The Elements of Love

by UnweptSchlipps

Healing Hearts...in More Ways Than One

“His...his heart’s stopped,” Redheart uttered when Soarin's chest refused to make a single sound. Realizing just how urgent this was, the nurse began to rhythmically beat on the pegasus’s muscled torso.

Hearing the nurse’s strained voice, Scootaloo cried, “What! What do you mean…Soarin? Soarin?”

The filly tried to run to the unconscious flyer, but she was snatched by Cheerilee, who said, “Scootaloo, we…we need to give the nurse space!”

Casting one worried look at the Wonderbolt, Cheerilee dragged the struggling Scootaloo away, who screamed, “No! Soarin! No!”

Lucky and Braeburn couldn’t keep their eyes on their dying companion. The unicorn sat silently with his face buried in his hooves, while Braeburn held his hat sadly, pleading, “Please let ‘im be okay. Please…”

If Redheart could count the number of times she had watched a patient’s heart stop, well, she would have needed dozens more hooves to count them on. In her years, she'd witnessed an unfortunate number of ponies go into cardiac arrest on the operating table. And she knew that, when a pony’s heart stopped, it was usually time to start mopping up for the next patient.

But this time, she couldn’t just let this one slip away. Sure she wasn’t surrounded by heart monitors, advanced surgical equipment, or for that matter, a doctor. But despite the amount of things that worked against her, she just had to get Soarin back.

The diligent nurse worked hard to resuscitate the wounded pegasus, reaching into her mind for every medical trick she could remember. She gave him CPR, counting off her beats, pausing only to check his heart. Braeburn and Lucky could only watch and hope while Scootaloo’s cries sounded over the hills.

With every second that ticked by, Redheart knew his chances of reviving were getting slimmer and slimmer. It wouldn’t be long until the probabilty of recovery would be reduced to nil. Seeing as though CPR wasn’t doing any good, and with no other tools at her disposal, the nurse had no choice. She was about to try her last resort. She was about to try something she had never done before. Under any other normal circumstance, she never would’ve done it. But of course, this wasn’t any normal circumstance.

The nurse once again placed her hooves on his chest, this time pressing them tightly over his heart. She shut her eyes and began to take in deep breaths, as though she were slipping into an immense slumber. To Lucky and Braeburn, it seemed as though she were finally giving up. But in Redheart’s mind, she was far from done. To the stallions watching, the only change they could see was a faint glow near Soarin’s wound. But unbeknownst to them, they were witnessing so much more than just a simple surgery.

Her hoof was like a channel, connecting her own body with Soarin’s. The first thing she felt was the anguish. The searing agony stabbing straight into her chest. Her heart was ready to pound right out of her body, every thump sending pain everywhere.

But soon the torture was replaced with another feeling, one that was practically inexplicable. It was almost as if she was…disconnected from the world itself. For a moment, she was flying above everypony, looking down from the sky. Looking down at her own body. Redheart felt like she was floating in an endless abyss, slowly ascending upwards to the unknown. The nurse tried to call the names of the pale ponies below her, but they paid no heed. She was made of nothing, and yet she saw and felt everything all at once. And frankly, it was the scariest thing the mare had ever faced.

And just as suddenly as it started, the nurse was thrust back into her body, and reality began to take hold once again. A jarring pain shot through her head, and she fell backwards with a scream. The nurse lay on the paved road clutching her temple and her heart, unable to comprehend what she had just experienced.

Lucky rushed to the nurse while Braeburn ran to the pegasus lying on the floor. Truthfully, the cowpony had expected Soarin to be motionless and silent. But what he found was, quite literally, the opposite.

Soarin’s eyes fluttered open, staring up at the darkening sky. He brought his hooves up to his face, moaning as though he had just awoken from a deep sleep. Braeburn, in awe of Soarin’s miraculous recovery, uttered, “Sweet Celestia…she did it. Yer alive!”

“Why…why does it feel like somepony’s been punching me in the chest?” the stretching Wonderbolt asked, perplexed as to how he got here.

He rolled over and tried to stand up before Braeburn stopped him, saying, “Whoa…you need to sit down partner. You just had yer heart restarted.”

“What are talking about?” the pegasus replied, his eyebrows raised.

“Redheart got yer heart beatin’ again, partner.”

“…M-my heart?” Soarin sat back down on his haunches, putting a hoof over his chest. He delicately rubbed the area over his heart, but to his surprise, he felt no pain at all. “B-but I feel fine, Brae!” he said in disbelief. “Actually, I feel good as new. What're you...”

As he looked down at his body, his eyes widened in panic as he saw the large gash traversing across his belly. “Where the hay did this come from?” he stammered, marveling at the wound.

“You got it from one of those nasty goons that were chasin’ us.”

“I-it doesn’t even hurt,” Soarin whispered, looking around to find they were in the middle of nowhere. The reality of what he had just gone through sank in, and the normally easygoing pegasus said, “Oh man, what the buck happened to me? H-how did we get here? The...the thug...what did he do? And Scoots!”

Behind him, a tiny scared voice said, “Soarin?”

Recognizing it immediately, the Wonderbolt replied, “What…Scoots? What are you doi-?”

Before the stallion could turn around, the orange filly leaped straight at him, knocking him to the ground. The filly’s tears dripped into Soarin’s light-blue fur, and she gripped his body as though he would disappear if she let go. Ignoring the tears gently rolling down her cheek, Scootaloo breathed quietly, “That was so scary, Soarin. Redheart…Redheart said your heart stopped beating. I thought you…I thought that you were…y’know.”

“My heart…I…” he muttered, still quite confused. But the sweet little filly burying her face into his fur snapped him out of his trance, and the athlete began to stroke her purple mane, comforting her. “Well, don’t worry kid. I’m okay, see? I’m…I’m just fine. You don’t need to cry,” he said, taking her into a gentle embrace.

Still wracked with sorrow, Scootaloo whispered, “I don’t want you to go Soarin. Not like my parents.”

“Your parents? What do you…oh…”

The impact of the young pony’s simple plea dawned on him. The pain hidden behind her innocent face, the sadness that consumed the back of her mind, all of it came to fruition in that single embrace. For the first time since their pairing back at Frost Sanctuary, Soarin looked at not just a kid, but his kid.

“Don’t you worry, Scootaloo,” the pegasus uttered. “I promise you, I’m not gonna go nowhere. I’ll always be right here, whenever you need me. Besides, you’re my flying buddy, remember? And what’s a flyer without his co-pilot? Shh, don’t cry, kiddo. You know I’m not going anywhere.”

Closing her eyes, Scootaloo whispered, “I know.”

She cuddled up in his embrace, until finally, the young one drifted off to sleep. Hearing her quiet snores, Soarin gently placed her on the ground, using his shirt as a blanket. With nothing but grass surrounding them, the pegasus had to make due.

With Scoots safety tucked at the side of the road, Soarin began to lay back himself. But before he could get himself comfy, he spied a white mare sitting down the road, alone. Giving his companion a pat on the head, Soarin began to float over to the nurse. And to add to his amazement, the Wonderbolt was able to fly perfectly despite having been pierced by a bottle only an hour before.

“Hey, Nurse Redheart?” the Wonderbolt began, touching down. The nurse continued to look down towards the horizon, paying no heed to the pegasus.

But Soarin didn’t seem to notice, and he continued, “You…you saved my life. Scoots told me my heart stopped. I can’t even…that’s just…oh man.”

Looking up at the stars, the flyer shook his head and continued, “I should be dead. I was dead. I-I can’t even comprehend that. I…was…dead.”

Then he gazed back down at the nurse’s stolid face and said incredulously, “You…you saved me! And I don’t even feel like I just came back from the dead either. If Brae and Scoots hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have even known I just went through, like, surgery.” With a content grin, he inquired, “How…how did you do that?”

However, his grin was not to be returned. Instead, the nurse suddenly rose up and began to walk across the road, ignoring her patient.

“W-wait, where are you going?” Soarin asked, trying to follow suit.

Without looking back, Redheart replied, “Stay put, Soarin. You’ve just had a serious life-threatening injury.”

“Well sure, nurse. But only if you actually answer me for once!”

“Go away!” the nurse snapped, whipping around. Soarin met her face-to-face, and the Wonderbolt got a good look at her face. The mare had dark bags under her eyes, which seemed to sink into her face as though she were exhausted. Although it was dark, Soarin could see her pink mane had lost some of its hue, and her bun was frazzled and messy. He noticed a few wrinkles around her mouth eyes, something he hadn’t seen before. All in all, Redheart seemed to have aged in a matter of hours.

Realizing what Soarin had just seen, Redheart turned back around and whispered, “I…need to be alone.”

She began to slowly tread towards the hill, when the Wonderbolt’s voice stopped her in her tracks. He chided, “What’s your deal Redheart? You’ve never talked to me except when I’m either bleeding or screaming in pain. You just saved my life, man! I would be dead if it weren’t for you, and I’m just trying to thank you! I feel like I just woke up from a nap, for crying out loud!”

“You’re a miracle worker Redheart, but you don’t act like one. Is this…is this about Scoots?” he questioned, his voice bearing no anger, just puzzlement.

The nurse stood still for a moment, closing her eyes and heaving a sad sigh. But despite this, the nurse simply answered, “I said get some rest Soarin. I don’t feel like talking.”

Redheart continued walking, and this time, it seemed she wasn’t going to stop. Realizing it was futile to try and stop her, Soarin began to turn back to Scoots, but not before shouting, “By the way, you’re the one who looks like she died, not me!”

For a moment, Soarin could have sworn Redheart had glanced back at him. But alas, the pegasus just turned his back on her, just as she did to him.

xxx

When Scootaloo jumped into Soarin’s arms, Lucky and Braeburn rambled away from the two pegasi. The stallions ended up over one of the hillocks, neither one really acknowledging the other’s existence. One was anxious for the other’s reaction, hoping that Soarin’s scare had jolted his mind off what had just occurred. But the other stallion knew there was still unfinished business.

“So those thugs were tellin’ the truth then?” Braeburn uttered, casting a sharp glance at the unicorn.

“Listen mate, I…I never meant for this to happen,” Lucky muttered, unable to meet his gaze. “You guys were never supposed to know…”

“Ah outta buck you into next week!” the cowpony interrupted, getting into Lucky’s face. Braeburn had to use all his willpower to keep his hooves on the ground and to not plow them into Lucky’s cheek.

The cowpony was still seething with rage, however, and he lashed, “Yer a swindler! Yer a no-good, money-grubbing hack! I’ve worked mah hooves to the bone building mah city, and you…you’ve probably never done an honest day’s work in yer life!”

Raising his hoof, Lucky tried to reply, “Now listen here, mate.”

“No! You listen ta me, partner!” Braeburn quarreled, throwing his hat on the ground. “Those stallions almost killed us because of yer stupid petty thievery! You…you hid from them while we were left to clean up the mess! Look at Soarin; he almost died because of those goons.”

“Don’t think you’re all high and mighty, Brae!” Lucky argued, no longer able to take Braeburn’s venomous comments. “We all make mistakes! Yes, I’m a thief. Now you know!”

“Ah know we make mistakes, Lucky! That ain’t the point! Why don’t you get this through yer thick head?”

Lowering his voice while bringing his face closer in, Braeburn began, “I ain’t mad just because yer a swindler. I’m mad because y’all had the gall to keep it from us. I’m mad because we found it out from some stupid miners, not from yer own mouth! To me, that shows you’re not just a crook…but a liar and a coward as well. Now look at us. We just had a buncha miners rough us up. We can’t even go back to Trottingham anymore, not with those goons still prowling the streets for us.” He finished with a small but rough shove, pushing Lucky back on his haunches.

The unicorn stared into the farmer’s hard gaze, which flickered with a resoluteness that was unrivaled by anypony he had ever met. This was the sort of gaze that would have annihilated him ten times over if it could. Through clenched teeth, Braeburn uttered, “Princess Cadance didn’t choose you jus’ ‘cause you believe in others, but because she believes in you. You’re the darn Element of Faith, Lucky, an’ it’s time you started acting like it.”

Backing down over the hillock, the cowpony gave one final statement, “Ah think it’s time you put a little faith in us fer once.”

Lucky sat on his hindlegs as the cowpony slowly marched down the hill. He could hear Braeburn barking out orders, saying, “Alright everypony. Looks like we’re sleeping in the fields tonight. Tomorrow, we start heading back. But we ain’t heading through the Everfree again. We can go around, and make a stop at Ponyville. Ah got family there that can give us a place to stay. Then, we’ll take a train back to Canterlot.”

The gambler spied the others scattering about, laying down on the cold ground. Lucky sat silently atop the knoll, only able to stare down at the ground, completely alone.

That’s what he had hoped for, anyway. But behind him, the quiet sound of breathing pierced that silence. He turned his head to find who else but Cheerilee, standing peacefully behind him. By the looks of it, the teacher had been there for quite some time, unable to speak a word. And so, Lucky broke the silence, chiding, “What? You’ve come to scold me too? Yes, now you know who I am! I’m a gambler, I’m a thief, I’m a damn crook! What else do you what me to say?”

To his surprise, the schoolteacher hadn’t come to mock him like Braeburn had. Instead, she murmured, “I just…I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Okay?” Lucky repeated with a cynical chuckle. “I’ve never been okay! Never in my whole life…”

Standing next to the unicorn, Cheerilee asked, “What do you mean? You’ve the money-.”

“Money, huh? Before, I thought that was the solution to all my problems. But now…if only you knew…”

“If only you’d tell me,” the teacher answered, her voice tender and kindhearted.

Biting his lip, Lucky replied, “Perhaps some other time Cheerilee. But right now, after being run out by those bullies, I don’t think I’m much in the mood.”

Lucky’s noticed Cheerilee’s eyes were nothing like Braeburn’s. His was harsh, uncaring, cruel. But hers...they just shone with passion and affection, which filled the gambler with guilt. “I don’t mean to be brash,” he apologized, unable to meet her gaze. “It’s just that I think…I think it would be best if we all had some alone time to ourselves, okay?”

Although she felt reluctant to leave him so distraught, Cheerilee knew it was for the best. So with a tiny smile, the teacher nodded her head and whispered, “Alright Lucky. But please…tell me if you ever need somepony to talk to.” Then she hiked down the grassy knoll, just as Braeburn had done.

Suddenly, Lucky’s voice called from behind, speaking, “Hold up.”

Although he would never admit it, Lucky was on the verge of tears. Keeping his voice steady, the unicorn asked, “Why would you help me? Why would you bother to talk to me, even though the others have probably written me off as a crook? Why would you, a loving, hardworking schoolteacher, want to help a stallion who’s never made an honest bit in his life? If anything…you should hate me too. So why don’t you?”

With a loving smile, Cheerilee sincerely replied, “Because I know you’re more than that, Lucky. Your heart’s in the right place, even though your head might not see it that way. It might not seem like it to the others, but a real criminal wouldn’t have gone out of his way to protect me the way you have. Back at the Frost Mage Tower…you asked me to believe in you. Well…I still do.”

“I know you can put faith in yourself, Lucky. But don’t forget…you need to put your faith in others too.”

The teacher’s words hit Lucky hard, and he bowed his head, shutting his eyes. With a sigh, the unicorn looked at the mare with glistening eyes and uttered, “Cheerilee…I’m sorry.”

Cheerilee stared deeply into Lucky’s face to find not the pompous stallion she had met a few days before in the Canterlot Courtyard, who looked down on his companions like they were garbage. Instead, she saw a pony wracked with guilt, regret, and sadness. She saw a pony who only wore designer vests to cover up the scars he hid deep inside. And most importantly, she saw a pony who had made mistakes, and for the first time ever, he wanted to fix them.

At long last, she saw the stallion she had fallen in love with.

She could have wrapped her arms around him tenderly, taken into a tight embrace and never let go. But the schoolteacher knew it was not the time for such sentiments. She knew that the best thing for Lucky at the moment wasn't romance, but simple solitude. So with a nod, the teacher granted Lucky’s wish, to be alone with his thoughts. After all, that’s probably for the best. For all of us, Cheerilee thought, staring up at the full moon and the glimmering splendor that was the night sky. For despite the unwelcome events that occured today, the stars were shining brighter than ever.

xxx

Somewhere far away, at a time when most ponies would be sound asleep, two figures looked up at the same starry sky from a large balcony. “I’m so sorry, my liege. If it wasn’t for those thugs blundering it up…”, the pegasus minion apologized, bowing before his master.

The Arch-Mage simply waved his hoof, replying, “It is alright, young one. Do not fret. Some things just do not go as planned. But the time will come soon enough.”

He slowly made his way toward the edge of the balcony, casting his sights on the view before him. Without looking back, the old magician uttered, “So they will be going back to Ponyville, yes? Then that is when we shall begin.”

The Arch-Mage slowly turned around, pointed towards the horizon. “In the meantime, go back to the tower, and tell the others to gallop here as fast as they can. Our partner wants Phase 2 to begin…tonight.”

“Yes, my liege,” the pegasus replied, saluting valiantly, crouching for take-off.

Before he could fly, however, the elder added, “But take it easy, will you? Wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself…”

“Y-yes…my liege…” the younger pegasus stammered. With that, the strong young flyer took off into the air, zooming at breakneck speeds towards the Frost Star Sanctuary.

With his messenger gone, elder magician levitated a glass of tea, a sinister smile playing on his lips. The Arch-Mage sat back on the hotel’s balcony, with the spires of Canterlot Castle in his view.

---

Sheesh, essay writing sure is hard work! I finally found time to post this, so sorry 'bout the wait!

Comments

[dragon191917]

Make MORE, and SOON!!!!!

[Bronze Statue]

and apparently, Redheart is able to revive the dead... Without magic or necromancy... Still, great story! You have earned a moustache and a half :moust