Gathering Pieces

by Random_User

A Brief Return Home

Fierce opened his eyes and looked around the room. “Dear, the sun is rising, and I think the others just stepped outside.” He smiled and leaned his head back against Bonsmara's chest. “While I could spend all day with you like this, we need to get up.”

She drew him against her. “Five more minutes.”

“I am a watch dog, but I am not an alarm clock.”

“Hush.” She put her chin on the top of his head. “I have not had you to myself for days.”

He turned so that he faced her and embraced her. “I am glad that you still find my company amiable.”

“I always will.” She gave him a quick kiss. “What is bothering you? You have not brought up the collar in a while.”

“Cranky leaving us to get married put several thoughts in my head.” He sighed, gave her a wane smile, and brushed her cheek with a paw. “I am not the pup I used to be. I would not blame you if you decided to retire from all of this and find a good bull to enjoy the re-” Bonsmara clamped a hand around his muzzle.

“I am never going to leave you. I am just as much yours as you are mine.” She touched her nose to his and held his eyes. “Something happened to upset you. Something more than just Cranky leaving us. I am going to let go, and you are going to tell me what is going on in that head of yours.”

He nodded, and she released him. “You want a child, and I cannot give you one.”

“It was me carrying Cobalt that started this.”

“I feel like I am denying you the chance to be truly happy.”

“My dear, sweet wolfhound.” She kissed his nose. “You would let me go to find another so I could be happy?”

“Yes.”

She rubbed his ear. “I will never be able to tell you how much you mean to me or how much I love you. Do you think I could be happy without you?”

“The bull and child would fill the void of my absence.”

“No, it would make it worse. Every time I would look at him or my child I would be reminded that I pushed away the one soul who has always loved me for a selfish reason.”

“Giving a child life is not selfish.”

“It would be, if done like that. You do not care if the child is not yours so long as I am happy, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then the solution is simple. When we are ready to settle down, we adopt.”

“You wanted a child of your own.”

“I have wanted a child with the one I love. The child we choose would be our child. That is what is important to me.” She grinned. “Besides, from what I have seen, being pregnant is not a pleasant experience. I will be able to keep you, give a child a loving home, and not have my innards abused for months. There are no down sides that I can see.”

Fierce laughed. “That's one of the many, many things I love about you. You are so practical.”

“I thought it was because you liked minotaur heifers with scars and muscles.”

“Those aspects of you have their appeal too.” He trailed kisses from her lips, to her check, down her neck, and then to her collar bone. “It has been too long since I showed you how much I adore all of you properly. Allow me the privilege of doing so now.”

She put a hand under his chin, stopping him. “Tempting as you are, we will have to wait. They could walk in any minute.”

He kissed the palm of her hand. “As my lady wishes.”

“Keep in mind, we are going to be back in Ponyville tonight. We will have four walls and a door with a lock.”

Fierce's ears perked and he grinned lecherously. "I believe the wait will be worth it, for such a setting."

She leaned close and breathed, "I assure you, it will be."

*****

“Are you feeling okay?” Stone asked. “You look a little flushed”

Puca nodded “I'm fine. They're a lot of strong emotions in the air right now is all.”

“I would not doubt that is true. That is often the case when someone tries something new.” Zecora motioned to Cobalt. “Lay down on the grass. Let all the tension in you pass.”

Cobalt put his head between his hooves, and Zecora placed the crystal fragment so it sat a hoof's width beyond his nose.

“Close your eyes and relax your mind. I will try to guide you to what you seek to find.” Zecora's voice carried a musical tone. “Let your heart wander where it wants to go. The way you need to travel it is sure to know.”

Stone leaned forward, his eyes riveted on his brother.

Puca smiled and pushed on Stone's chest so that he sat up straighter. “You're going to fall on your nose,” she whispered.

Grayson's tail lashed. “Hush. You'll distract Cobalt.”

Zecora adjusted Cobalt's position so that he was aligned perfectly from nose to tail. “Allow your breath slow and let your mind's images flow.”

Cobalt twitched.

Zecora lay down next to him. “Feel as if you were under the water's surface. Allow yourself to drift without purpose.”

After a couple of minutes, the crystal began to glow with a dim light. Cobalt smiled and tears ran down his cheeks. The light from the crystal flickered and then went out. Cobalt gasped and opened his eyes.

Zecora pulled him against her side. “I am very proud of you. You were strong and saw things through.”

Cobalt leaned against Zecora and sniffed. “She's in there! She was so happy to see me.” He rubbed his nose with a back of a hoof. “I was so afraid she was trapped somewhere horrible, but she's not. It felt like being in a strange dream. I don't know where we were, but it was pretty.”

“There's no telling.” Grayson picked up the crystal, put it in a pouch, and hung it around Cobalt's neck. “She reached out to you so it's only right that you carry the crystal.”

Cobalt looked up from the pouch to Grayson. “Thank you. I will take care of her.”

“Let's go back inside and wake up the layabouts. We'll need to head into town before too long.”

“I don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not,” said Stone. “Mom is going to have my ears.”

“I guess they weren't asleep after all,” Gray said, after opening the door. “I thought I saw smoke coming from the chimney.”

“That smells wonderful,” Cobalt said.

Puca nodded. “It's Bonsmara's apples and oats. They're delicious.”

“I thought we could have a good meal before getting back on the road.” Bonsmara said, looking away from the cooking pot. “It is a bit of celebration of two ponies completing their first official adventure too.”

Fierce pointed to the pouch around Cobalt's neck. “I take it that the crystal is in your care now?”

Cobalt smiled and nodded. “Grayson gave me the pouch so I can carry it.”

“Grayson! I believe you might be going soft on us.”

Grayson glared at Fierce.

“What were you doing out there?” Bonsmara asked.

“Amore tried to talk to me again last night,” Cobalt answered. “She was clearer, since the crystal is so much closer to me, but I still couldn't understand what she was trying to say.”

“Zecora said she could help Cobalt and me at the same time,” said Stone.

“To show Stone that magic could be done by all, I helped Cobalt hear Amore's call.”

Cobalt stood proudly. “Zecora showed me how I can talk to Amore! She took me outside so I could be closer to the plants and trees in the forest when I tried to talk with Amore. She said earth ponies' magic is stronger when there are closer to things that grow.”

Bonsmara paused her stirring of the pot. “You were able to reach her?”

Cobalt grinned and nodded.

“That is amazing.”

“I think he has a special talent. I believe that is why he could hear the message that Amore sent.” Zecora looked at Cobalt. “Such skill is rare to see. Especially in so young a pony.”

“He had a good teacher too. That makes quite a difference.” Fierce patted Cobalt on the head. “I wonder if you have found your lot in life.”

Cobalt glanced back towards his flank. “I don't think so. No cutie mark.”

Bonsmara ladled the oatmeal into bowls. “As soon as we eat, we will need to pack up and go back to town. We will have reports to send, princesses to talk with, and a mother to calm.”

Stone looked to Cobalt. “How bad do you think it's going to be?”

“Pretty bad. We went into the Everfree Forest without an adult, got chased by timberwolves, stayed away from the house overnight without checking in, and all sorts of other things. Yeah, it's going to be really bad.”

“We shall see.” Fierce said, as he packing away his things. “I have no doubt that your mother is going to be displeased, but we can see what we can do to mitigate things.”

“I take it your planning to use your considerable charm to persuade her not to have their ears?” Bonsmara asked.

“Of course. They helped us, we help them. It is only fair.”

Bonsmara handed him a bowl. “You just want to sweet talk another lady.”

“I am courteous to all ladies, but there is only one who I wish to say sweet nothings to.”

After blowing the steam off his bowl of oats, Grayson said, “Tone it down you two. It's too early in the morning for that.”

“Would you care for any?” Bonsmara held out a bowl for Puca.

“Just a little, please. I love your cooking, but I'm already pretty full.”

“Really?” A grin grew on Bonsmara's face. “Oh, I see. You nibbled on something a bit earlier.”

Puca blushed. “A little.”

“It is nice to know that we can keep you healthy.”

Grayson inspected Stone's saddle bags. “You know how to organize and pack a Royal Guard equipment kit.” He looked over Stone. “Just how did you come by the kit and the training to pack it?”

“My Grandfather gave me the kit as a present. I spent several summers in the Royal Guard youth training camp. My grandfather was in the Guard, and would tell me about some of the things he did. I wanted to know what it was like and signed up for the camp. I enjoyed it, and kept going back. While I was in school, I was also part of the Royal Guard's Young Officers Training Corps.”

“But you don't want to go into the guard now?”

“I'm not sure. I like the discipline, the training, the push to constantly improve, but I feel like there's something missing.”

“They fight monsters, help ponies in need, defend against invasions, and all kinds of over things. What more could you ask for, if you looking for some excitement? Sure, they look like like they have sticks shoved under their tails most of the time, but they're effective.”

Stone laughed. “I can't argue that they don't have interesting jobs, or get things done, but...” He looked down at his helmet. “There is no exploration, no discovery, nothing new. The Royal Guard would never have taken on a mission like the one you're on. They would hire specialists and go back to their routine.”

“You're on the mission now too.” Grayson patted Stone's shoulder. “At least, until your mom gets hold of you.”

Stone knocked his helmet against his forehead. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“You're welcome.”

“Do not torment him so. How his mom will take things we cannot know.” Zecora said. “I would like to come as well. Of her sons' talents, I would like to tell.”

Stone reached over and mussed Cobalt's mane. “This guy is the talented one. I'm just strong and think tactically.” Cobalt ducked out from under Stone's hoof, a grin on his face.

“You do not give yourself your proper due. There is quite a bit to you.”

Stone pointed towards his flank. “Nah, I'm pretty one dimensional. Even my cutie mark is bland.”

“A stone rook's meaning is rather clear. What about the crystal shield upon your rear?”

“I've always thought it was just another symbol of me liking to help anypony in a jam.” Stone shrugged. “I never gave it much thought before.”

“A mark's meaning can be many fold. I think the shield may mean more than what you just told.”

“If anyone can help you find out, it will be her,” said Grayson. “She helped me put my head on straight.”

“His problem is quite different than the one that faced you. When he first saw me, he did not have wounds that I needed to sew.”

“What happened?” asked Cobalt.

“I was looking for something in the forest, and a bug bear got the drop on me.” Grayson gestured to Zecora. “She put me back together. While I was recovering, we talked about what I was doing in the Everfree. She saved my life two times over. Once by healing my body, the second time by helping me sort out my mind.”

“I think we are ready to go.” Bonsmara said. “Everything is packed and the bowls, pots, and spoons are clean.”

Stone put on his helmet. “I hope I don't need this as much as I think I will.”

*****

At the edge of Ponyville, Grayson signaled for a pause. “I will give you two a choice. We can go to your place first, or to the castle.”

“Let's see Mom.” Cobalt looked up at Stone. “I know she's going to be mad at us, but I want to see her.”

“You're right.” Stone sighed and nodded. “There isn't a reason why we should keep worrying her.”

“Sometimes, it takes more courage to face those you love than your foes,” Fierce said. “Lead the way.”

“Just a second.” Green flames surged around Puca for a moment, as she changed her appearance. “Gray mane, light brown coat, green eyes.” She looked herself over. “I think that does it.”

“You forgot your cutie mark,” Bonsmara pointed out.

“I did.” Looking towards her flank, Puca squinted her eyes. With a small puff of green fire, an hour glass appeared on her flank. “There we go.”

“Why that one?” Cobalt asked.

“I like the idea of the flowing sand. It kinda fits.” She grinned. “That, and a lot of ponies have this mark, so I blend in better with it rather than something fancy.”

“I guess that makes sense, but we already know you're a changeling. We spent all of yesterday with you.”

“This isn't for you. Ponies freak out when they see me, if I don't put on a disguise. It doesn't bother Kevin that ponies run away or stare at him, but it does me. I know I look like a freak. I don't want to be gawked at and treated like one.”

“There is nothing wrong with the way you look,” said Stone.

Puca changed back to her natural form. “I have fangs, holes in my legs, insect wings and tail, a fin on the back of my head instead of a mane, and my eyes are a solid color. To most ponies, I'm a monster. Even you were put off when you first saw me.”

“I was worried because of what happened in Canterlot, not because of what you looked like.”

“So you think the town's ponies could get over this,” she waved a hoof in a motion that indicated her whole body, “and take the time to get to know me?”

“They did with Zecora.”

“Zecora has healing talents and the whole exotic beauty thing going for her. Is there any part of me that a pony could find attractive?”

Stone nodded, but said nothing.

“And that would be?”

“You are in fetlock deep as it is, might as well wade deeper,” Fierce said, grinning. “Go ahead lad. Tell her what is in that head of yours.”

Stone blurted, “Your eyes and wings are pretty.”

She paused and looked at him for a moment. “You really mean that. Why do you think my wings and eyes are pretty?”

A blush formed on Stone's face. “They catch the light. Last night, when the candle flames flickered, colors danced on your wings and in your eyes. They're pretty now, but last night they were beautiful.”

“What about the holes and my fin? Don't they bother you?”

“I don't think about the holes much at all and the fin makes me wonder what else you can change into. Can you change into a sea pony or a bat pony?”

“I don't know. I've never even seen a sea pony, much less tried to mimic one, and I've never tried to change into a bat pony.”

“Come on you two, we need to get going,” declared Grayson.

“Give them a second or two more.” Bonsmara said, scooping up Cobalt. “They can catch up.”

As the others walked past, Puca gave Stone a hug. “Thank you for not thinking I was a monster or that I was repulsive. I get to feel that from other ponies way too much.”

After a brief hesitation, Stone hugged her back. “You helped my brother and me when we needed it most. A monster would not have done that. And you are not ugly at all, so please quit saying stuff like that.”

After ending their hug, Puca and Stone made their way after the others.

“Is your boss going to be mad at you too, since you missed work?”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think. I work for my Dad's company. I have been keeping my parent's house while they were on business trips, looking after Cobalt, and taking care of invoices and other paperwork for the last couple of days. Usually, I'm one of the hauling and framing ponies, so it's been a nice break.”

“So, your boss is your mom too.”

“That's what's going to make things really interesting when we talk to her.”

“We're here!' Bonsmara put Cobalt down. “My dad made our house. Isn't it great?””

“Impressive work.” Fierce ran a paw over the field stone. “Your father knows his craft well.”

“Let's get this over with.” Stone stepped towards the front door,

Fierce stepped in front of him and held up a paw. “If would allow me one moment, I think I can help considerably.” He turned to Grayson. “You still have the writ, I presume.”

Grayson smiled and nodded. “I do. I take it you want to borrow it.”

“I believe it could be of use.”

Grayson took off his backpack, opened its main storage pouch, and pulled a letter from it. “Here you go.”

“Thank you kind sir.” He turned and knocked on the door. “Leave this to me,” he whispered to the brothers.

“What if what you have planned doesn't work?” Stone asked.

“Then we will return with a pardon from Princess Twilight.”

The sound of hurried hooves could be heard from behind the door. A second later, the door was thrown open. A powder blue mare with a white mane stood in the doorway. She looked up to Fierce's. “I'm sorry, sir. I hate to be rude, but now is not a good time. My boys are missing and I'm about to leave to gather a search party together.”

“You would be referring to one Cobalt and one Corner Stone, if I am not mistaken.”

“Yes I would! How did you know?! Are they alright?! Please tell me they're safe!”

Cobalt ran around Fierce and hugged the mare. “I'm fine Mom! We're both fine!”

She hugged Cobalt to her tightly. “Thank Celestia and Luna both you're alright!”

Fierce stepped aside, and Stone hugged his mother and Cobalt. “We're fine Mom. We had to stay in the forest longer than we had planned.”

“Don't say 'forest' like you were going into the Whitetail Woods! I read your note! I know you went into the Everfree! What possessed you?! Following the wild dreams of a colt into one of the most dangerous places in Equestria?! I thought you were more responsible than that!”

“Please, do not dismiss your son's dreams so quickly. My companions and I were in the Everfree Forest seeking the very same thing that your sons were.” Fierce bowed. “We owe them and you a debt. Without their aid, we would not have accomplished our task.”

“What task?”

Fierce offered the letter to the mare. “We are on a royal mission to revive a fallen princess of the Crystal Empire. She was turned to crystal and shattered. Cobalt led us to one of the fragments needed to restore her, and Stone devised the plan that allowed us entry into the lower halls of the castle so that we could locate the fragment that was tucked away there.” He presented her with the writ. “That document bears the seal of, and is signed by, the rulers of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor.”

She took the letter from Fierce. “Is this some kind of prank?”

“I assure you, it is not. I would like to tell you all of what has transpired, if you would afford me the opportunity.”

Looking stunned, the mare nodded. “Of course, come in mister...”

“Forgive my terrible manners.” Fierce placed a paw to his chest and bowed slightly. “I am Fierce Watch. My fellows are Bonsmara, Grayson, Puca, and Zecora.”

“Zecora! I'm sorry, I didn't even see you there!”

“You were not unkind. You had more important things on your mind. Would you mind if we came and stayed a spell? We have quite the story to tell.”

“Please, come in. I want to hear everything.”

“May we have your name?” Fierce asked. “It strikes me as awkward to enter the home of a pony I do not know the name of.”

“My name is Mosaic.”

*****

Mosaic looked around the kitchen table. “My boys did all of that?”

“They did indeed.” Fierce took a sip of his tea. “Without them, there is a good possibility that our efforts would have failed.”

She turned to Cobalt. “You did magic using a crystal?”

Cobalt took the pouch from around his neck and, with care, put the crystal fragment on the table. “This is a part of Amore, Mom.”

Mosaic stared at the fragment for nearly a minute, before saying, “It's all true then.” She sighed and smiled. “Now I don’t' know whether to mad at them, or proud.”

“Both would be reasonable, considering how they went about things.” Fierce put his cup down and gave Mosaic a strong look. “However, bear in mind that they did seek help before setting off on their own. Had the Elements not been off on a mission themselves, they would have lent their aid if asked, I am sure. Ponies not used to adventures and magical happenings would rationally think they were weaving a tale.”

“I can't blame anypony for not believing them. I thought it was a joke and I had all of you at my front door.” She sighed. “Celestia help me, I don't know what to do with the two of you. Your father is going to have a come-apart when he hears about this.”

“Granddad would love it,” Cobalt said, with a small smile.

Mosaic looked to Cobalt and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think that is really going to help your situation?”

Cobalt's ears folded back and he sunk towards the floor. “No, not really.”

Mosaic pulled Cobalt to her side. “You're right though, Dad would love it. That doesn't mean that you are getting off without some kind of consequence.”

Cobalt nodded. “I understand. I did something wrong, and I have to make up for it.”

“Whatever his punishment is, please, just add it to mine.” Cobalt met his mother's eyes. “He was under my care and I allowed things to get out of hoof. I should have kept him here and safe, but I couldn't stop him when all he wanted to do is help somepony.”

“You don't live here anymore, so I can't ground you. I'll have to think of something else.”

“Cut my pay equal to the number of hours that we were gone. I not only failed as his guardian, I also failed you as an employee.”

Cobalt gasped. “No! Those are your bits! You need those!”

“I won't do that.” Mosaic said. “That's too harsh, and you have to eat.”

“What I did put both our lives in danger. I should be penalized accordingly, and I can graze for a little while.”

“You kept him from danger as well,” Bonsmara said. “Without your helping him in the Everfree, there is no telling what could have happened to him.”

“Did you enjoy what you did?” Grayson asked.

Stone looked at him, smiled, and nodded. “I did. It was an adventure, we met you, and we got to help out.”

Mosaic looked at Stone as if studying him.

Grayson tapped a claw against his cup. “You have vacation time, I assume.”

“I do.”

Grayson turned to Mosaic. “Take the time from his vacation. That leave him with bits, and he's punished.”

“While that is a good idea, I won't do that either.” Mosaic gestured to Stone. “Come here.” Stone approached her, and she drew him into a hug. “You left the work that you needed to do for your job in an envelope next to the note. Why should I punish you for not doing something when you did?”

“I was supposed to keep Cobalt safe and I failed miserably.”

“Did you? You protected your brother while he played a key role in a rescue mission that may have given him insight into what his talent is.” She leaned back and looked at him. “Yes, you two nearly gave me a heart attack by wandering off, but you did it for the right reasons. I have to ask one thing though, why didn't you wait till I got back?”

Cobalt pull away from her and looked down.

Cobalt hugged Mosaic. “Because I begged him to go. I had been pestering him for days, and he finally broke down.”

“Your brother is stronger than that.” She pulled Cobalt against her and looked back to Stone. “Son, why didn't you wait for me to come back?”

“At first, I just wanted to keep him safe at home. Then, after his dreams started to repeat and get more detailed, I knew that the mare was reaching out to him specifically. We...”

“Go on.”

“We had to do something. He wanted to help her. I wanted to help her, but I knew you wouldn't have let us. When it got close to you coming home, I decided I would gear up, protect him from whatever was out there, and we'd do what we could.”

Mosaic smiled sadly. “I think I know what you need to do.”

Stone drew himself up. “I'll do whatever you say.”

“You're going to see this through.” Mosaic looked at the others gathered around the table. “Would you take my son with you till all this is over?”

Grayson nodded. “Sure, but we'll have to get some armor that fits so he doesn't rub his coat off.”

Fierce raised his cup in salute. “It would be a pleasure to have him accompany us.”

“I would be glad to have him.” Bonsmara looked to Puca and smiled. “What about you?”

“I'd like him to come with us.”

Mosaic turned to Zecora. “You haven't said anything. What do you think?”

“In this I do not have a say. Here is where I will stay. My home is in the Everfree and my skills are needed to help any sick or injured pony.”

“Then it's settled. He goes with you.”

“What about my job?” Stone asked.

“Do you enjoy what you do?”

“It helps you and Dad, let's me have my own place, and it keeps me in shape.”

“That's what I thought. You do it, but you don't love it. When you answered Grayson about whether you liked going with them, you lit up like I have not seen in a long time. I want you to be happy with what you do. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you should not pass up.”

“I don't want to leave you and Dad in a lurch.”

“We'll be fine. You're forgetting, I worked on site and did the books long before you were old enough to help out.” She laughed. “Besides, it would be good for me to get back on the job instead of going to all these business meetings. I need the exercise and I miss getting to work on the projects.”

Stone turned the group, smiled, and nodded. “I'm in!”

Cobalt put the fragment back in its pouch and offered it to Grayson. “I'll give this back to you.”

Grayson took the pouch and put it around Cobalt's neck. “Hold on to it a little longer. We need to get a message to the princesses that we found a piece. We'll have to see Spike for that. Since you've already missed school for today, I can't see why you couldn't come with us when we see him.”

Cobalt put a hoof against the pouch. “Thank you.”

“Now is a good time for me to bid you all adieu. I wish the best of luck to all of you.”

“You could come with us.” Grayson said. “We could use your wisdom and skills.”

“While it flatters me that you value my knowledge and skills, I must stay and help ponies with their ills.”

Grayson looked into his tea. “I can appreciate that. If you hadn't been at your place when I was attacked, I wouldn't be here.”

Zecora made her way to Grayson and put a hoof on his shoulder. “You are always welcome to visit me. Just knock on the door of my tree. Whether at night, or with the morning's dew, my door will always be open to you.”

*****

Grayson knocked on the castle's doors. “This place really doesn't fit in with the rest of the town.”

Cobalt trotted in place. “Spike's going to be so surprised. I went on an adventure like he does!”

The castle's door opened and Spike looked at the group wide eyed. “Whoa. Twilight said there might be somepony showing up with something important, but I didn't expect anything like this.” He pointed to Cobalt, “Not that I don't want to see you, but what are you doing with them?”

“Stone and I helped them get the fragment from the Sister's Castle.”

“Who's Stone and what fragment?”

“I'm Stone.” Stone raised his hoof. “Don't you remember me?”

“Oh yeah. You're the one that checked out all the books on the Guard branches.”

“Nice to know I made such an impression.”

“Give me a break. Do you know how many ponies come to check things out? If your brother and I weren't buds I probably wouldn't have remembered that about you.”

“We need to a message to the princesses that we recovered one of the fragments of Amore and we'll be heading to the Crystal Empire with it soon,” Grayson, said stepping forward.

Spike shrugged. “I can do that. Which princess or princesses do you want to send the message to?”

“Princess Twilight first, then the others.”

Spike looked past Grayson. “That first one won't be a problem.”

Grayson looked over his shoulder. “So I see.”

“Hey Twilight!” Spike called, waving. “You've got company!”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading my story. If you were kind enough to add it to your favorites, please consider giving it a positive vote as well.

Remember, comments are like authors' food, they give us the fuel to keep writing. Constructive criticism is always welcome. It's what allows me to improve my writing skills.