Avatar: Legend of Diamond Tiara. Book 3: Tirek

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 8: Progress

Diamond stepped back half a step, before swinging a hoof forward to send a burst of flame at Plasmahoof. He knocked it away with a side swipe, before spinning in for a twist and crescent blast. She leaped over it, spinning in the air and bringing her back hooves down on him, forcing him to catch her hooves with his and driving him to the ground. She thrust out her left wing, twisting in the air and slamming her back hoof into his face, sending him flying back.

Her eyes widened and she galloped after him. “Plasmahoof? Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I thought you were going to--”

“It's fine,” he said with a shake of his head, flexing his jaw a little bit. “Didn't knock anything out and I can still see,” he said with a smile before taking a deep breath. “Impressive.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. When last I was training you, a shot like that would have knocked out half my teeth.”

Her cheeks turned bright red. “S-sorry, I didn't want to kick as hard, it's just training and--”

“That's not a bad thing, Avatar,” he said firmly, before reaching out and putting a hoof on her shoulder. “You've improved. Your power has always been exceedingly high. But you're learning how better to switch between offense and defense. When to use control and when to use power. In almost every way you are improving, a little bit day by day. I'm proud of you.”

Her cheeks practically burned and she lowered her eyes. “I-I'm not, I mean, I-I have really good teachers and--” Her words were cut off by him putting a hoof in her mouth.

“Diamond. A good teacher cannot work without an excellent student. When I first trained you, you weren't. You were an arrogant spoiled brat who thought just because she could punch a hoof through a pony's face, that made her right. But you're learning.” He gave a soft sigh. “To be honest, I was really dreading this position. When your aunt requested my aid... well, had I known at the time how it would end up, I wouldn't have requested quite so many bits.”

Diamond's cheeks flared and she lowered her gaze. “R-right. I guess... yeah. They are a bit protective. So, uhhh, what next?”

“We'll work on your phoenix stance. It might be time to see about teaching you the other flames.”

Her eyes widened. “Y-you don't mean... blue flames, do you?”

“Indeed.”

“B-but you said before that they weren't... well...”

“I lied. I was afraid such things would lead to you killing ponies. They are more destructive than normal flames, more deadly. Have a higher chance of going out of control, like lightning. As you were, such an art would have been... unwise to teach you. However...” He looked her up and down. “Now? I see no reason why you can't learn such an art. I am confident you have the power to manifest it, as well.”

She nodded, smiling. “Thank you. I will do my best.”

He nodded and then trotted over to a nearby table to grab a drink of water. “How have your other lessons been going?”

“Evil. Pure evil. Sweetie is pretty nice, but well...” She rubbed her forehead. “That move I got you with? That was mostly hers. She doesn't focus as much on the bending as she does my actual body. Trying to keep me flexible, she says. Rainbow is all about speed. She's making me race around the whole city at well... at these speeds by the time I finally land I feel like I'm going to die! Yesterday was the first time I didn't collapse immediately after stopping. And Applejack... well...” She held her forehead and shook it. “You ever just... have that pony that is just really nice? But a master at making you feel bad? She's that. Oh buck is she that. She never says anything, but I can FEEL the disappointment in her voice that I can't metal bend.”

He nodded slowly. “I understand. It shouldn't be that shocking, though.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, I've never quite heard of an Avatar who could lightning bend and your predecessor couldn't metal bend either.”

“So?”

The stallion sighed and took a seat, rubbing his chin. “To be blunt... the Avatar has always been strong. A trait you share with them. However, many have theorized that... this strength comes at a price.”

She blinked a few times and sat by him. “What do you mean?”

He glanced to her before reaching out and tapping her horn. “This, for an example. Despite the fact you are an alicorn, normal magic evades your control, correct?”

Her cheeks turned bright red. “Y-yes. I know that, but--”

“That's because, at your core, you're still an earth pony. You have a semblance of their power, but it's not perfect. For example, you know how to stand on clouds, right?”

“Yeah, you just gather your magic in your hooves and focus it down, like bending. Even water benders can do it, though they have to harden the water in the clouds.”

“Exactly. A normal pegasus doesn't have to do that, to them it's innate. Pure pegasus magic. You're able to imitate their abilities, but not perfectly replicate them. Now, that may hold true for your bending as well.” He pointed to her horn. “You're all four elements at once, but you're their core. It's very possible that such abilities might not be possible by you.” He did pause for a moment. “On the other hoof, metal bending and lightning bending are very, very delicate works that can require a full lifetime to master. I've dedicated my life to training students and perfecting my art, but even I can only barely lightning bend. Even then, the number of them that still exist in this day number in the dozens. So it is also quite possible that the fact you have to learn four elements, on top of all your other duties as Avatar, makes it far more difficult than for another pony who'd only have to master one.”

She nodded, staring intently at him. “I see. I know Button is having a lot of trouble and he's a pretty good bender, too. A lava bender, even.” She glanced down to her drink.

“It is a difficult art to learn, I hear. But either way, you are the Avatar. Even without the special variations of lava bending, you have ample skill, power and flexibility beyond any normal bender. So I wouldn't fret too much on the things you can't do, instead focus on the plethora of things you can.”

She smiled and took another sip of her drink. “Okay. You're right! And now, I feel like I can get a few more lucky hits in.”

He chuckled softly before getting to his hooves. “If you care to try, I'll be happy to oblige.”

------

Button groaned and buried his head in his pillow, holding it against his face.

“Is something wrong?” Octavia asked, making him jump.

He slowly lifted his head up and turned back towards her. “What? Of course not! Everything is fine, why wouldn't it be fine?”

The earth pony sighed. “I've been... keeping tabs on your practice. You haven't--”

“It's only a matter of time,” he said quickly before jumping off the bed. “I'm heading out to practice right now, really! See? This is me, going, a full day of practice ahead. Why, I think I'm almost there. Any day now.”

Octavia gave a soft sigh, before trotting forward and reaching out to put a hoof on his shoulder. “Button, it's okay. You know I love you no matter what. If you can't metal bend, that's fine, there's no need to--”

“I will figure this out, mom. I'm your son,” he said firmly, staring up at her. “I... I won't give up. I will do whatever it takes to master this. I learned lava bending, I can learn this.”

Octavia sighed and gave a nod. “Very well. But there is no shame in having a task that is too much for you, most earth benders can't--”

“Most earth benders give up too easy,” Button said with a shrug before trotting past her. “Don't worry mom, I've got this. I'm just a bit slow on the pick up, but I'll get it down. Just you wait.”

Octavia watched him leave, before shaking her head. Once the door closed she eyed it for a few moments. “It been a few weeks, dear. You've made no progress.” She looked down at her hooves. “Was... I just too hard on him?”

------

Silver hummed softly as she worked, stretching out her metallic wings and then neatly folding them in. She leaped into the air and took off like a bolt, tearing through the air with ease. At least as fast as a quicker pegasus, if not faster. A grin formed on her face before she began turning in a tight corkscrew. It worked perfectly and she spread the wings out, intending to slow herself. Instead, the wings jammed slightly and she was sent off, veering to the right. She shrieked and tried to regain control, spinning through the air for a few moments before, finally, she managed to make herself level.

Her heart pounded in her chest, but she was alive. That was good. She put a hoof to her chest and let out a soft sight. “Need to work on the movements still, it seems. But the speed is nice. Now to test the ho--” She paused mid sentence when she caught sight of a pony walking towards her. It was still early morning, so she couldn't imagine who it would be at this hour. Let alone how they got through the checkpoints.

However, as she came closer it became obvious. Silver quickly lowered herself to the ground, forcing a smile on her face. “Ah! Lady Scootaloo, how nice to see you, I--”

“Oh don't you nice to see you me!” the mare snapped, before moving up to her face. “I was busy, okay? The council had plenty of matters and I just didn't have a chance to come by!”

Silver put on a face of innocence. “Why, Lady Scootaloo, whatever do you mean? I--”

“Don't you try playing coy with me, Silver. I know how crafty you and your father are. You told Hornclipper.”

The earth pony couldn't suppress her grin from widening. “Did it work?”

“All. Night. He followed me around, making that 'I don't care but I really do I'm just too up tight to show it' face. All night. Do you know what that's like? He sat at the hoof of the bed for an hour just making eyes at me!”

“Did it work?”

“I'm bucking here, aren't I? I swear, you're as bad as your father.”

“I'll take that as a compliment. Besides, after our last attempt--”

“A colossal failure.”

“Failures happen. Besides, we're only four prototypes in and you haven't gotten hurt yet. Sometimes it takes a few times to get it right.”

Scootaloo sighed and gave a nod. “Just put them on me, you manipulative snake.”

Silver snickered and trotted off towards a small box besides the flight grounds. “I did warn you. Be thankful, if you hadn't shown up today, I was going to go straight to Ironwing.”

“You're evil and have no heart!”

“Mmmm hm,” the earth pony said before her horn glowed and plucked the box open. It took her only a moment to get the other mare strapped into the strange winged device. “Now, you know the drill. I'll catch you if you fall.”

“I know, I know,” Scootaloo said before racing down the runway and leaping into the air. She thrust her hooves out, holding her breath. However, she didn't start to go down. Instead, she glided across the runway. Nervously, she gave a flap and readied herself to plummet.

Instead she began to rise up into the air, albeit awkwardly. Her eyes widened and she gave another flap. She veered slightly to the left, but she was rising. The crystal against her chest gave its soft, gentle hum, not reacting at all to the extra movements. “It's working!” she called out, excitement filling her voice.

“Good! Now come down, gently. See how much control you have.”

Scootaloo frowned, but slowly turned around in the air, her wings wobbling slightly. She was tilted heavily to the left, but she was still in the air she that was definitely progress. She tried to even herself out and let out a shriek when she spun fully around and plummeted down. Once again she was wrapped in a magical aura and slowly spun around, before landing on the ground.

“Are you okay?” Silver asked.

“Fine. I think it messed up,” she mumbled softly.

Silver leaned in and looked at the gem. After a few moments she shook her head. “No. It's perfect.”

“W-what?”

“I mean, it's a little raw on the edges, but no cracks. This is our first success.”

“W-wait, really? You mean--”

“Uh huh. Like this, you can actually fly. I mean, we'll need to refine it, of course. But this should mean a LOT less explosions and crashes.” Silver blinked and then looked aside. “There... ahhhh... is still one minor set back.”

“What?”

“... You've never flown before.”

Scootaloo blinked before frowning. “Yeah. I'm aware.”

“You need to learn.”

“What? OH!” Scootaloo's eyes bulged and her cheeks turned red. “W-wait, you don't mean--”

“Flying lessons. I'm sure Ironwing or Hornclipper would be happy to give them.”

Scootaloo's cheeks were practically on fire when she put her hoof to her face, shaking her head. “Oh by the stars, you can't be serious.”

“There's no shame in it, Lady Scootaloo. Plenty of ponies have handicaps and--”

“No, it's not that. I've trained both of them. May the stars have mercy on me. For they shall not.”

Silver blinked a few times before snickering. “Of course. Now, if you'd like to fly a bit more and see what you can do, we can use it to gather more data for the next prototype.”

Scootaloo nodded before racing across the runway and leaping into the air again, a wide grin on her face.

------

Acrylic trotted forward, looking around warily as he walked along the pier. Besides him, Icytouch rambled on and on about the screens from Tomorrow Industries. She seemed pretty excited about being able to talk with her parents from all the way in the Water Nation.

The stallion's eyes widened and he galloped forward, thrusting his horn up. Water surged out from below, streaking through the air and wrapping around a crate, turning to ice and supporting its weight a moment before the rope snapped. He stood there, panting. His eyes widened and he stared. “I... I did it.”

Icytouch nodded. “You did. I was a little worried you'd--”

A scream cut the air and Acrylic's eyes widened when he saw the ice supporting the crate crumble, sending the massive container down at one of the workers. She tried to shield herself with her hooves, but there wouldn't be any shielding that.

Acrylic raced forward and his horn glimmered. A moment later he was in front of the pony and tackled her out of the way, sending them both careening around the pier.

“Acrylic!” Icytouch yelled as she galloped up. “Are you okay? You teleported! How did you--” She took a step back when he rolled to his side and promptly threw up, his entire body heaving. He was covered in little burnt marks as well. After a few moments he collapsed and stopped moving. “Acrylic? Hey, Acrylic?” She moved over and nudged him, before rolling him over.

He didn't move, his eyes were closed and he was barely breathing. Her eyes widened and she looked up at the nearest pegasus. “You! Head towards dock 13, ask for Mistbreeze and tell her to get here, now! We have a stallion down!” She then looked down, reaching out and rubbing his chest. “Acrylic? Acrylic, come on, wake up. If you die on my shift your mom will KILL me.”

------

Rarity sighed and slowly flipped through the letters, a frown emblazoned on her face.

“Rarity? What's wrong?” Sweetie asked as she trotted into the room, carrying small cups of coffee with her.

“I'm just going over the letters from home,” she said softly.

“Mmmm? Anything wrong?” Sweetie took a seat across from the elder mare and sipped her drink, nudging the other closer.

“Of course not, nothing is wrong. Colgate is doing an absolutely wondrous job.”

“Mmmm hm.”

“Just like I expected. Though she does have a tendency to be a bit distant in her reports.”

“I see.”

“But Celestia and Luna are keeping me up to date as well, telling me about any going ons and the like that Colgate tends to leave out.”

“Oh, of course.”

“And absolutely nothing has gone wrong that anypony needs to worry about. The country is going well. Ponies are happy.”

“And that's a bad thing?”

“W-what? Of course not! T-that's a good thing!”

“Then why are you staring so intently at those letters as if you hope they'll burst into flame?”

“It's... it's not that,” Rarity said softly, before sighing and pushing the letters down. “It's just...”

“Yes?”

“This is all... dreadfully boring.”

The younger sister snickered. “Oh? Would you like to train the Avatar for a while?”

“What? N-no! You're doing an excellent job and that's not what I mean. When... when I came here, I expected...”

“You thought it would be like old times, running across the world trying to find threats and wipe them out?”

Rarity snorted and shook her head. “No. I expected we'd have found the mare by now and have her captured. I'd at least expected some sign of the mare. It's been weeks! She could be anywhere.”

“Ponies are looking for her and the others.”

“Yes. But there's no... sign of them,” Rarity said before giving another sigh and then lifting up her cup, taking a sip. She shuddered. “I do prefer tea.”

“I felt it was a coffee morning. I know what you're thinking. It's fine. Whatever this Meadowbrook has in mind, we'll stop it.”

“Yes, but her power may be more than we suspected. I could barely imagine anypony being able to control Dazzling. Even with his...”

“Weaknesses?”

“Yes. Even with those, we could barely keep him under control. To keep not only him, but Hothoof and Shining under control, at the same time no less... it is quite frightening. All this waiting is doing is making me feel more... antsy. Just what could this mare have in store for the Avatar?”

Sweetie shrugged. “Who knows? But there's like... six of us. And the Avatar. And her friends. You and I will take down Dazzling, Rainbow took down Shining last time. And we both know that Applejack and Applebloom will crush Hothoof. Diamond and her friends are training as well, so they'll take care of Meadowbrook.” She took another sip of her drink. “Every single one of these ponies have been beaten before and they can be beaten again.”

Rarity sighed and gave a nod. “I... suppose. It just doesn't... feel right. Something feels off.” She swirled her coffee softly. “I can't help shaking this feeling that we're missing something. That I'm missing something. That there's some... special piece to the puzzle, staring me in the face. Something I need to deal with, but can't.”

Sweetie cocked an eye. “Really? You talked to the others about it?”

The mare gave a sigh before nodding. “Indeed. That's why I'm feeling even less comfortable. I... discussed this with Applejack. Something she said made me feel uneasy.”

The younger princess cocked an eye. “Really? What'd she say?”

“That's just it. I know it's nonsense. I mean, it doesn't even make sense. How could it?”

“What?”

Rarity stared into her coffee for a few moments, questioning if she should even mention it. Then, finally, she looked up. “She said she... felt her element.”

“Earth? Like, metal bending?”

“No. Not that element.” Rarity tapped her throat. “Her Element of Harmony.”

Sweetie froze, her eyes going wide. “Wait, you mean... it's coming... but Twilight's gone! She--”

“No, not on her. That's just it,” Rarity said with another shake of her head. “She said she felt... a piece of it. No, not... like a fading echo of it. From outside. She said it was only for a moment, that it disappeared quickly. And that it was probably just her imagination. But... something like that...”

“What do you think it means?”

“This Staff of Sameness was destroyed and created through Discord's power. Perhaps the lost power of our elements were used, somehow, to repair it.”

“That'd be great! Maybe the elements can be restored!” Sweetie squealed with delight, her eyes going wide.

“Perhaps. But if this Meadowbrook is able to use them, if she somehow can control that magic, who is she exactly? Twilight couldn't repair the elements and she tried for years. So what makes this other mare so special?”

Sweetie opened her mouth to speak, but then froze. “O-oh.”

Rarity nodded, flipping through the letters again. “I almost wish something was going wrong at home. At least then I'd have something to do. Some idea on how to fix it. This... waiting is driving me mad.”

“I'm sorry, Rarity.”

“It's not your fault, sister. I will... learn to deal with it. I know I will.”

------

Ironwing gave a soft yawn as he slowly went through the reports, marking off a few things and making his way piece by piece through all of the files. Try as he might, he couldn't keep the scowl of annoyance and frustration from his face.

So many things were just being done wrong. He knew he was supposed to follow orders and do what he was told, but it was driving him completely mad. There was a small stack of torn up letters he'd intended to submit to Stratios, but they'd always been pushed aside and abandoned. He was a low ranking member of the Shadowbolts now, he wasn't supposed to cause problems, to complain. He had to follow orders. No matter how much they annoyed him. He sighed and finished up the last report before filing it away and leaning back in his chair.

“You've got to be bucking kidding me,” Daring snapped before stepping into the room. Her eyes almost instantly fell on Ironwing and he let out a sigh when she started to trot over to sit in front of him. “Ironwing, we need to talk.”

“Yes, Daring?”

“You need to get me a new teacher.”

Ironwing blinked a few times before cocking his head to the side. “Excuse me?”

“A new teacher. My current one is driving me nuts.”

“Why?”

“It's our squad mate. Pinionwing. Oh my gosh you should see this pony. He's got to be the WORST flier I've ever seen.”

“Pinionwing? I'm not familiar.”

“Oh, go for a fly with him. Trust me, as slow as he is, you'll have time to hear his life story before you get to the end of the block.”

“Daring...”

“No, I'm serious, he's one of the worst fliers I've ever seen.”

Ironwing gave a sigh. “Not ever Shadowbolt is an excellent flier. We--”

“I should be with the best! I could fly circles around any student you've got here!”

“That's most likely right.”

“Exactly, see? I just need to--”

“But your duty isn't to fly circles around them.”

She blinked a few times. “Ex... cuse me?”

“Your job isn't to fly circles around them. Your job is to follow orders and do as you're told. As a Shadowbolt, you're one member of a squad. Sometimes the squad will have three ponies, sometimes it will have ten. But in the end it's your job to move with them. You work as a team.”

She blinked a few times. “But he's so... lame.”

“So? Again, a team. As long as you're with the Shadowbolts, you'll need to learn to accept that. Not every pony is going to be as fast as you, as strong a flier as you, as good a fighter. All of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. There will be times when your speed and talents will shine through, but there will also be times when you'll have to hold down your limits, to work along side those who struggle to keep up.” He leaned back in his chair. “I've flown with you, Daring. I've seen what you can do. You may not be an air bender, but it would not surprise me to find out some semblance of your mother's bending has gotten into those wings of yours. You're going to find yourself out pacing a LOT of your fellow Shadowbolts.”

She ground a hoof into the ground. “But I--”

“I understand your frustration. But you need to focus on what's important. The team matters above all else. If you fly off on your own, you won't have the backup you need. If you leave them behind, they won't have your backup, either. You need to be able to adapt.”

Daring growled, before nodding. “Fine. Whatever. I shouldn't have to hold myself back for these ponies, though. Is that what you did?”

“Sometimes. At other times others held themselves back for me. If it really concerns you that much, help this pony out. Try to bring him to your level.”

Daring sighed and shook her head. “I've been trying! But he just can't keep up! I swear his hearts going to explode at this rate!”

He cringed. “Then I'd be more careful in the ways you try to help him. If he's not that good a flier and you're training him in a... Rainbow Dash style, that won't work. Try to find out his strengths, then work around them.”

She sighed and trotted towards the door, shaking her head. “Fine. This was so much easier when I was working alone.”

“Shadowbolts don't work alone.”

“Well maybe they should,” she grumbled before slamming the door.

“You handled that rather well,” Stratios said, making Ironwing jump and turn around.

“I wasn't aware you were there. How can I help you?”

The mare stared down at him and rubbed her chin. “I want to speak with you about a few things. I've been working to find you a more permanent squad, but for now we haven't had much success. I might have a new opportunity for you.” She turned and trotted towards her office.

He frowned and got up, following after her. Within a few moments he was sitting down in front of her desk. “Yes?”

She glanced back to him. “I've been watching you, closely. I... have to say, I'm quite disappointed.”

He blinked, his eyes going wide. “Ex... cuse me?”

“I've been reading your reports, they're very... precise.”

“Of course.”

“Direct, to the point. All the bare information needed, without an ounce more.” She pulled out a file and sighed. “Yet I've been putting you with quite a few troubled teams.”

His eyes widened. “I'm sorry?”

“When you first came here, a number of ponies requested to have you added to their teams. We've had a number of complaints from different teams, Coppertip's had left dozens in his wake. Once they requested you, I was certain you'd get down to the bottom of it.” She gave a sigh and shook her head. “But you didn't. I've been assigning you to all sorts of difficult teams, ones where I'm constantly receiving complaints from the other wings. Yet, you never do. I'd love to believe it meant all these fliers are just complaining for no reason, but I'm beginning to find that doubtful.” She pulled out two pieces of paper and slid them forward. “Can you tell me what these are?”

He glanced down at them. One was barely half filled, while the other was covered with words all over it, his shorthoof. “My reports.”

“Yes. From when you were in charge.” She tapped the full one. “And since you came back.” She tapped the barely filled one. “Do you see the problem?”

“I've been keeping more to what actually happened,” he said softly.

“Mmm hmm. You used to write brief summaries of things you noticed, any problems or combinations you saw. Notes on the ponies you worked with. I won't deny, most of it was... useless. In fact, almost all of it was. But at least you were paying attention. Every detail you saw, you logged in the event it would be useful later. Now? You're just slacking,” she said with a shake of her head. “I expected better from you, Ironwing.”

He dug a hoof into the side of the chair. “I see.”

“Don't you have anything to say in your defense?”

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before reaching out and pointing towards the full one. “I was leader of the Shadowbolts at the time. It was my duty, my responsibility to keep track of everything that happened. If I missed anything, ponies would get hurt or die. I needed to monitor my fellow Shadowbolts as well, to ensure everything went smoothly. I... don't do that anymore. It's not my duty anymore. My responsibility is to follow orders, to do as I'm told. Not to question orders.”

Stratios blinked a few times, her mouth falling open slightly. “Wow. Ironwing. I'm just... stunned. I expected an excuse, but not one so... stupid. Do you actually believe that drivel?”

His eyes widened slightly. “Ma'am?”

“There's a difference between questioning orders and making proper reports. If you see a pony who is failing at their job, even if they're your superior, I want to hear about it. Just because a pony is higher up than you doesn't mean they can't buck up.” She shook her head. “I want to know about all those ponies you've been working with. What things have you ACTUALLY been noticing?”

Ironwing blinked a few times. “Very... well. If that is what you wish. Coppertips is...” He rubbed his chin. “He should not be in charge. Silenthoof is a far better commander, but she lacks confidence and I think she'd panic in the event of an actual emergency. Freshmint would most likely make the best commander of the three, or a new pony transferred in.”

“Oh? Why do you say that? Coppertips has good records.”

“Physically, his abilities are top notch. He is fast, strong and an excellent flier. But that doesn't mean much.” Ironwing's brow creased. “His tactical abilities are atrocious. He likes to charge in head first, without thinking. He doesn't focus on the safety of his team, more on his own safety and, at times, glory. He puts the team in dangerous positions, setting them up to fail and then when they get hurt, rather than learn from his mistakes he stands there and berates them, shifting the blame.”

She nodded, a frown on her brow. “Interesting. And the other teams you've worked with?”

Ironwing took another deep breath. It was going to be a long day.

------

Silver slammed open the door, galloping inside and practically skidding along the tile. “Where is he, is he okay? I just heard!” she asked the receptionist, her heart pounding.

The mare stared at her in confusion, her head cocked to the side. “Who?”

“Acrylic! He passed out!”

“Oh, hold on one second,” the mare said before going through the files for a moment. “Ah, third floor, room 316. Just go up the stairs and--”

Silver didn't hear the rest as she galloped away and to the stairway, making her way up. She soon found the room and galloped inside. “Acrylic!”

“He's sleeping,” Vinyl said, glancing over.

“What happened? Is he okay? I heard he passed out and--” Silver blinked a few times when she realized that Vinyl didn't seem to be panicking at all. Red instantly flooded her cheeks and she gulped. “S-sorry, I just heard... well...”

“Burn out, it was a bit rough,” Vinyl said with a soft chuckle. “Nothing too serious. He just used a spell that was a bit stronger than he should have.”

Silver stared for a few moments, before frowning. “Burn out? REALLY? I was told he'd been crushed by a crate and was coughing up blood.”

Vinyl snickered and shook her head. “No, he saved a pony from being crushed to death and ended up throwing up.” She snickered a little. “Actually threw up a little bit on the mare he saved, too. But there was no real harm done and they're both fine.”

“Is uhhh... is he going to wake up soon?”

The elder mare cringed. “Buck I hope not.”

“What? Why?”

“Look at his horn.”

She did and then cringed. Little scorch marks had formed across it. “Oh. That... looks bad.”

“Oh yeah. He's going to wake up with the mother of all headaches.”

“Mmm, that coming from the creator of most headaches,” Octavia said before she stepped into the room, glancing down towards Silver. “Hello again.” She then turned to Vinyl. “I came the moment I could get away. Don't worry, I dealt with your affairs.”

“Thanks Octy, you're a life saver.” She turned to Acrylic. “He'll be fine. They say in a few days he should be able to do some telekinesis again. After a week, he should be right as rain. For now, he mostly just needs sleep.”

Silver frowned, staring at him. “Really? Burn out? That's it? How did he manage that, his water bending is pretty strong, I can't see it causing that.”

“Oh, it wasn't from his bending. He teleported.”

The mare gasped. “Wait, really? He teleported? But... he can't do that. He's a water bender!”

Vinyl chuckled. “He's still a unicorn, he can do all kinds of magic if he practices. It's just not easy. Especially a spell like that. It can be quite the doozy on a pony, I don't know where he even learned such spells.”

“So he can teleport? That's...” She eyed him again. “It almost killed him.”

“Well... not so much killed him as...” She rubbed her chin. “Well, he's going to hate himself later. Need a stiff drink, at the least.” She looked to Octavia. “Is Button on the way?”

“I'd assume so,” the mare said with a frown. “I sent the message to him soon after you left. I figured he and the Avatar would beat me here.”

“Diamond's probably getting more training done,” Silver said with a sigh. “She'll be here as soon as she finds out, though. I know she wouldn't ignore him.” She trotted over to stand besides him and look down. “He doesn't look so bad, though. His horn is all scuffed up. I guess he has a few burn marks. It's... well... are you sure it's not serious?”

“It's fine,” Vinyl said with a shake of her head. “He shouldn't have even been able to do a spell like that, forcing it like that was... well, exhausting. That's all, though. It won't kill a pony. Besides, we all do something stupid once in a while.”

“Or in Vinyl's case, at least once a week,” Octavia said flatly. “I am happy he is okay, however. I never would have imagined him having access to such a powerful spell.”

“AHHHHH!” a voice screamed from down the hall and suddenly Button came flying down the hall, holding onto a bed on wheels. A moment later they heard a crash and after a few moments Button came walking back to the room, his eyes swirls. “H-hey. Is... is Acrylic in here?” he asked, before face planting on the ground.

Octavia shook her head and trotted over, slowly hefting him up. “Button, dear, you shouldn't be in such a rush. There's no need for it. Now go and be with your friend, I'm going to ensure that you didn't break anything too valuable.” She let him go and trotted out of the room.

Button barely managed to stay up and shook his head before slowly walking over. “Is... is he okay?”

“He's fine,” Silver said with a smile. “I already asked, Vinyl said it's just burn out.” She then sighed. “He saved a life, though. So at least something good came of it.”

Vinyl nodded. “Exactly. He kept to the two testaments I've taught him over the years,” she said with a big grin. “There are only two good reasons to put yourself in the hospital. The first is to save somepony's life.”

“Oh? What's the second?” Button asked.

“Because whatever you did looks bucking cool.”

Silver rolled her eyes and leaned in closer. She glanced up at her metal horn and sighed. “I wonder if we could make a temporary horn for him, until his got better...”

“I wouldn't worry about it,” Vinyl said with a wave of her hoof. “He'll be fine soon enough and until he is, I don't think he'll be too worried about using any magic.”

“I'm so sorry!” Diamond shrieked as she galloped into the room. “I was in the middle of trying the dragon flight stance and the pony was outside waiting and I told them we were almost done and made them wait and didn't know it was an emergency I'm so so so sorry is Acrylic okay I heard he was hit by a boat and he was almost crushed to death is he okay?!”

“He's fine, Diamond,” Silver said with a shake of her head. “A bit over exerted, but he'll live. He just used too much magic.”

The Avatar stared down at him before nodding. “O-oh. So... that's it? What about the boat?”

“I don't think a boat was involved,” Silver said with a chuckle.

“I need to find out who's delivering these messages,” Vinyl said with a grin. “I could use a service like that.”

Diamond stood there, panting as she eyed him. Finally, she sat down and let out a sigh of relief. “O-oh. He's... okay then. I thought... w-well, that's good. Uhhh... is he going to wake up?”

“Probably not for a while,” Vinyl said before sitting down in the chair besides the bed. “I won't be leaving until he wakes up, but you're free to stay as long as you like. I'll let him know you were all visiting, though.”

Silver leaned in. “Did they say how long it'll take?”

“Anytime within the next few days,” Vinyl said. “It can--”

“Owwwww...” Acrylic said with a groan, his eyes wobbling open slightly.

“Vary wildly. Hi son,” she said with a wave.

“Did... did somepony stab me in the head?” he asked weakly as he stared up at the ponies. “What happened?”

Every eye turned to Vinyl. The mare sighed. “Well, apparently you and Icytouch were on patrol. A crate started to fall on a pony and then you teleported and pushed her out of the way. Then kinda threw up on her and passed out.”

Acrylic groaned and closed his eyes. “Okay. Did... the crate fall on my head?”

“Nope! That'd be the effect of teleporting your whole body when you're definitely not ready or prepared for that kind of magic. Still, pretty impressive. I didn't know you were practicing for that kind of magic.”

Acrylic whimpered. “I was learning to teleport apples... at biggest... ow...”

Silver sighed and shook her head. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“Thirsty...” he mumbled.

“I'm going to get him something cold to drink. Don't let his mom drive him crazy,” she said before trotting out of the room.

Button sat at the hoof of the bed. “Soooo. Saved a pony, right? Was she cute?”

Acrylic blinked a few times and quickly pulled the blanket over his face. “Oh by the stars I don't have the strength for this...”

Diamond blinked and slowly a grin formed on her lips. “Oh my. Acrylic, is this how you're going to start dating? Saving pretty mares?”

“Just kill me now...”

“I knew it!” Vinyl yelled.

“And my headache just keeps getting worse...” Acrylic whined.

“Fine, fine, we'll stop,” Diamond said with a chuckle before pulling the blankets back down. “Come on, we're just happy you're okay.”

“I feel like my horn exploded and then jammed into my skull. Or... the reverse of that,” Acrylic mumbled.

“Classic burn out,” Vinyl said with a nod. “It's probably going to hurt for a while. Plenty of fluids and solids will help, though. Want some ice cream?”

“Will it help?”

“Ice cream always helps.”

He shook his head, then winced. “No. Not... really. I just want to sleep,” he said softly. “What did the doctor say?”

“You'll be fine,” Vinyl said with a grin. “You saved a life, though. That's got to be worth celebrating.”

Acrylic's eyes went wide. “P-please, no. By the stars, no. I-I can't handle... loud music right n-now.”

Vinyl snickered. “No, not right now. When you're all better,” she said before reaching out and taking his hoof. “I'm happy you're okay, dear. You scared me half to death.”

“You scared all of us,” Diamond said with a sigh.

“Sorry,” Acrylic mumbled, closing his eyes. “L-listen. I'm... really tired. Can I get some alone time? Please?” he asked softly, before shuddering. “A lot of alone time...”

Vinyl nodded. “Of course. Okay, everypony out, out!” she said before trotting towards the door. “He'll be here a while, so we'll have lots of time to visit him. I won't be leaving for a while, either, so you're free to stick around until he feels more up to visiting others.”

Silver appeared in the doorway, a glass of water held in her fake horn's magic. “What? Are we leaving already?”

The elder mare nodded. “Yeah. You can stick around for a few extra seconds, though. Not long though, okay?”

Silver nodded and trotted in, standing by him. She eyed the doorway as the other's disappeared through it, before gently guiding the water to his lips. “Here.”

He groaned and sighed, slowly sipping from it. After a moment he relaxed, nodded and she pulled it away. “Thanks...”

“It's okay. I know this probably hurts.”

“You have no idea...”

“Yeah. But you were pretty awesome, I hear. Diving in, saving some mare. Surprised she's not here... but maybe she will be later.” Silver tapped the ground for a few more moments, eying him. She chewed on her lower lip, before speaking up. “So... did you know her?”

“Who?”

“The mare you saved.”

“No. Should I have?”

She gave a soft sigh and a smile. “No. I guess not. You... aren't really the sort who'd need to... well, anyway,” she said before giving a small wave of her hoof. “You're awesome Acrylic, don't ever change.”

“I... won't?” he said softly, confusion etched in his tone.

“Thank you. Sleep well.” Silver quickly got to her hooves and trotted out of the room, lifting a hoof to her chest. Her mind raced as guilt flooded through her and she struggled to hold back the wave of emotion. She buried it down, forcing it back into the recesses of her mind before forcing a smile and trotting out to meet with the others.

“How's he doing?” Button asked when she met up with them.

“Seemed fine. Drank a little, he's resting now,” she said with a small sigh. “He will be okay though, won't he? He... never should have gotten hurt.”

“He'll be fine,” Vinyl said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Trust me, at his age he'll brush it off like a bad hangover. Might be a little timid around teleportation magic for a bit, but even that won't last long. Perhaps if there had been some kind of crack or something in his horn, I'd worry. But a bit of burns are fine. They go away fast.”

“You've seen this before, then?” Diamond asked. “I've never experienced it.”

“It's pretty rare, be thankful,” Vinyl said with a sigh. “Most ponies don't. Burn out only really happens when you push your magic reserves to the extreme limits, far beyond what they should be. He did it all at once, with one big spell. Buck, he's lucky the spell even went off. Most ponies would have just had their horn fizzle out and maybe blow back a couple of feet. He actually teleported, that's pretty impressive.” She gave a big grin. “That's my boy.”

Octavia nodded. “I've seen it a hoofful of times as well. It is rarely anything too serious. I am happy it was just a minor case of burn out.”

Button nodded. “I didn't even know he could do magic like that. I didn't think benders could do magic like that.”

“Of course we can,” Vinyl said with a shrug. “I mean, most don't. Magic can be just as difficult, if not more, than bending. On top of that, you need to have a bit of talent in it just to do some of the basic stuff. I'm amazed he can even do that.” A wide grin formed on her lips. “But then, he is my boy. It's only natural he'd be so talented.”

“You're going to spend the next month bragging about him now, aren't you?” Octavia asked flatly.

“I will not brag about him any longer than you bragged about Button learning to lava bend.”

Button's cheeks turned red. “Y-you were bragging about me, mom?”

Octavia's eyes widened. “I... said a word here or there.”

“Oh, don't let her calm demeanor fool you. She's been positively gushing to anypony who would listen,” Vinyl said with a big grin.

Button quickly looked away. “O-oh. I uhhhh... s-speaking of bending, I really should head out. I've got... more practice to do a-and stuff. I uhhh, I'll be back tonight, okay? I doubt Acrylic will be okay for a while, anyway.”

Vinyl nodded, smirking. “Of course. Octavia?”

“I merely wanted to make sure the child was okay, and you were as well. He is fine, so there's no real need for me to stay all night.” She looked to Button. “I'll walk you back to the facility.”

“Oh... thanks. Mom,” Button said flatly, before giving a sigh. He turned and trotted back out, the elder mare following after him.

Vinyl looked to Silver and Diamond. “Well, he's fine. So do you two plan to head out?”

“I really should get back to work,” Silver said with a sigh. “I've been doing more testing and we've really managed to increase the power in our wings and horns. We're hoping with a few new modifications, we might even be able to get up to Wonderbolt speeds.”

Vinyl's eyes widened. “Truly?”

“... Well, no. That's probably impossible. I mean, if it was just flying at their actual flight speed? Yeah, easy enough. But I doubt the wings could endure long enough and it's not just flight speed. Their air bending allows them to go even faster, something we just can't control well enough to help. On top of that, most ponies couldn't handle flight at those speeds. We're fast approaching the ends of where it could be safe for ponies to actually fly without risking hurting themselves.” She gave a small wave of her hoof. “But we'll probably be working on specialized models soon enough as well. And we've managed to do a bit more work on artificial bending. Fire is the only element we're having a lot of progress with, sadly.”

Diamond nodded, glancing over. “If you need any help, I'd be happy to offer my services.”

Silver shook her head. “No, it's fine. Everything is going well for now, we just need a lot more testing.” She spread out her wings. “The only real reason I'm even helping with the testing is because I have more experience with the models than anypony else, and I tend to be the first pony to get my hooves on them.” She turned and headed towards the door.

“Ohhhhh,” Diamond said, nodding. She then glanced down the hall. “I... think I'll stick around a bit more. I don't really have anywhere I need to be for a while. Plasmahoof is already probably packed up and I don't have lessons with Rainbow for a few more hours.” She glanced to Vinyl. “We can talk for a bit, maybe.”

The unicorn nodded. “Oh? Of course. Actually, I did want to ask you something. While on the trip, did you ever see Acrylic brush up with anypony? Like Button did with Luna? I'm sure--”

“Wow, actually, I really should be going I'll see you later bye!” Diamond said before turning and galloping after Silver, her cheeks flaming red.

Vinyl blinked a few times, before frowning. “I swear, if everypony keeps acting like this I'm NEVER going to have grandfoals.”

Author's Note:

Another chapter down! Woot! Things are as wild as ever for me, but I wanted to get this out for all my wonderful readers. Enjoy!

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