Out of my Element

by TheLostwriter

The Calm before the Storm

Out of my Element

Chapter 12: The Calm before the Storm

In the weeks that followed the discovery of the lab several things had occurred. I had told them about Jacks theory on how to close the tear and the Elements themselves had been moved to a standby status. I had moved into the lab, the back rooms off of the square alcove included a two bedrooms and a dining room/kitchen combo all the luxuries of home. Rarity had cut a total of thirty new crystals for my use, and as of right now I only had a use for about half of them. Now that I had access to the full use of the harness I was being taught magic from one of the unicorns usually bouncing me to the least busy of the three. When I wasn't learning from them I was learning how to fly from Rainbow or about multiverse physics from Jack. That's where I found myself now.

"So given that a universe is infinite and a multiverse contains several infinite bodies that it too has to be infinite meaning that any possibility can exist. Now this is all well and good but there is a structure otherwise collisions between the universes would be so frequent that everything would have to be summed up as single universe. My theory on this is that universes give off strings to one another and allow temporary contact and allow movement similar to," the projection of Jack paused to think. "It would be like how Spider-man swings through New York. The effect these strings have is extremely localized however they can spread depending on how some residence express themselves. Say this universe or one similar to it had a connection back home and tapped a creative mind as its anchor. That mind could turn it into a book, game, movie, or TV show."

"So I could have ended up somewhere like Star Trek," I asked.

"Yeah or you could have ended up in a world like Mad Max or Battlefield Earth."

"So what you're saying is I'm one lucky son of a."

"Yes," he cut me off.

"Alright so how does this help me in figuring out how to stop that thing?"

"Well my thought is that to find this dimension it had to create a tether to find us, similar to how the dimension strings that bind one another together. Just like how information from here traveled home, on the tether elements of it's being are being brought forth in pulses. These pulses will only get stronger and more frequent as it gets closer. We set up a device that measures the strength of the pulses and the distance between each. Using that data we can extrapolate about when the creature will arrive."

"Okay, so that's what one of those schematics that you showed me was for," I said. Something about what he had said scratched at my mind. "Wait you said a information from here went back home?"

"Yeah," he frowned before continuing, "a few years after you were lost a TV show started up based loosely on this world or a reflection of it. It could have been a shadow of this or this world could be a shadow of that I don't know I never watched it but you couldn't help but to become aware of it. It developed its own rabid fandom equal to those of Star Wars or Star Trek, just as disturbing and just as ingenious. However I don't remember anyone getting married in the fashion of the show unlike the Klingon wannabes."

"Man, just my luck get sent to a world of Technicolor talking horses when I've always wanted to meet the Doctor. Heck maybe I could have ended up a Hogwarts. I could have seen a Vorlon or anything where I was still human," I muttered as I called up the schematics for the sensor. "This shouldn't be too hard to build," I said after studying the pylons plans, "I'll just need a few things to get started."

"Don't worry about that, this place was fully stocked, with raw materials before I went mad," answered the projection. It gestured towards the wall beside the construction desk and two of the lower drawers slid open. Each one large enough to hold a body but filled to the brim with small copper balls. "Well aren't you just prepared for a BB war," I said forcing the sarcasm.

"While I was in general more adept at using magic than you, I have seen you're better at manipulating matter. You can change that into whatever you want. You can design things and build them to their most efficient configuration. That's your strength."

"You're full of answers aren't you," I replied in my most smarmy manner.

"Just think of me as that little fairy that follows you around and yells 'Hey listen."

"Don't you start," I inhaled and summoned the hanging arm set down from the ceiling with the press of a button. Jack had told me that he had controlled the whole mechanism with magic but I had made a few changes since taking ownership of the facility. One of the things changed was I modified the mechanical appendage to allow control through the pins in my neck. The mounting pins had to be modified as well to allow the use of the crown and the arms simultaneously. It was nice to use the hands to manipulate items like the crown when I put it on. I only wish I could receive a tactile response from the device. I could hear the whine of the support motors for the arms as I walked towards the construction bay.

Once at the desk I picked up the crown gingerly in the mechanical hands examining the twelve pointed crystals that reached out to jagged points. All cut by Rarity in a manner to induce more efficient magic flow. This thing has caused me nothing but trouble but it's too damn useful to destroy, I thought as I placed it on my head and listened to the crown go through its start up routine.

When the crown was ready I picked up a large amount of copper and started to mold it into a single wire strand. "Can you open a silicon drawer," I asked and I heard another drawer open. Looking off to my right I saw one of the monitors that hung from one of the articulated arms and pulled it over using the crown, "can you put the schematic up on here?" Before I had finished my question the blueprints had appeared on the screen. I looked back at the hologram with a smile and said, "It sure is nice to be working together again." The image returned the smile and I went back to work.

After sometime I heard Jack announce, "Steel you have a guest on her way down." I glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of the monitor I had been at this for several hours.

"Who is it," I asked as I magically welded what was effectively the last piece, a chaotic energy scanner, into the power grid of the scanning pylon.

"It appears to be Logia."

"Can you take care of the software upload?"

"Of course."

I sighed and stepped back away from the table, while simultaneously disengaging the arms. I stepped free as the articulating arm that held the cybernetic arms and hands retracted to the ceiling. I had done some modifying of the brace system and now I could move in a smoother fashion. It had also given me more range of motion but I had a plan to improve it even more.

"Where is our security no one should be able to just walk in here?"

Jack ignored the rhetorical part of my question and answered, "The absence of knowledge has served as the best security system thus far. In the past seven hundred years only you made it this far."

I rolled my eyes and walked to the door, it slid open as I approached. The tolerance test room had been easily converted to a media room, and in it I found Spike watching Dragonheart. I smiled at the little dragon, I had given him access to the room and he could come and go whenever he wanted. "When did you get here?"

He jumped and looked back over the sofa, "I haven't left."

"Dude, you've got to get out more. If you keep this up I'm going to have to limit your viewing time."

"Come on Steel I'm researching what you're world thought of dragons. Anyway I've got to leave after this one's over Twilight wants’ my help with the," he pinched his mouth shut for a second and then continued, "It’s a party. She needs my help with a party tonight for a pony I don't think you know her," he said this last part extremely fast.

I eyed him suspiciously as I walked over to one of the walls and brought up a history of what movies he had watched. It showed several movies but the one he was watching now appeared more than five times. "You know Spike, there's more to my world than these movies."

"I know, but I love this one, Draco's a full grown dragon that defends his friends and does the right thing." He climbed up on the sofa and was looking over its back, "were there dragons on your world?"

"Most people would tell you no. That they were all spawned from dinosaur bones and imagination, but they appear world over in myths and legends. I've always wished they had, it would leave a bit of mystery but that's the romantic in me."

"Oh," he said sliding back down on the sofa to watch the movie.

I turned and headed to the next room, before I left I said, "Hey do you want me to set a reminder for you to leave once the movies over, you don't want to make Twilight mad."

"Alright," he waved over the top of the sofa to signal he'd heard.

I smiled and shook my head as I walked through the next door. I had cleared the sandstone temple and had been using it as a practice room for magic. Small scrapes and burns marred the walls, each one had left a memory of how not to cast a spell. I was halfway across the room when Logia walked in from the opposite door.

"You need to get outside Steel living underground is bad for your mental health," she said as soon as got within comfortable conversation range.

"Funny you should say that I just told Spike the same thing," I replied with a laugh.

"He's down here; Twilight's been searching for him. She asked me to check while I was down here."

"Yeah, he's watching a movie," I said with a smile. "So what brings you down here?"

"You've been down here for over a week, missing three magic lessons and two of Rainbow's flight sessions. I wanted to see how you were doing and get you outside," she stared into my eyes as she spoke. I couldn't read her, sometime it felt like she was lecturing me and then her voice would warm with concern, then for no reason the cold lecture would return.

"You got me I'll head up," I said with a smile still meeting her gaze. "Jack make sure Spike leaves once the movies over."

"Will do," he replied.

"Oh and can you put us up top," I asked. As soon as the words left my mouth we were enveloped in a blue vortex of energy and deposited on the surface in between the library and town. The sun was setting and the moon had already traversed most of the sky. I inhaled the warm slightly humid air, and listened to the buzz of cicadas, or whatever their equivalent here was called. This was nice, looking around I thought, You know this place isn't that much different from home. For the first time I realized I was happy here, more so than I had ever been at home.

"What's the plan," I asked, as I stretched in the brace.

"First I take this off," she said as I felt magic envelop the crown and heard the sound of the release button being pressed. She lifted the circlet off my head and placed it in one of her bags as she said, "I'll hold onto this for now." She smiled when she looked back up at me.

I couldn't help but to return her smile, and said, "Alright step one complete. What’s next?"

"Well you have been have been working in that lab and with everyone else on learning to use the wings and magic. All so you could do whatever you can to help save this world from that monster everyone's talking about."

My smile fell just a little and I replied, "Yeah in fact I found a way to maybe figure out how long until it gets here. That's what I was," she interrupted by putting her hoof up to my mouth and shushing me.

"For tonight your work stays in the lab," she said still smiling. "We all decided that you need to know more about the world you’re trying to save."

"I've seen this world, I've been places. I have been to the capital. Heck I never even got to see my state capital back home."

"You've seen, observed, and analyzed but never experienced. Tonight that's what you're going to do."

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her suspiciously. "Really," I asked with a smirk.

Her expression flattened for an instant and then she said, "Tonight is the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration one of our biggest holidays."

I smiled, "so is this the party Spike was talking about?"

"He didn't tell you, did he?"

"No," I said with a laugh, "he just said that he was to help Twilight with a party for a pony I didn't know. He did sound flustered though."

"Yeah after we realized how focused you were down there working, we all decided to surprise you with this. So we sent Spike down to watch you."

"So this is an intervention," I asked as my face fell to a frown and I felt anger and irritation seep into my voice. "Did you draw the short straw to pull me back to the surface?"

When she started to speak her voice squeaked and she blushed slightly as she looked away. "No I volunteered. Rarity was going to be the one to do this until I asked."

I swallowed, and looked at the sky trying to stamp my emotions back into place. "They sure are going to be beautiful tonight."

"What," asked Logia looking up into the sky?

"The stars, it's going to be a new moon tonight and with the sky clear," I looked down to see she was still searching the sky.

"So where is this celebration taking place," I asked.

"It’s at city hall. Most cities have their own celebrations but the main one takes place wherever Celestia decides to go to celebrate. It is odd that she has chosen Ponyville a second time in such a short period of time. Twilight said it was the easiest way to get to some face time to discuss what we've found."

"If I'm suppose to experience this celebration let's not talk about that and start celebrating," I replied as I started to walk towards the center of town. I watched her until she started walking as well. When she caught up I asked, "So you volunteered?"

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"Quiet Flash Bang, I don't know if anyone's home."

"I hate being quiet, it's not in my nature you know that," complained the copper colored pegasus with the light green mane. "Anyway we saw her leave with the dragon, and both Logia and what's his name were already at the celebration." Flash Bang looked over her shoulder, as she spoke her eyes drifting towards town she could hear the ruckus of the party. "You know I've never been to a Summer Sun Celebration."

"If we hurry you can see this one," growled Firestorm as she pulled the window open.

"You first," she pointed signaling her subordinate.

She jumped through the open portal silent and gracefully. Flash Bang was an odd operative in Dressage. She was one of the most powerful fighters when backed into a corner and she believed in ensuring the continued survival of ponydome. However, she saw the lower races to be potential allies not just because they were useful. An alliance of races to ensure all endured it was a dream, the dragons where to prideful, the griffins to arrogant, the diamond dogs too greedy. She snorted and thought, and don't even get me started on the Zebras or the barbarian lost tribes to the south.

She heard Flash Bang announce, "Clear." Then she climbed in to the building letting the window close slowly behind her.

The library was dark and they appeared to be in one of the back rooms. Flash Bang looked around and asked in a whisper, "I can't see particularly well, what about you."

"My night vision is just as good as yours, now come on," replied Firestorm as they walked from backroom to the main one. "Let's see there was a special knock, ah yes that was it," she muttered as she copied the pattern of taps that Steel had used.

The door in the floor opened and the two flew down the stairwell. At the bottom where the first test took place they found a large open cavern. At least we don't have to do those fool test as second time, thought the orange pegasus as took flight. "Come one Flash Bang we're almost there," she shouted as she looked back at her companion.

"Look out," shouted the copper pegasus her eyes wide.

When she looked forward to see what the shouting was about she saw there was a wall where there hadn't been before. She pulled hard to the left and landed, "what in the name of Celestia, when did it get here?"

"It just appeared in front of you I've never seen anything like it before," answered Flash Bang as she examined the wall.

"Now ladies, Steel is out. If you would like to make an appointment you can come back sometime tomorrow. Preferably during the daylight hours," said an echoing voice.

"Who is that," asked Flash Bang.

"It's the stupid computer, it thinks its Star Swirl," grumbled Firestorm trying to press through the wall.

"Thinks, ha," an image of a red maned unicorn with a blue body appeared on the ground beside them. "I am Star Swirl, sort of, and you’re not on the guest list."

Flash Bang blinked, and thought not bad looking. She then shook her head clear of such thoughts and said, "Star Swirl's dead."

"Yes I am but that doesn't change the fact that I'm am he, and you're not supposed to be here. Leave or I will throw you out."

"Try me," snarled Firestorm.

"Oh dear, Firestorm was it," the image walked over to her. "You should have learned from your last trip, that in this space I can do anything."

"Get him," replied the orange pegasus.

Flash Bang leapt into action. She struck at the unicorn’s neck in a manner that would have rendered him unconscious for hours. Unfortunately his neck felt as hard as stone. She pulled her hoof back as the image asked, "Really," then turned to Firestorm, "Did you not tell her that I'm a projection? Let me spell this out for you I can't be hurt by you and you need to leave."

"I need to leave,” laughed the orange pegasus, “no I need to see that lab again, and no bundle of wires is going to stop me," grumbled Firestorm as she took to the air. She flew in a circle accelerating constantly before diving towards the wall, the air friction enveloping her in flame.

"Now that won't due," said the image as a vortex of blue light enveloped the pegasus and she disappeared. He then turned to the remaining pegasus and asked, "I trust you won't do anything quite so foolish?"

Flash Bang looked around and then demanded, "What did you do to her?"

"I sent her up."

"Up? Up above, did you hurt her?"

"No but she might end up hurting herself, if she's not careful with her landing."

"Why," she asked as she scrunched her brows together.

The image smiled and said, "I have drained her of most of her magic."

Flash Bangs eyes widened before she shouted, "No you can't. The maneuver requires magic to stay flying ahead of the flames she's going to be burned."

"She still has time and I warned her. Now here is what I'll offer you. I'll put you up top without draining your magic and then you can save her."

She looked around the cavern then nodded, "do it." She was wrapped in blue light and the cave began to fade being replaced by the ground outside the library. Looking up she saw the streak of flame that was Firestorm. She took off building her speed to where she would hit her hypersonic about the time she caught her falling friend and hopefully putting the fire out.

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Firestorm was in a free fall tumble surrounded by flames and unable to regain lift. She struggled vainly against the air torrents that surrounded her anything that could give her lift was pulled away or shifted by the fire. So this is how I'm going to die. she thought as she heard the explosion. Suddenly she was wrapped up in Flash Bang forelegs, the flame was gone and the comparatively cool air of the night wafted against her skin.

She inhaled and said, "Thanks."

"No problem commander but I do have a suggestion."

"Go ahead," replied Firestorm with a sigh.

"If we try this again why don't we ask?"

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I looked up to see a circular explosion of fire in the sky. "Fireworks," I asked looking over at Logia.

"I don't think so, at least I've never heard of fireworks being used for the Summer Sun Celebration before." She looked around and then said, "From looking at everypony else I'm almost convinced they aren't."

I looked around and she was correct, everyone was staring to the sky in wonder.
The Mayor was running around asking everyone she could get he hooves on if they knew what was going on and if some new villain was attacking. The part about the villain was directed towards Twilight and her five friends.

"So," I began looking back at Logia, "Do you have a guess?"

She looked down for a moment and then said "I have no idea, anyway let's go get something to eat. I want to," she was interrupted by a chirp coming from my harness. "What is that?"

"Nothing really, just a way I can communicate back to the lab," I answered. I received a glare from her and turned away to answer. "What?"

"Did I get you at a bad time?"

I looked back at Logia and swallowed, "I think so, what do you want?"

"I figured you should know Firestorm and one of her friends tried to break in. I sent them up."

"Thanks," I muttered, "you know that secondary project that we've been working on, we may get a chance to try it out."

"Woot, let me know when you're ready and I'll send it to you."

"I'll call you then," I replied then turned back towards Logia and smiled.

"What was that about," she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well your two friends tried to break into my lab, Jack said he sent them up."

"I," she started then looked up into the sky, "do you think that was them?"

"Maybe, but do you know why they tried to get in the lab?"

She made a face that I couldn't read then shook her head, "no, I mean Firestorm was there when we found the place but I can't think of a reason why they would be sneaking in."

"Well then," I smiled and walked over beside her, "at some point, we'll have to ask. As for now some Cider sounds good, and then we can go from there."
She returned the smile and said, "I agree, I've heard that the school mare has organized a talent show. Why don't we take a look."

"Alright," I replied.

We walked over to the cider stand to find Applejack behind the counter. When she looked up and noticed us she smiled. "Well if y'all ain't a sight," she said as she poured two mugs of cider. "The first one's on the house," she added as she placed them on the countertop.

I watched Logia picked hers up and frowned with a glance at my brace. "I think I'm going to have a drinking problem," I said to no one in particular.

Logia looked at me a sudden realization struck her, "how have you been able to eat and drink before now?"

"I did have the crown working just before I needed the brace," I answered.

She frowned this time and looked at me pity in her eyes.

Applejack looked from me to Logia and back before saying, "you know Steel with the way you can manipulate things. I'm surprised you haven't just remolded the things in your neck so they don't bother you. I saw what you can do when you built that bowl that caught Fluttershy."

I froze midway in attempting to wrangle the mug to my lips and let it fall. Why hadn't I tried that, I thought. "Applejack you may be a genius, no forget the maybe you are a genius."

"Wait you mean that you hadn't thought of that before," she replied lifting a hoof to her chin, "I wonder what other ponies haven't thought of before."

I looked at Logia, "I think I can do it, I just need to find an high detail x-ray to look at."

"Steel are you sure about this, what are the chances you could make it worse," she asked concern coated her face.

"Logia come on if this works I can do what everyone else can, I just need to see what it looks like back there." I felt my smile spread cutting my face in twain as I found the idea exhilarating. "Do you think the hospital would be open now?"

It was Applejack's turn to answer, "The hospital's always open but most of the staff will be out here."

"Alright then Logia do you mind," I asked with my best puppy dog eyes.

She looked away and then back at me, "I don't but from what I understand you are going to use the crown to manipulate what allows you to control it while using it."

"Yeah that sums it up," I said with a smile.

"That sounds insane. I'm not going to stop you because the idea that you could move without the brace is amazing but so much could go wrong." Her face was bunched up as she spoke, "and what if you screw up again and channel too much magic you could be back in the same boat."

"I'll put a fuse or a circuit in to prevent that," I looked at her face; it was painful to do so.

"What's wrong?"

"Steel I, I can't, the idea of you getting worse. Just leave me alone, I need to think," she said almost in tears.

I watched her turn around and walk off at a loss of word. I looked back at Applejack shaking my head, "what did I do?"

"You're a dense one aren't you Steel," she said. "She practically begged to be the one to invite you. She has spent more time around you than anyone else or haven't you realized that. She came to watch your lesson with Rainbow Dash and with the other two, she cares about you. I have no idea why she picked you but she has."

As she spoke my mind replayed every moment that the little unicorn had been around me. I hadn't noticed but she was everywhere, somewhere in my mind I had stopped thinking of her as just someone else I knew but as someone who would always be there. "Damn," I muttered before looking up and asking, "What do I do?"

"Go find her and apologize. Ask her what her thoughts on all this are." She smiled, gestured with her forelegs, "now go, you're holding up the line."

I looked behind me and found no one. Shaking my head smiled and said, "thank you AJ I'll talk to you later." I headed off into the crowed trying to find where Logia went. I shook my head again, I am dense, I thought.

That you are, she was crushing on you hard, said the lecher voice.

Why didn't you tell me then, I asked.

I didn't realize you were that stupid, it answered.

Great two voices in my head, both shoulder devils and both think I'm an fool, I thought with a laugh, maybe I was. Looking up I saw Fluttershy sitting on the porch of the town hall. I walked over and asked her, "Have you seen Logia?"

She looked up and saw me, "oh hi Steel, I haven't seen her since I saw you both over talking to Applejack. Is something wrong?"

"No, maybe, I think I made her mad or I don't know. She ran off upset."

"Oh, my," she replied while standing up. She stretched her neck up as high as she could, and said "I think that's her over by the talent show."

The talent show, I thought, she had mentioned going to watch it. "Thank you Fluttershy," I shouted as I moved away as fast as I could. I made it to the talent show stage in in a few short minutes but she wasn't there. I looked around straining my eyes but couldn't find her. However I did see Rarity standing under a tree watching the show. "Hey Rare," I started before taking a deep breath. I needed to get in better shape, I thought, no you don't you'll be out of the harness before you know it and it's the problem. In between breaths I asked, "have you seen Logia."

She gave me an almost condescending look before saying, "She was here just a moment ago, and she looked like she was crying. What did you do to the poor thing?"

"From what I've been told I was being an idiot," I snapped.

She stepped back away from me, "if that's the way you've been behaving I see why."

"I'm sorry Rarity; I just need to find her to apologize."

She studied me for a bit before asking, "What did you do?"

"We were talking with Applejack and she, Applejack suggested using my magic to fix the pins in my spine. Logia thought it was dangerous and I kind of ignored her concerns."

"Oh my, you have been foolish," she looked at the stage for a moment and sighed. "You said you can fix your back injury?"

"Yeah, but that's not important right now," I paused words were coming out of my mouth before I even thought them, that was new. I shook my head and continued, "I need to find her. I don't know what I'll say when I do but I need to find her."

"Steel calm down, she's upset and you don't want to make it worse," she said in a smooth tone. She inhaled and gazed at the stage before she looked at out into the woods nearby. "She's out there, not far but she's by herself and she's casting some kind of spell, I can't tell what type from here."

I took a deep breath looked out into the woods, then back towards Rarity, "Thanks, if you don't see us before the sun comes up you might want to come looking."

She flashed a smile and said, "Good luck."

I nodded and began to move as fast as I could into the woods. Soon I was far enough into the forest that I couldn't see the town but I could still hear the sounds of celebrations behind me. I walked down the path as silently as I could. I was listening for the absence of the natural noises of the forest. In one moment of silence I heard what sounded like a whimper, off to my left so I headed in that direction. I was walking past a small cluster of what looked like oak trees when I heard the whimper again. It was quickly followed by a ragged gasping sound like someone trying to suppress their cries. I walked towards where I had heard the sound, eventually finding a tree with an odd pattern of wet spots combined with an area of flattened leafs.

I tried to sit down beside the tree and ended up falling into an awkward crouch. I sighed and leaned against the opposite side of the tree. I stayed silent listening to the sounds of the forest about the time forest noise returned I heard leaves crunching on the other side of the tree.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone," said a bodiless voice.

"You did," I admitted slowly, "and I will. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I have been told I was being stupid, and I feel that's true but I don't know how I was being stupid."

I heard several footsteps, and saw footprints appear in the year old leaves in front of me. "You were being stupid, you know that," she said her voice coming from the foot prints. I looked up to see her drop whatever spell she had cast and she became visible again. "I don't understand you and I don't understand what you've done to me. I've never run off crying before, I've never been this mad before," anger and frustration played across her face as she spoke.

I smiled, stayed silent and just looked at her. She returned my smile with a frown and sat down beside me with a huff. I looked up at her it was a different view of her, she was almost regal.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," I shifted my view up to look through the forest canopy. There were a few clearings through which I could see the stairs. "I was right, they are beautiful tonight."
I felt her lean against me trying to see through the same gap that I was looking through, "you're right they are."

"Well if you'd look at that, there's the big dipper. I wonder if I can see any other constellations."

"Why's that," she asked still leaning against me.

"I'm wondering how close you're planet is to mine, I've never seen a map or a globe."
A weak smile flashed across her face and she said, "at least you’re discovering more about this world."

I leaned away from her as best as I could and tried to look her in the face as I spoke. "Logia, I'm sorry that I upset you but I'm going to fix my neck at some point."
She inhaled deeply, but she stayed silent. Eventually after what felt like an eternity of stargazing she spoke. "I never thought to stop you but I wanted you slow down, that's all."

I smiled as I leaned back to where I had been and looked out over the forest. I inhaled deeply before speaking, "Logia I never imagined that this would bother you this much. I'm sorry for that."

She looked away quickly and stared off through the forest. Still looking away she said, “you told me earlier that you couldn't cast scanning spells." Then she looked at me waiting on an answer.

"Yes," I replied as I sifted trying to find a more comfortable position under her gaze.

"I want to try something," she whispered as she leaned her head in close to mine.
I could feel the warmth of her magic as it flowed over me. Then I felt something, "wait what, was that," I asked.

She shushed me and said, "Close your eyes"

I did as I was told and I suddenly felt everything around me. I could sense the leaves the sprigs of grass even the small insects on their long march home. Once the feeling went away, i slowly opened my eyes and stared at her.

She looked back and asked, "Did it work?"

All I could do was nod an affirmative.

She blinked tears from her eyes, but she wore a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, It's just I've never done that before," she answered as she pulled her tears back.

"How did you get the idea to try it?"

"It was something my father and I would do. He would teach me spells by letting me sense how he weaved the magic flow."

"Is that how you learned that invisibility spell?"

She blushed slightly, "Yes. I haven't used the spells he taught me the way he would have wanted though." She pushed herself up away from me. "He was a spy for an organization named Dressage; he was training me to be his replacement."

"Dressage, that's a word from back home there it was a style of combat training for horses. It always looked like a dance to me."

She gave a hollow laugh and said, "That’s a very interesting description considering what they do in this world. They find ponies who have unique potential train them in combat styles from across the world. They give them access to some of the most advanced technology and use them as agent's to further their goals." She stood up and took several steps away before continuing, "My father died on a mission and I swore them off I wanted nothing else to do with them. Unfortunately the only ponies my father trusted to become my guardian where ones from his organization. My escort team at the dig was lead by Percetio the stallion that adopted me. That means that Firestorm and," she paused.

Her break was just long enough for me to struggle to my feet, "it means they are part of Dressage as well."

She looked at me and nodded. "That's why they were trying to get into your lab it has some of the most advanced technology ever created in its walls."

I walked over beside her and asked, "Why did you not tell me this earlier?"

"I was afraid," she muttered as she hung her head.

"Afraid of what, you're not involved with them anymore, are you?" I didn't even wait for an answer before continuing, "I didn't think so. I trust you. If I didn't I wouldn't let you hang onto the crown."

She smiled and looked at her saddlebag that held the crown. When she looked back to me she asked, "so do you want to try reforming the pins now?"

I blinked in surprise, "I thought you wanted me to wait."

"I decided that if you're going to do this you will want my help and I don't know when I'm going to be reassigned. The royalty is funding me right now and if they decide cut that funding I'll have to leave."

"Logia if you want to stay you can stay as long as you want, I have plenty of room and money," I replied with a smile.

"I don't want that, I need to stand on my own," she said her face showed determination as solid as stone.

I looked at her with a content smile as I walked up beside her.

Her stone face broke into a show of confusion, "what now?"

"I've only known you for a few weeks, a month tops and I already can't imagine my life without you around," I felt the blood rush my cheeks as I spoke. I didn't know how much if any my fur covered a blush but I hoped it did some.

Logia's face turned red as well and she said, "Thanks I think. Now you never answered my question do you want to try it or not?"

When a woman asks that always say yes, said the lecher.

You know you are unbelievably annoying, I thought back.

Well I only get one channel and this soap opera is getting a little plot heavy. It needs more action or at least some comic relief.

Shut it, you. Other voice, I asked in my mind, If I go through with this can you keep him quiet for a bit? I don't want to become a paraplegic because he thought something was funny."

The more serious of the two shoulder devils replied in a flat uninterested tone, I’ll do what I can for as long as I can.

Neither of you is any fun, the lecher complained, Before I go I have one request Steel, try to bag her at least. His comment was followed by an echoing silence in my mind.

"Do you mean to try it right now, as in here in the woods or later after the festival?"

She smiled and said, "It's up to you but imagine the faces when you walk back into town without the brace."

I looked at her studying her for what felt like an hour before I gave a grim smile and said, "No time like the present."

She nodded, lifted the crown out of her bag and placed it on my head. It activated and I looked her in the eyes and said, "Whenever you're ready." She returned the look and I felt my body enveloped in magic, I closed my eyes and waited for her to show me what I needed. Nothing I saw nothing no images, "come on Logia, I'm as nervous as you are."

I felt a set of lips touch my cheek and then a whisper of, "then you’re not nervous at all." I felt my heart speed up and then I sensed it. The two prongs the tips looked like they had melted, there were no heat injures in the area. I closed my eyes and focused on a small part that had melted onto one of my bones. I could feel the alloy draw up into itself in an odd tandem fashion. I could feel it as it happened physically as well as from Logia's sensory transmission. I continued to draw the metal up off my bones, once that was done I tried to sense the parts that touched my spinal cord. "Can you get closer in, it's not clear?"

The feelings that were transferred from the unicorn tightened, it was like switching to a higher power microscope. I could sense there were three points of contact along my spine. I concentrated on one of the points of contact, drawing the alloy away, it was easy especially with Logia's spell but it was slow. Halfway through with the second point I started feeling an ache in my muscles. It was a good ache of being tired and used up, it was something I hadn't felt in weeks. I pushed the feelings away and continued to draw the metal back into shape. When I got to the last one I the sense that Logia was sending me blurred. "You okay?"

"I will be," she panted. "You're almost done. Hurry up and finish," I could hear the strain in her voice as the sense sharpened.

I redoubled my efforts and focusing in on the last point, doing my best to balance speed and precision, erring on the side of precision. "Got it," I announced barely containing my enthusiasm. My eyes popped open and I reached out for every latch, buckle and snap I was familiar with on the body brace to release them. As soon as the metal and straps started fall I looked at Logia. She was pale, an impressive feat for a being coated in white fur. I reached out and grabbed her in a hug. "Thank you," I cried as a buried my face into the side of her neck. I knew it was a weak phrase but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Steel, Steel," she shouted as she tried to pull away.

I loosened my grip on her and gave her a confused stare as she pushed against my chest. I kept one hoof on her to help her keep her balance as I said, "I'm sorry. Did I misread something."

She smiled and shook her head with a laugh. "It's this," she said as her magic deactivated the crown, once it powered down she slid it off my head and let it fall. "It was jabbing me in the face," she said as she fell back into my hug and adding to the embrace. Between my shaky legs now standing on their own without the brace and her legs from exhaustion we fell to the forest floor still wrapped in an embrace.

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It seemed like hours before we staggered out of the woods. The brace had been gathered up and was now wrapped up in Logia’s saddle bag. The crown sat lopsided on my head as we walked side by side back into town. The first pony to see us was in a group with Rarity, they pointed and the white mare turned around. "Steel, you're not wearing your brace," she cried as she ran up to us. "I was starting to organize the first search," she looked us over and then said, "I'm glad we didn't have to go looking," with a knowing smile.

"Yes well," I looked over at unicorn beside me. No matter how much we tried we couldn't get the all the dirt that we had ground into our fur free without magic. "Why don't we go see if Applejack still has some cider left?"

She nodded and walked with me through the celebration.

Comments

[TheLostwriter]

Don't you hate it when the characters take over the story and run with it. This is the first time that Steel has done that and to me that's a sign that he is growing and becoming something more.

As you may have guessed from the previous statement I hadn't intended this chapter to go in this direction at all but I've got a feeling on how the next one will unfold. My outline for this chapter was accurate until Logia and Steel met up. As for Steel fixing himself originally that wasn't going to happen at all and then the characters changed that.

[Luckyfanisaac]

"So what you're saying is I'm one lucky son of a…(——"

Heck maybe I could have ended up at Hogwarts.

"Come on Flash Bang we're almost there," she shouted as she looked back at her companion.

"Yes I am but that doesn't change the fact that I'm am he, and you're not supposed to be here. Leave or I will throw you out."

both shoulder devils and both think I'm a fool,

"I never thought to stop you but I wanted you to slow down, that's all."

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at her.

Unfortunately the only ponies my father trusted to become my guardian were ones from his organization.

decide to cut that funding I'll have to leave."

"Yes well," I looked over at the unicorn beside me.