

“After we settle the details of my Guard taking over matters here, I want you to take your ladies home and keep them safe,” Celestia told Shining, before giving the dark mass held in her magic a chillingly kind smile. “The Nightmare’s and I have much to discuss.”

Freight softly said to Cobalt, “I believe this would be a good time for us to step out.”

“I think so too,” he replied.

*****

“I can walk!” Stone protested, as he was carried from the makeshift infirmary on Grayson’s back.

“Sure you can,” Grayson said, the beginnings of laughter in his voice. “If you call the staggering around like you’d had too much cider that you were doing walking.”

Puca grinned and walked beside Grayson. “This seems familiar. I think I remember somepony telling me to accept getting carried around just few of days ago.”

“There’s a huge difference between the two situations! We were being pursued by something nasty, and I was trying to help! He’s getting too much enjoyment out of this!”

“You looked like you need help to me, the way you were wobbling, and it’s not if you didn’t enjoy carrying her and being able to play the heroic gentlecolt,” Grayson prodded. “Why protest when I am giving you the same treatment as you did her?”

“Because it’s not the same!”

“Because you’re a stallion? I didn’t take you for a chauvinist.”

“That’s not it either!”

Fierce chuckled and patted Cobalt on the shoulder, as the bickering pair of friends went past. “I am glad to see Stone is getting some pluck back in him. He was all but lifeless there for a couple of days.”

“Having all the energy drained from you tends to do that.” Bonsmara, a crutch under one arm, leaned against Fierce. “I will be glad when all of us are up to full speed again.”

Cobalt glanced at Bonsmara’s left leg, which had been wrapped in a cast. “I can’t believe they said that you can walk already. I thought you would be in bed for weeks.”

“I do not know what the Crystal Guard medics did with those crystals, but they sure did work.” Bonsmara patted her leg. “They encased a few of them in the cast too, so even my femur should be fine in a few days.”

“Lean on me, Love. We do not want to give them too big of a head start on us.” Fierce wrapped an arm around Bonsmara and led her out of the infirmary and after Grayson and the others.

“You realize that if I fall on you, you will not be able to catch me.”

“I will at least give you something softer to land on than the floor.”

Balancing the bag of fragments on his back, Cobalt trotted around the pair and took the lead. “I hope that the spells works, the Nightmares get to go home, and Princess Amore will be all right.”

“You sound worried,” Bonsmara said. “The greatest magical minds in Equestria, if not the world, have been working for nearly a week on all of this. If they say they have everything figured out, I would have a tendency to believe them.”

“I know, I’m just worried about Amore.”

“You share a common characteristic with your brother, it would seem,” Fierce said.

Cobalt looked over his shoulder at the Diamond Dog. “What is that?”

“Once you find a lady to be loyal to, you do so wholeheartedly.” He chuckled, as Cobalt blushed. “I am sure they will restore the Princess.”

“How are our changeling and your brother doing, by the way?” Bonsmara asked. “I have not seen a lot of either of them the last couple of days.”

Cobalt groaned and looked to the ceiling. “My brother’s a doofus. Since he woke up holding her the day the Guard changed, he’s been acting all kinds of weird towards her. She seems all right with it though, so it can’t be that bad.” One of his ears flicked and he tilted his head. “Now that I think about it, she’s seemed almost happy.”

“She is giving him a little room then. That is good.”

Cobalt looked over his shoulder to Bonsmara. “What do you mean? I thought giving somepony space meant things were going bad.”

“Not necessarily. It might be there are feelings he is having that she is picking up on that he does not know how to express quite yet.”

“You mean he...?!”

“I have seen things like this before, so it is possible. We will just have to wait and see.”

They entered chamber of the sanctuary, where several of the guards were packing up the remainders of their gear.

“I’m going to miss this place.” Cobalt paused and looked around the cavern. “It’s been like having a camping trip and huge sleepover all in one.”

“It has it charms,” Fierce said. “However, I would welcome being able to properly bathe. I am beginning to smell like a dirty dog as well as look like one.”

“We all could use a good scrubbing,” Bonsmara said. She leaned in close and whispered something in Fierce’s ear.

His tail began to wag with vigor. “I have never looked forward to a bath as much in the entirety of my life.”

“You’re supposed to be taking it easy, Bonsmara, not wandering the sanctuary!” Bitter yelled to her from across the cavern, where he was putting the last of the medical supplies in boxes to be shipped.

“I am being helped and I am keeping my weight off my bad leg! Besides, I would not miss this for the world.”

Freight entered the cavern from the tunnel leading to the outside. “Speaking of this evening’s event, everypony stop what you are doing and gather outside! We can hold off on getting ready to take off to watch the princesses in action!”

As the members of the Lunar Guard filed out of the cavern, Freight made her way to Cobalt. “Are you ready?”

“I hope so, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Cobalt told her.

“Stand there and look cute, for the most part.” She patted his head. “That shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

“How well is the rest of the guard mending?” Fierce asked. “We have not gotten much in the way of news about them, since they were transported to the Empire. The lad that had been beside us was a right hoot, and we were wondering how he was doing.”

“I don’t know what those Empire medics are doing, but it seems to be working great. Most of us will be up and flying again in a week. The few that got really banged up are going to take a bit longer, but they have all been promised they will make a full recovery.” As the last of the Guard lined up to make their way out of the cavern, Freight looked towards the tunnel. “I hope everything else goes as well tonight.”

Freight led them out of the sanctuary and to the area that had been marked as the landing zone. The Lunar Guard’s banners had been joined by those of the Empire and Royal Guards, creating a circle of bright colors that stood in contrast to the plain white of the Empire’s northern scenery. The moon’s light played off the snow and bathed the area in an ethereal aura and the stars shown noticeably brighter.
“I see Princess Luna has taken the opportunity to make the lighting as dramatic as possible,” Fierce said, as they joined the circle of ponies gathered just inside the banners, staying a respectful distance from three Princesses and the gathered unicorns that would be their assistants.

“I think everything looks wonderful,” Cobalt said. He waved back, as Sombra and Hope waved to him. “It’s good to see all the unicorns that were ponynapped are here and doing all right.”

A section of the circle parted, as Celestia and a hooffull of her guard moved through with the still imprisoned Nightmares floating beside the princess. “Good evening, one and all. Thanks to your efforts, tonight we shall return the Nightmares to the moon and restore Princess Amore.” She paused to allow the cheers and snow muffled stomps of applause die down. “Reve, are you and yours ready to return?”

Luna, still hosting a number of the Nightmares, stepped forward. “We are.” The Nightmares flowed from Luna and joined their compatriots in the magic sphere. Luna staggered, but was braced by Cadance and Twilight.

The Nightmare’s collective voice said, “We have learned much from this experience and your words have much to ponder. Perhaps the next time we meet it shall be as friends.”

“We would welcome that,” Celestia said. She looked to the unicorns. “Are we ready?”

“We are,” Sombra responded, lit his horn, and began a spell. The princesses and unicorns added their magic to Sombra’s, and the Nightmares vanished with a flash of pale light.

“The Nightmares are now back where they belong.” After the cheers of the crowd diminished, Celestia called, “Cobalt, step forward.”

A murmurer went through the crowd, as Cobalt made his way to the princess. He bowed, as Celestia used her magic to take the bag of fragments from his back. “I am yours, Princess. You need but ask it of me, and I will make it so.”

“Such courtly manners.” Luna said, in a stage whisper, “If only the nobles of this age acted so,” gaining her a number of laughs.

Celestia smiled. “You have done much for Equestria. We thank you with the deepest gratitude.”

Keeping his head low, Colt responded, “It was an honor to serve you and Equestria.”

“We would ask one more thing of you.”

Cobalt’s head nearly touched the snow, as he bowed lower. “You have to but to name it.”

“Join us, and aid us in restoring Princess Amore.”

Cobalt’s eyes met Celestia’s, wide with shock. “Princess, I would deny you nothing, but I can’t help.”

Celestia smiled at him assuredly. “You have accomplished so much already, this should be but a small thing.”
Cobalt trembled as he told her, “I can’t help with spells like this.”

Sombra’s laugh brought Cobalt’s head up. “You’re forgetting that you have already helped with spells of great power! You are the one that the seeking spell found, you were the one that led the Lunar Guard here, using your magical abilities, and you can serve as the connection to bringing back Princess Amore.”

Cadance strode over and tucked Cobalt against her side with a wing. “Compared to what you faced in the Everfree Forest, this will be easy. I promise.”

Cobalt looked up to her and asked, “What do I need to do?”

“We need you to focus on thoughts of Princess Amore and stay still, while we connect you to the spell.”

“I can do that! I’ve done it before, with Zecora.”

“This should be almost exactly the same.” Twilight looked out towards the gathered circle, and called, “Grayson, you’re about the right size, we need your cloak!”

“Not happening, Princess!” Grayson responded. “I am not exposing my shaved rear to the cold and this many eyes, good cause or not! You’ll have to get a cloak from someone else!”

“Grayson, you cad!” Fierce shouted. “You would deny the Princesses such a small thing for such a paltry reason?!”

“You forget the pride of griffins,” Luna said, with enough volume for all to hear. “Fret not. His refusal is of no import.” Using her magic, Luna took off her cloak and laid it on the ground. “As a practical matter, his cloak would lack the volume of cloth we would require.” She grinned with self-satisfaction. “I am greater than he in stature, so my cloak will serve.”

“Luna, behave and do not goad the griffin,” Celestia chided, without much force. “Remember what occurred last time you did such a thing.”

“Twas but a minor scuffle.”

“Beating a half dozen dignitaries and their honor guard unconscious is not ‘a minor scuffle,’ dear Sister. It was an international incident.”

“None of their number suffered egregious wounds, so history favors my telling. Due to their lack of foresight and skill, they lost both the rhetorical debate and the contest of might that day.”

A small smile came to Celestia’s features, which she swiftly suppressed. “Setting that aside, we lost diplomatic ties with their kingdom for years.”

“I do not recall you bemoaning their absence from our halls overly much. If memory serves, you stated that you were glad to have a reprieve from their ‘incessant, petty cawing and squawking’ and that my daily sparing with the Guard had served me well in the melee.”

Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I believe there is something we need to be focusing on other than historical events.”

“Let them get it all out,” Cadance said, as she indicated for Cobalt to lie down on Luna’s cloak. “They are just having a sisterly moment.”

“I didn’t know they could do that,” he said, his eyes never leaving the Sisters.

“Of course we can,” Celestia said, with a full smile. “We are no different than you and Stone.”

“Except for their being mares, having enormous magical and political power, and being older than some of the hills in Equestria, they are just like you two,” Cadance said.

“Such impertinence,” Luna huffed.

“She reminds me of a certain sister of mine at that age,” Celestia said, which gained her a scathing look from Luna.

Cobalt arranged himself on the cloak, while Cadance and Shining poured the collected fragments of Princess Amore from several bags together in front of him.

Twilight patted him on the shoulder. “Just reach out to her and let us do the rest. It might feel a little weird, but don’t get distracted.”

Cobalt nodded, closed his eyes, and put his head down. “I’m ready.”

Twilight lit her horn and began the spell. The others at the center of the circle added their power to hers, creating an orb of energy that held strands of color from the individual magic users’ magical auras that floated above Cobalt and the fragments.

Slowly, the orb descended and encompassed the colt and the fragments, obscuring them from view.

Stone tensed, as the thrumming from the spell intensified and the orb changed in color to a pure white. “Hang in there,” he muttered.

Puca leaned against Stone’s shoulder. “He’ll be fine.”

“I know, but that’s some really intense magic being worked. If anything goes wrong...”

“We won’t’ have to worry about it,” Grayson said. “As close as we are, we’d be vaporized before we had a clue something had fouled up.”

“What a cheerful thought,” Bonsmara grumbled. “Leave it to you to think of something like that.”

The magical orb shrank and seeped into the fragments. After a hushed second, a bright flash, and resounding electric crackle, the spell was completed.

Almost nose to nose with Cobalt, Princess Amore lay on her side on Luna’s cloak. Her eyes remained closed.

“Princess?” Cobalt said, reaching towards her and touching her cheek. “Please be okay. Please.”

Amore opened her eyes. She blinked a couple of times to adjust her eyes to the light, looked at Cobalt, and then smiled. “Hello.”

“You made it!”

“I can’t thank you enough. Without you, I don’t know if I…” Amore pulled Cobalt to her, and cried. “Thank you,” she told him, through her tears. “Thank you.”