• Published 25th Aug 2012
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Cuatro - Dirty Bit



How can one feel empty in a world full of friends?

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Capitulo Diecinueve

Capítulo Diecinueve

Message

Cuatro entered the library and looked over to see Twilight laying on the sofa while reading a book. She took notice of him and smiled "Hey, Cuatro! I never thought you'd be out for this long with Applejack! How was your lesson in honesty?"

He sighed to himself and decided to press on with his question as he trotted over to the lavender bookworm and interrupted her reading "Twilight? Can I speak with you?"

Twilight blinked in confusion "Of course you can. It's what I'm here for! Is something bothering you?" She sat up on the sofa to give Cuatro room to sit.

The strange alicorn made himself comfortable while bothered about his question as he replied "It went along easily. I'm not supposed to lie for the rest of the day, but that isn't important to me..." He turned to Twilight "I have to ask you, Twilight...What is a heart?"

Twilight stared "That's a pretty deep question to ask, Cuatro. Is it connected to your memories somehow?"

Cuatro nodded "I was...unfamiliar with the concept before like I am now...I wish to know the meaning completely. I've already consulted the help of your fellow element bearers for answers, but it wasn't enough for me..."

Twilight frowned "Were they not clear in their description?"

Cuatro shook his head "No...They had their own informative claims, but I think there could be more to it. Knowing how you're the most intelligent of them all, I'd figure you would enlighten me..."

Twilight lightly blushed at the compliment "Well, I can be as descriptive as possible if that helps. My definition of a heart is something that allows you to follow your dreams and make them a reality, and to help you focus on what is most important in life, no matter what anypony else says to bring you down. It also best shared with the ones you hold dear, and returned in kind. It really helped me wonder what friendship could be when I discovered the elements with my friends in the past. They completed me with not only my element, but my life altogether! I could never ask for more better friends than them, because in essence, Friendship is Magic!" She beamed at Cuatro as she wrapped up her explanation.

Cuatro stared as he took in all of the information. So far, it seemed as if it wrapped up all of the previous explanations he heard, but with Twilight, it seemed to make a good amount of sense.

"Friendship is Magic..."

Cuatro finally spoke "I...I think I almost understand it now..."

Twilight smiled "Really? It helped that much?"

Cuatro looked down "It still raises thought, but I believe I've learned enough about the heart today, as well as friendship..."

Twilight levitated a parchment and quill towards her and Cuatro "In that case, why not write a letter to Princess Celestia?"

Cuatro stared "Why would I want to write to her?"

Twilight presented the items in front of the strange alicorn "I know you're still iffy about Celestia, but she still offered for you to learn about the Magic of Friendship. Usually, we cover what we've learned about it in a letter and send it for her to read!"

Cuatro still felt hesitant "And what does that accomplish?"

Twilight frowned "It shows her that you've progressed in your learning. This is basically what she wants from you! Come on, Cuatro, don't be shy!"

Cuatro thought for a moment, and then nodded as he took the parchment and quill into his own magical grip "Fine...If that is really what Celestia wants from me in terms of learning the Magic of Friendship, then I shall comply to your request..." Twilight smiled at the response and the strange alicorn began jotting down his letter.

Twilight was satisfied to see Cuatro write down his first friendship letter and called out for his assistant "Spike! Can you come in here, please?"

Spike waddled in from the kitchen, nibbling on a chunk of amethyst "What's going on?" He looked to see Cuatro writing and smiled "Would you look at that! His first friendship letter! Say no more, Twi!"

Twilight giggled "Glad to hear it, Spike." She turned to Cuatro, and her smile slightly wavered 'I hope he won't write anything rash to her...'

The strange alicorn wrote down more of the letter and finally raveled up the scroll "I am finished with the letter..." He presented it to Spike "You can send it to her now..."

Spike took the scroll in his claws and opened a window as he held it in front of him and blew a stream of green fire that consumed the scroll and made it vanish into a small plume of smoke that drifted out into the cold.

Cuatro picked up his advanced spellbook and continued where he left off as he read in silence. Twilight and Spike looked at each other, then at Cuatro. Spike raised an eyebrow "Say, Cuatro? What did you even write about anyway?" He asked inquisitively.

Cuatro flipped a page "That is for the princess to find out..." He replied instantly. Twilight and Spike frowned at the response, more than curious to figure out what Cuatro had put in his letter.
_____

Celestia sat in her chambers, entering another passage into her personal journal with her mind settled 'Luna seemed more happier than before ever since last night. I wonder why...' Before she could ponder this thought further, a scroll appeared in front of her "Ah, another friendship letter?" She said to herself as she grasped and unraveled the scroll with her magic. The solar princess read the letter to herself.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, I've learned about the concept of a heart from my friends, your Elements of Harmony. They have reminded me that there are many ways to explain a heart, as well as project it to anypony you talk to. It was slightly lifting to know that there was a lot to learn from this experience, but there could only be so much for me.

Personally, I do not believe I have grasped the entirety of the concept despite what I have heard from my friends, nor do I believe myself to hold a heart of my own. So I ask you, princess, since you've lived for so long in your life, do you think I am heartless? From the moment you laid eyes on me, did you consider me to be a shell? I would personally come to you for an answer, or perhaps a little advice, but I am hesitant to decide with how confused I feel inside.

Sincerely,
Cuatro

P.S: Please tell Luna that I said hello.

Celestia gave the letter a courtesy once-over and hummed to herself when she focused exactly on what Cuatro learned today 'So he's found more important points by the day. And he hasn't shown much signs of aggression or ruthlessness...' She started to feel worried for her subjects' safety when she thought about Cuatro regaining more of his memories, but shook it off when she remembered that she had given Twilight the Elements of Harmony in case anything big happened. There was a knock on her door, and she turned to it "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Luna "Greetings, sister. I wished to discuss the trivalities of what was mentioned in today's meeting with the nobles of Canterlot with thee. How shalt we curb their-" She noticed the floating parchment in front of Celestia "Oh? Is this another friendship letter? Who is the sender?"

Celestia turned to the parchment with a neutral gaze "Believe it or not, this is the first letter that we've received from Cuatro." The more she studied her latest letter, the more she thought about what to do next.

Luna perked up "Sir Cuatro?" She asked with mild surprise as she trotted over and read the letter herself. While she read, she looked a little saddened 'Oh, Sir Cuatro...' When she reached the end, she giggled to herself.

Celestia levitated a parchment and quill to her and began jotting down a message of her own. Luna watched "Thou art replying so quickly, Tia?"

The solar princess kept her gaze focused on the parchment "Not so much a reply, but another invitation. We're to expect him by tomorrow."

Luna held back an excited smile as she pressed on with more questions "Is it to discuss the contents of his letter? Or dost thou hold another effective cure for Sir Cuatro's amnesia?"

Celestia finished her letter and made it vanish into thin air "The former. Cuatro obviously seeks an answer that he cannot find within himself or his friends. Therefore, it's up to us to enlighten him."

Luna nodded with a smile "It is good to know thou art willing to aid Sir Cuatro despite your cautious nature, Tia. Let us hope that he would be willing to oblige to your invitation."

Celestia jotted more notes into her personal diary "I'm sure he will. He values Twilight and the others as his friends, and where else would he turn to for guidance on his current thought?"

Luna looked away and frowned 'That is what we're afraid of...Hopefully Sir Cuatro would not mind Tia summoning him...' She turned and trotted out the door "Then we shalt await his arrival by tomorrow thusly. Hopefully, this meeting will go along decently. Fare thee well, sister." She shut the door.

Celestia sighed the moment she left and the image of a winged figure disintegrating with a look of sadness on his face came into her mind as she studied the memory.

"I see now...What I hold in the palm of my hand...is a heart..."
_____

Spike finished his amethyst with a crunch and a gulp as he licked his lips in satisfaction. Suddenly, however, his cheeks puffed as he belched a stream of green fire shortly after, revealing another scroll.

Twilight went to scold Spike for bad manners until she noticed the scroll and unraveled it to read to herself while Cuatro was engrossed in his book.

Dear Cuatro,

Let me tell you that I am pleased to see that you have written your first friendship letter and shared with me your progress with my faithful student. As for your questions involving you and I, you can expect a personal answer when you arrive tomorrow at the castle by yourself.

Know that when you arrive, I will give you the best explanation I can muster, considering you are just as focused on regaining your lost memories. Consider this message a formal invitation, and be sure to arrive preferably in the afternoon.

I shall see you tomorrow,
Princess Celestia

Twilight hummed 'Cuatro put a question in his letter that involves him and Princess Celestia? What could it be, though?' She turned to the strange alicorn while he read his book and frowned 'More importantly, why would she want him by himself?' The lavender bookworm then turned to the door leading to the basement as her frown deepened 'Knowing that she gave me the Elements of Harmony two nights ago while recently giving him another invitation to the castle, something doesn't add up...'

Cuatro finished his page and shifted his eyes to Twilight "Is something wrong, Twilight? What is that letter in your possession?"

Twilight flinched and pawed at the ground nervously "It's a letter from Celestia. She wants to see you tomorrow at the castle...alone..."

Cuatro was silent when he heard the news, then set down his book on the table "Let me see the letter..." Twilight hesitated, but she levitated the scroll to Cuatro for him to read. As he skimmed through the letter, he hummed to himself and rolled up the scroll "I see...So she is willing to answer my question about a heart..."

Spike looked befuddled "Wait, what? That's what you wrote to the princess? I never thought you would look into something involving a heart with how logical you seem!"

Cuatro set the scroll down "It is crucial to my memory that I'm to understand it...As for my memory altogether, the time will only come when I can achieve full recollection of my past..." He reopened his spellbook and went back to reading.

Spike crossed his arms with an arched eyebrow "I don't know about your past, but all I can say is that it must be a pretty otherworldly experience!"

Twilight nodded "I agree. But we're still with you when it comes to getting your memories back!" She smiled at the strange alicorn.

Cuatro turned to Twilight and Spike "Thank you both..."

Spike stared for a moment before he frowned "I'm starting to see where Pinkie's coming from with you not smiling all the time..." He muttered to himself, dissatisfied with not seeing the slightest change on Cuatro's face.

Twilight casted a stern glare on Spike, then looked back at Cuatro with a smile "You're welcome, Cuatro!"

Spike made a trek to the kitchen "I'm gonna make us some dinner! I heard we're gonna have another snowstorm tonight!"
_____

Later that night, snow was being carried by ferocious winds outside while Twilight and Spike were sleeping in the darkened library. Cuatro, being the only pony awake, was reading more of his spellbook by candlelight. He nearly reached the end of it with his progress, and had half a mind to disregard the horrid weather outside to practice more of his magic.

"So I'm to meet Celestia tomorrow at Canterlot by myself for the first time...But that also means meeting...Luna..."

Cuatro set down his book and rose from the sofa as he trotted towards the center of the main lobby. He felt he was ignoring his magic practice, and he needed to learn proper control sometime. He closed his eyes as his horn began to glow. While he thought about what spell to cast, two things lingered in his mind: A faint image that seemed familiar, and a pony that somehow refused to leave his mind.

"Luna..."

While his horn glowed, three small green orbs appeared around him.

"Luna..."

The orbs slowly levitated in front of Cuatro, two on his right side and one on his left.

"Luna..."

The princess of the night almost clouded his thoughts entirely had it not been for the faint image taking hold of his mind. He spotted a glow similar to his orbs, but it was a line grasped by a hand. From there, the orbs shook for a moment before quickly extending into long and sharp javelins. The strange alicorn produced an unconscious thought while he kept his focus.

"Luz de la Luna..."

To be continued...

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