The Trial of the Elements

by trooper7051

Chapter 8

Trials of the Elements

Part 8

Patch couldn't stop crying. She lay on a thin blanket on the cold, hard floor of a dark room. She could just make out the wall next to her; it was made of brown stone and was as cold as the rest of the room. The air smelled stale and old, just like the blanket she was laying on. Her head lay resting on her for hooves as her tears streamed down her face; it was the only warmth she had. She was afraid to move a muscle for fear of what the scary unicorn who had foalnapped her would do. She closed her eye and wished, not for the first time, she was back home, nestled in her bed with her Daddy reading her a bedtime story. She sniffed loudly as fresh tears began forming in her eye.

The unicorn mare who had taken Patch paced back and forth somewhere in the darkness nearby. Patch could hear her hooves clopping around, somewhere between her and the doorway. The room, Patch guessed, was fifteen paces wide and twenty paces long. Patch was against the far wall from the door, which she could just barely make out in the darkness.

The unicorn mare stopped her pacing when she heard Patch sniffle,
“It's alright little filly,” she said from the darkness, “STOP CRYING!”

Patch shrunk back from the harsh voice. The unicorn would speak softly then suddenly explode for no apparent reason. Patch was deathly afraid of her.

“I wanna go home!” the little unicorn cried.

Patch could hear the unicorn approaching her,
“You are home, away from that terrible stallion who took your pretty eye. I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE! Now why don't you try to get some sleep? We're safe here. This is my home. DO YOU LIKE IT? Settle down now.” she lay down next to Patch and snuggled up against the little filly, “The day is dead. Let us die too and be born anew with the dawn.”

Patch had no idea what the unicorn was talking about. She hoped that her Daddy would come for her soon. She tried to crawl away from her foalnapper, but the unicorn held tightly onto her and escape was impossible. The unicorn wrapped her hooves around Patch and seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. Patch was too frightened to sleep. She lay her head down on the hoof that was tucked under her chin and wept silently.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Mend shook himself as he stepped out of the shower, his mood was dark. Just as he feared, the voices had begun their ranting once again when he and Valiant had returned to the dorm. Dr. Mend closed his eyes and concentrated on his mind, 'Be quiet!' he thought. The voices didn't even pause, 'Shut up, shut up, shut up!' he mentally yelled. The voices just wouldn't abate, they kept rambling on and on about how much of a failure he was. Dr. Mend put his front hooves over his ears, vainly trying to block out the sound. He knew it wouldn't work, but he had to do something.

Dr. Mend lay down on the floor of the bathroom and screwed his eyes tightly shut, his jaw grinding, 'Leave me alone!' he mentally yelled to the voices, 'What do you want from me?' He had no idea how long he spent in that posture, but after a time, he woke up.

Dr. Mend opened his eyes, realizing he had fallen asleep in a very painful position. He raised his head and sucked in a breath, his neck hurt terribly. The voices were there already, yammering away again, like always. Dr. Mend stood up stiffly; a wave of nausea hit him like a freight train. He lurched over to the toilet tried to throw up the absent contents of his empty stomach. He only vomited yellow foam. He stayed in his bent over position for several long minutes, until the nausea subsided. He felt horrible.

Somepony knocked on the bathroom door, rudely bringing the black stallion out of his stupor,
“Mend, are you alright?” Dr. Mend recognized the voice as belonging to Valiant.

“Yeah, I'm alright.” Dr. Mend replied, breathing heavily, “Just some stomach trouble. I'll be out in a minute.”

The white maned Earth pony struggled to his hooves and wobbled to the door. He unlocked the old wooden door and opened it to find Valiant standing just beyond with a worried look on his face. Mend held up a hoof, forestalling any questions, and lumbered over to his bed. Dr. Mend was only dimly aware that the voices he heard in his head were different from those of the other ponies in the room. He didn't care, he just needed more sleep.

Valiant watched his friend crawl into bed and pull the covers up over himself. The younger, wingless pegasus bit his lip but decided to hold his tongue, 'Mend's dealing with enough right now. I'll tell him what we decide in the morning.' he thought. Valiant walked back over to his bed, where his friends sat with quills and paper.

“Hey Valiant?” Evening Star addressed, whispering, “Should we go somewhere else, so he can sleep?” she asked, indicating Dr. Mend.

Valiant nodded,
“That's probably a good idea. He needs his rest. Does anypony know a quiet place where we can get some food and continue on with all this planning?” he asked, continuing the whisper.

Lemon Lime, unsurprisingly, had an idea,
“We could get some take-out and head on over to the Tower Library. The Librarian never locks the door and we could all sit out on the balcony. There's plenty of tables and chairs.”

Valiant raised a hoof,
“All in favor?” he asked.

A tree-trunk thick red hoof and a tan stream-lined thin one both rose, Big Macintosh and Evening Star giving their approval.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The four friends congregated on the balcony of the Tower Library, each carrying their respective take-out containers. The night had turned cold in a snap, but none of them seemed to mind. Lemon Lime had opted for spicy zebra food, but the others had no taste for the sphincter melting stuff. They had all gone separate directions to acquire their meals. Big Macintosh, not wanting for anything fancy, settled on picking up a big head of broccoli and four avocados from the closest grocery store. Valiant had purchased a spinach quiche and Evening Star had grabbed a loaf of bread, some red grapes, and a small block of Havarti cheese. The friends all sat on the balcony eating and discussing their plans.

Valiant had been thinking about something since they had been talking with Trooper,
“Star, you mentioned some new Elements earlier. What did you mean when you said we should find them? How could they help?”

Evening Star broke off a piece of the bread and popped it into her mouth before answering,
“Big Macintosh and I spent the better part of the day reading this old book that Princess Luna brought in. It talked about the fact that there are in fact two sets of Elements; the Elements of Harmony and the Elements of Peace. The Elements of Harmony are always female and the Elements of Peace are always male. We already know the Elements of Harmony have bearers, but I've never heard of any stallion being able to do what the book describes the Elements of Peace are able to do. It mentioned several things about the two sets of Elements and one thing, in particular, stuck out to Big Macintosh. He believes that you are actually one of them, but he couldn't figure out which.” she explained.

Big Macintosh nodded,
“Ayup. Ah saw it back on the farm during the fire when you were tryin' to revive Granny Smith. It only happened for a few seconds, but Ah know Ah saw a pair of golden wings on you.”

Evening Star continued with the explanation,
“The book describes what it refers to as 'pseudo-members' for bearers of the Elements who were disabled in some way. Honestly, I can't think of any other possible reason for you to have manifested wings like that.”

Valiant wasn't so sure,
“I don't remember anything like that, but then again they would have been on my back. I'm not saying I don't believe you Big Mac, but there was a lot of confusion that night. Is it possible you just mistook what you saw?”

Lemon Lime pulled his head up from the platter of noodles in front of him; his breath reeked of Ghost Chilies,
“Why would it be Valiant in the first place?” he asked, “I mean no offense Valiant, but wouldn't the bearers of this set of Elements be special? The bearers of the Elements of Harmony were special, weren't they?”

“Ah think Valiant's plenty special.” Big Mac said, “There ain't been no forgiven Vagabonds in a long time. Ah'm not tryin' to throw a rock under your cart there Live Wire, but Valiant's done lost his wings, been forgiven from beyond the grave, saved the lives of four ponies, and discovered a new medical breakthrough. How much more special could you get?”

“Let me go get the book. I'll be right back.” Evening Star said taking to the air.

The tan pegasus returned after only a few seconds and laid a thick old tome on the table,
“This is the one.” she said flipping through the pages, “Here, the Elements of Peace. Read that Valiant.”

Valiant carefully read the entire dissertation, then looked up, questioningly a few minutes later,
“Actually, now that I've read this, it seems to me the pony most likely to be one of the Elements of Peace would be you, Big Mac.” Valiant said directing his gaze to the massive Earth pony.

Big Macintosh shook his head,
“Evenin' Star already tried that. She said she thought Ah was the Element of Acceptance, but Ah don't think so.”

Valiant's eyebrows arched,
“Really? That's the same one I would have picked. Why do think you aren't?”

Big Macintosh shrugged,
“Ah just don't see it. Besides Ah'm nothin' special. Ifn Ah was the bearer of Acceptance, Ah wouldn't be arguin' about it.”

“Hmm, that is a good point.” Valiant had to admit.

“It would make sense though. Each of the Elements of Harmony has an Element of Peace that compliments it. Honesty is paired with Acceptance, Kindness is paired with Hope, Laughter and Forgiveness are another match, Loyalty and Perseverance, Generosity and Discernment, and finally Magic and Patience. The book also said that the bearers of all the Elements would be determined by ancestry. It makes a comparison to a family, husband and wife, or maybe brother and sister.” Evening Star explained.

Lemon Lime had finished with his spicy noodles and was listening to the conversation with rapt attention,
“It seems to me that the bearer of Acceptance wouldn't be willing to unthinkingly believe everything he hears, that's just dumb. You're all thinking in linear and literal terms. Take a step back and look at the whole montage, not just one photo. To counter my earlier statement, it would make sense that no bearer of any Element would think of themselves as such. I think the description leans more to a character trait. Big Mac, have you ever called anypony a liar?”

“Nope. Ah've been duped a couple of times though.” Big Macintosh admitted.

Evening Star caught on to what Lemon Lime was saying,
“Like when you met Valiant for the first time, you accepted him for who he was.” Evening Star turned to Valiant, “You told me that when Twilight cast her spell to let you see and talk to Arabesque again, you named each pony present as having one of the traits of love. Which one did you say Big Mac represented?”

Valiant's face lit up with recognition,
“Love doesn't judge or assume. Love is accepting. Love takes things as they are without foregone conclusions!” he was becoming excited, “I think you're right! Big Mac, even your most commonly used statement oozes acceptance. What could be more unassuming or accepting than 'Ayup'? It, in itself, is a statement of accepting the world as it is.”

Big Macintosh pursed his lips, deep in thought, as his friends continued naming events where the huge Earth pony had displayed the character trait,
“Like when Cantankerous said he didn't mean to bust up your nose. I would have been royally pissed, but you just took him at his word. You two got to be friends, even in the short amount of time we were in the bar.” Lemon Lime said.

“You didn't act oddly when Princess Celestia addressed you like a normal pony. Most ponies scrape and bow all the time, but you just acted like you were having a normal conversation with a neighbor. She addressed you as one regular pony to another and you accepted that and spoke with her the same way.” Evening Star pointed out.

Valiant turned his attention back to the book,
“It says here that to invoke an Element, the bearer has to focus on their memories of times where they personified their Element.” Valiant looked up to Big Macintosh, “Would you feel comfortable giving it a try, Big Mac?”

Big Macintosh shrugged, rising to his hooves,
“Ah don't like bein' the center of attention, but if it'll make yall happy then I'll give it a try. Ah still don't think Ah'm one of the Elements though.”

The huge Earth pony took a couple of steps back and squared his shoulders. The other three ponies leaned forward on the table eyes glued to the muscular red stallion. Big Macintosh closed his eyes and concentrated. The three friends leaned even closer, hearts beating rapidly in anticipation, eyes fixated on their friend. Big Macintosh took a couple of deep breaths and seemed to be trying to calm himself. He lowered his head and steadied his stance.

Nothing happened.

The massive Earth pony looked up after a few minutes and shrugged,
“Ah guess it was worth a try.”

The other three ponies sat back in their chairs greatly disappointed by the lack of their friend's manifestation. Big Macintosh sat back down in his chair and took a big bite out of his head of broccoli. Lemon Lime was disappointed but he was as eager as ever to move on to something new. He stood up and put his plate in a nearby trash can by the balcony entrance, then moved to Valiant's saddle-bags. He pulled out his quill and parchment and settled back down, dipping the quill into the ink jar.

“We've wasted enough time on this. We can't wait any longer. Let's sum up what our strengths and weakness are. For simplicity sake, let's start with me. You all tell me what my strengths are then we'll move on to my weaknesses. We'll move on to you next, Evening Star. Does that sound good to everypony?” he asked.

Big Macintosh started,
“Well, you sure are good at thinkin' fast.”

“No argument there.” Valiant agreed.

“You could use your mind to plan out our methods of searching. You know this city better than any of us. I only know it from the air; you know the history behind almost every building, which could be useful if we get into a chase.” Evening Star added.

“So, we have quick thinking and knowledge of the geography. What's next?” Lemon Lime asked taking notes.

“You said yourself, that you were probably the only pony who could match the unicorn at physical manipulation. You might be able to best her in a one-on-one fight.” Evening Star noted.

“I would need to learn some more spells but I suppose we all need some training before we launch into this.” Lemon Lime said.

“As far as weaknesses go, you talk, a lot. We will have to be quiet if we're to take the unicorn by surprise. You'll have to learn to keep quiet, that and you aren't very physically imposing. I'm not sure you could keep up with the rest of us if we have to give chase.” Valiant observed.

Lemon Lime grimaced, but wrote down Valiant's observation faithfully,
“Is there anything else?” he asked.

“Nope.” Big Macintosh said.

“Then I guess it's my turn then.” Evening Star said taking to the air, “Lay it on me guys.” she offered smirking mischievously.

Valiant began,
“You already mentioned you are a mare and that you might be able to calm the unicorn down if she thinks we mean to act . . . poorly toward her.”

“You've got wings, and you're fast. You know the city from the air and you're used to bein' up at all hours of the night, bein' a courier and all.” Big Macintosh observed.

“You're pretty.” Valiant said absent-mindedly.

The three other ponies stopped what they were doing and just stared at Valiant. Valiant had no idea he had spoken aloud. It took him a minute or two to notice the silence from his friends. He looked from one face to another innocently several times before it hit him. The royal blue wingless pegasus turned bright purple and sank into his chair as if he were trying to hide from the gazes of his friends.

Valiant cleared his throat and sat up, after a moment,
“What? It could help us. Most ponies wouldn't figure on an attractive mare being evil, now would they?”

Lemon Lime dipped his quill into the ink and continued to write,
“Anything else?” he asked.

“Ah can't think of anything else.” Big Mac said.

“Me neither.” Valiant lied. In truth he could think of plenty of good things, but he didn't want to embarrass himself any further.

“Right then, weaknesses. You're a pegasus, you're light-weight, fragile, and you could be thrown around like a rag-doll, if the unicorn chooses to turn her magic on you. You should stay out of the physical aspect of the whole ordeal and let the larger stallions handle it. Hey, don't feel bad I'm in the same boat.” Lemon Lime said.

“If it came right down to it, could you catch one of us if you had to?” Valiant asked.

Evening Star pondered the answer for several seconds,
“Maybe you or Live Wire. There is no possible way I could catch Dr. Mend or Big Macintosh, and if Cantankerous is as big as you say Live Wire, I doubt I could catch him either.”

Lemon Lime wrote down every word,
“O.K. Valiant, your turn. I'd say you have an advantage in that you are really strong for a pegasus.”

“Yeah, but I'm ground-bound. If I were an Earth pony I would be only a little bit above average. Would you agree Big Mac?” Valiant asked.

“Ayup. You do have your potions though, and that's definitely an advantage.” the big Earth pony said, “How many do you think you could carry in your saddle-bags and still move as fast?”

“I think I could probably have them full up and not be encumbered. That would be due to the five years of walking constantly.” Valiant admitted.

“You are pretty much as light as me and just as fragile, plus you don't have your wings anymore. In addition to that, the unicorn has already seen you, so she will be extra nervous. You should probably hang back, out of sight, so you don't antagonize her with your presence. Your disadvantages out-weigh your advantages.” Evening star noted.

“Good point,” Valiant admitted, “I hadn't thought of that. Anything else?”

“Nothing I can think of.” Lemon Lime said, “Your turn Big Macintosh. You are strong. I mean freakishly strong. You pulled your buck and still managed to knock Cantankerous ten paces away and onto his back. I happen to know that it's pretty difficult to teleport with another pony touching you. If you can tackle the unicorn, I think she won't be able to teleport. That and she won't be able to levitate you without levitating herself, which is nearly impossible to begin with.”

“Not to mention, you're used to hours of physical labor, so you're stamina should be well above ours. You're also tough. If it comes down to a physical fight, you could probably take a lot of punishment.” Valiant said.

“Ah don't want to be hurtin' nopony ifn Ah don't have to.” Big Mac said.

“We know that, but we may not have a choice. If push comes to shove, you may have to break one of the unicorn's legs. I know you don't like the idea, but we may find ourselves backed into a corner or out of options. If it's for her own good, can you do that Big Mac?” Evening Star asked.

Big Macintosh looked unhappy at the prospect, but he nodded,
“Ah guess Ah can, but Ah ain't goin' to be happy about it.”

“Alright weaknesses,” Lemon Lime said, “Umm . . . uh . . . well . . . aside from not having wings or magic I can't think of any.”

“Reluctance.” Valiant said, “Big Mac's not a violent type. No offense, my friend, but you have to admit that if you had to buck a mare, on purpose, to injure her, you would have trouble doing that wouldn't you?”

“Ah might. Ah was taught to never even raise mah voice to a filly or mare, much less hurt one on purpose.” Big Macintosh admitted.

“Alright, good point Valiant.” Lemon Lime said, “Is that everything?”

“Well, I do know Mend pretty well. I could probably give you a rundown of his advantages and disadvantages.” Valiant offered.

“Alright then, go for it.” Lemon Lime said dipping the quill again.

“He knows all about medicine and he can do field work without a problem. He's resourceful and clever. He doesn't shy away from . . . messy things and he won't flinch if he has to get physical. If we can find a way to inject the unicorn with a strong sedative, Mend should be the one to do it. If anypony gets injured, he can provide triage on the spot. He'll be indispensible.” Valiant said seriously, “On the flip side, he is actually a gentle pony. He CAN get physical, but I seriously doubt he'll WANT to. He's dedicated his life to helping ponies recover from injuries, not causing them. I'm fairly certain that things get down to the grind, he'll be able to do what's best, but again, we face the issue of reluctance. He also isn't in particularly great shape. He's only in his thirties but, well, you all already know how old he looks. He is an Earth pony, so he'll be a little bit stronger than most of the rest of us, tougher too. I think that about sums it up.”

“Alright, tomorrow we need to find Cantankerous and get him to come to Trooper's room. Once everypony is there, we can discuss a strategy for tracking this unicorn. Remember, as yet we have no idea where she's staying. Assuming she's staying in Canterlot in the first place; she could be anywhere.” Lemon Lime observed.

“Let's go over what we have to work with. What supplies do we have available to us right now and what do we need to get?” Evening Star asked.

“Ah've got a lasso and some steel shoes, plus plenty of bits.” Big Macintosh offered.

Evening Star's eyes bulged at the statement,
“Steel shoes?” she asked incredulously, “Whoo! You mean business don't you.”

“Ifn it comes to a pony's life Ah'll be savin' by hurtin' somepony else, Ah'll do what Ah have to and make it count. Ah may not like it none, but if it's what's got to be done then that's that, and Ah'll try not to hesitate.” Big Mac said slowly, as if the words hurt.

“I have my mortar and pestle, plus all the ingredients I could need.” Valiant hesitated before saying more, “I don't know if she can help, but I'll ask Arabesque what she can do, or I'll try to at least. I'm not sure I can get in contact with her, but I'll try.”

Lemon Lime ceased writing and looked up at his friend slowly, the others were silent as well,
“I think we should let her rest Valiant. We shouldn't try to dabble with ghosts and spirits. This concern is for the living. We should handle it by ourselves. Let her go. You need to be on your own now.”

“It's easier said than done, Live Wire.” Valiant said stiffly, “She's lived with me for a long time . . . “ Valiant cut himself off as his own words sunk in, “I mean, I've lived with her for a long time. It's not easy to let go.”

“Tell me about it.” Lemon Lime said under his breath, then raised his voice, “Valiant, my point is still valid. We were never meant to rely on the departed. We were meant to rely on each other, the living. You need to do this yourself.” Lemon Lime turned to Evening Star, “What do you have at your disposal?”

The tan pegasus shrugged her shoulders,
“Maps, that's about it. I could call in a few favors, but my requests would have to be specific, and I don't know how reliable they would be.”

The yellow unicorn wrote it all down before adding his own possessions to the meager list,
“I have my home and a lot of bits, plus my home's resources. I guess I'm the strongest contributor in that regard. I've saved almost three-hundred-thousand bits since I started my job.”

“Holy cow!” Valiant exclaimed, “You are now officially my new best friend.” he said teasingly.

Lemon Lime smiled,
“So what we need to do now is figure out how we are going to get this mystery sedative into the unicorn. Valiant, do you think you can come up with something that can be injected? It would probably be easier than trying to get her to swallow anything.”

“That's not my area of expertise. I make potions to be swallowed, but I do have my pharmaceuticals text and I've got Mend. I'm sure I can figure something out, but it will take time.” Valiant said.

“Couldn't you just use some of the sedatives they have in the clinic where Dr. Mend works?” Big Macintosh asked.

Valiant shook his head vigorously,
“Nope, not an option. That stuff' is tightly regulated and no clinic would sell it. Mend could steal some, but I'm certain he wouldn't be at all happy with that thought. We'll probably have to make do with something I create from scratch, plus I'll need somepony to test it out on. We really don't have any other option.”

Evening Star landed next to Valiant,
“If you have to test it out on somepony, we should make sure it's somepony who is about the same size and type. Would you say the unicorn mare is about my size?”

“Roughly, but she's a unicorn, and you're a pegasus. Your metabolism is a lot higher than hers. We need a twenty something unicorn mare who is a bit under average height. Do any of you know somepony like that?” Valiant asked.

Big Macintosh looked a bit sick mentioning it,
“Twilight might do.”

Valiant shook his head,
“No, she's a bit too young. She's what, sixteen?”

“Ah don't make it a habit of askin’ fillies their age, but that sounds about right.” Big Macintosh said.

“Yeah, she's too young, besides it could be dangerous.” Valiant explained.

“So you would put another mare's life in danger just because you don't know her?” Lemon Lime asked.

Valiant groaned,
“No, you know that's not what I meant.” he sighed heavily, “Look, it's getting late. Let's wrap this up and continue tomorrow evening.”

“Sounds good to me.” Big Macintosh said.

“I second the motion.” Evening Star said.

“Yeah, I have to work tomorrow anyway.” Lemon Lime said capping the ink jar.

“Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight Big Macintosh?” Valiant asked.

The huge Earth pony turned to Lemon Lime,
“Can Ah crash at your place again tonight?”

“Sure. Stay as long as you like.” Lemon Lime replied happily.

“Let's meet up again in Trooper's room tomorrow evening and be sure to bring Cantankerous. What time is good for you all?” Valiant asked.

“Around seven in the evening.” Lemon Lime said.

“Ah'm free all day.” Big Mac said.

“I'll be there as soon as I can, but I may have to catch up on some of my work tomorrow.” Evening Star explained.

“Sounds good.” Valiant said slipping on his saddle-bags, “I'll see you tomorrow.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The group of friends went their separate ways with Lemon Lime and Big Macintosh heading off towards the former's home. Evening Star took to the sky and Valiant trotted back to the dorm, wary of back alleys and deep shadows.

It didn't take long for the wingless pegasus to figure out that somepony was following him. Valiant slowed his pace and listened carefully. The pony trailing him didn't; hooves clacking on the cobble stones toward him. Valiant mentally braced himself and spun around, raising his front right hoof to strike out if he was attacked. He met Evening Star's startled face.

Valiant lowered his hoof, feeling ridiculous,
“Evening Star, why are you following me?” he asked.

“I need to talk to you, silly.” Evening Star said smiling pleasantly.

Valiant tensed up slightly, but forced himself to go back to his normal trot,
“Is something wrong?”

Evening Star trotted up beside Valiant and left the silence between them stretch for a moment before she answered,
“Earlier you said I was pretty. What did you mean by that? What did you really mean?”

Valiant swallowed hard and kept his eyes forward,
“I uh, meant I think you're pretty. It's a fairly simple statement.”

“Come on Valiant, I'm not dumb. And it's not simple at all; it's far more complex than you make it sound.” Evening Star said looking up at the royal blue stallion.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes longer before Evening Star broke the silence again,
“Are you attracted to me?” she asked quietly.

Valiant stumbled on a cobblestone, nearly falling onto his face,
“That's a bold question, but I have t ask a counter question. Would my answer change the way you see me or treat me?”

Evening Star was silent for several long minutes before she answered,
“Yes, it would.”

Valiant had another question prepared,
“Why?” he asked in as neutral a tone as he could.

“Because it would mean that you see me as something other than just a friend.” Evening Star replied.

Valiant swallowed again, this was the hard question, he didn't know if he even wanted to know the answer,
“Would that be a bad thing?”

“It would mean that things have changed between us. Have I led you to believe that I want anything more than to just be friends?” the tan pegasus asked.

“No you haven't.” Valiant said grimly.

Evening Star grew more vocal,
“Don't be angry. You're a wonderful friend, but I don't have the luxury of becoming attached to you.”

“He's a very lucky stallion.” Valiant said quietly.

“No, it isn't like that. I don't have anypony, I can't afford to.” Evening Star said plainly, “Valiant, please understand. There is another mare out there waiting for you, don't disappoint her just because you can't be with me.”

“I don't want another mare.” Valiant said keeping his voice even, only with great difficulty.

Evening Star kept her voice neutral,
“Listen to me Valiant. You have to understand . . . ” she said.

Valiant whipped around in the blink of an eye and caught the tan pegasus' left fore-hoof to his muzzle. He had planned on kissing her, but she saw through it. Valiant's eyes merged on the hoof pressed up against his mouth, crossing them comically.

Evening Star giggled,
“That was so cliché, Valiant. I could have seen that coming if I was blind.” she lowered her hoof, “Don't be so dramatic. This doesn't have to be a big deal unless you make it one.”

“I apologize.” Valiant said quietly, “I was out of line.”

“Yes you were.” Evening Star agreed, “But it's not the end of the world. Let me put this into perspective for you. Did you ever think you would get over Arabesque?”

“Yes, but not for a while. I was really surprised when I found myself attracted to you.” Valiant said blushing.

“And that's after knowing me for, what three days? Valiant there are plenty of other mares out there. As of right now, you have a crush on me, that's all. Don't make it something it's not supposed to be. Right now we need to focus on dealing with this rogue unicorn, alright? And don't be so serious all the time. Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored, not rushed and remembered. Let things unfold as they will and don't push the issue when you find the right girl for you.” Evening Star preached.

Valiant felt sheepish,
“I'm just really awkward around girls, especially pretty ones.”

“At least you're not as bad as Live Wire. That poor guy couldn't pull off any one-liners if his life depended on it.” Evening Star giggled.

Valiant couldn't help but to smile,
“No kidding. When he first met you, I thought he was going to implode. He's a really nice stallion though, even if he is really intense sometimes.”

Evening Star rolled her eyes,
“He did get a bit too serious earlier. I thought he was going to clobber you on the spot. He did have a good point though. I think you still have some issues to work through before you're ready to settle down. By your own account, you've been denied five years of life experience. Along those lines, how did you stay sane all that time, with nopony to talk to?”

Valiant stopped walking and turned his head to the night sky,
“Luna helped me.” he said dreamily, “I would look up at the moon, even though I didn't know she was up there, but the symbol of another pony on the Moon gave me peace. I used to talk to the Moon at night, as if there was somepony up there who could hear me. I didn't feel so alone at night; and besides it's not like I never encountered anypony else in five whole years. It was a rare occurrence, but it did happen. I just helped out wherever I could, even if I couldn't say pretty much anything.”

Valiant looked up and realized they had reached the dorm, “I guess this is my stop. I'll see you later Evening Star.”

Evening Star nodded and turned to leave,
“I hope you feel better Valiant, and remember what I said.”

The tan pegasus mare took to the sky and flew off over the buildings. Valiant watcher her go, yearning to be flying next to her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pain seared through his body as he was jostled up and down rapidly, like he was being borne on a wagon. His whole world was excruciating pain, exquisite in its intensity. He groaned quietly, not even realizing he was still alive.

As he lay in place, still bouncing, he began hearing voices,
“We need to hurry! He's lost a lot of blood, I don't know if he'll make it!” a filly's voice said.

“I can't run any faster,” a second voice responded panting heavily, “I'm putting everything I have into it already!” the second voice belonged to a young stallion

“Take this right!” the filly shouted suddenly.

Sea Blue's body jerked to the side, sliding on a flat surface. He felt the weight of somepony holding him down but sliding as well. After a moment, the rattling stopped. In a matter of moments Sea Blue felt himself being lifted by strong hooves. His closed eyes registered light beyond his eyelids. He heard some yelling and then he felt himself laid gently down on a soft surface. He felt like he was moving again but this time it was smooth as silk.

He heard new voices, all mares asking questions rapidly,
“What caused his injury?” one mare asked quickly.

The stallion he had heard before responded,
“I have no idea. We were getting an early start and we found him in an alley. There was nopony else around so we put him in the back of the wagon. That's why he smells so bad.”

The mare's voice answered him,
“You laid a unicorn with an open, bleeding wound in the bed of a garbage wagon? Please tell me you put something under him.”

“We didn't have time.” the filly answered, “We had to get him here as soon as possible.”

Sudden, incredible pain lanced through Sea Blue's body, causing him to groan. The pain ceased after a moment. He sensed the presence of another pony close to his face.

“Can you hear me?” the mare asked loudly in his ear.

Sea Blue's mind was swimming in agony, but his thoughts were n only one thing,
“My daughter.” he whispered.

Sea Blue heard the nurse's shocked voice address the other two ponies,
“Did you see a filly out there?”

“No, we didn't. There was no sign of anypony else. There weren't a lot of places to hide, either.” the filly replied.

“I saw him first. I came around the corner and for a second, I thought I saw a dark shape standing over him. It was light that drew me over. It looked like a tall unicorn with a really long horn glowing. My first impression was that Princess Luna was in the alley, but when I looked again, there was nopony there.” the stallion said.

“Took her.” Sea Blue mumbled.

“Somepony took your daughter?” the nurse asked, leaning down to the unicorn stallion again.

“Unicorn.” Sea Blue whispered.

“Get Dr. Avalon in here! I don't care if you have to wake her, do it!” the nurse said emphatically.

Sea Blue vaguely heard a pony's hooves run off. Sea Blue felt a pin-prick against his skin and the world went mercifully blank.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sea Blue became aware of voices around him. He felt wonderful. The absence of pain was like a balm on his mind. He focused on the voices around him.

“He should have been long dead when those two garbage collectors brought him in. He needed fifteen quarts of blood to stabilize him. There is no way he should be alive, none. The only thing I can think of is that he used magic to keep himself going. He was nearly dry of blood, his arteries and veins had collapsed. The nurses had to put an I.V. directly into his left ventricle.” the voice belonged to a mare.

A second voice, one that Sea Blue recognized, responded,
“Did you give him the potion?” the voice belonged to Mend.

“As soon as we had him stitched up. I'm not certain it was wise to wake him up so soon after he got out of surgery.” the mare said.

“We need to know what happened. You said he came in alone?” Mend asked.

“That's what the nurses told me. He was coherent enough to tell them his daughter had been taken.” the mare informed.

“That's why we need him awake. If I'm right, then the rogue unicorn who mangled Trooper up is the same one who attacked him. If that's the case, we need to move fast. That unicorn is suffering from C.M.E.S. there's no telling what she could do to a little filly.” Mend said.

Sea Blue shifted painfully in his bed and mumbled,
“Was a unicorn.”

He heard Mend approach the bed and felt the other stallion's breath on his ear,
“What happened?” Mend asked quietly.

“She gored me with her horn . . . took Patch. Teleported.” Sea Blue whispered as clearly as he could.

“We'll find her, Sea Blue. I promise.” Mend whispered.

Sea Blue tensed his muscles and tried to rise from his bed,
“Got to . . . find her.” he grunted.

Mend put his front hooves on the determined unicorn,
“Don't you dare move!” he whispered tensely, “You'll have her back, but you must rest now.”

“I can find her . . . lost foal spell.” Sea Blue grunted.

“That's great, but for now you have to be still. You're in no shape to use magic. Sleep now, I'll be back later to check on you. You can try the spell then. Alright?” Mend said.

“Have to . . . find her.” Sea Blue mumbled.

“You won't do her any good if you die from over exertion. Go to sleep. Doctor's orders.” Mend said sternly.

Sea Blue relaxed and stopped moving. Within moments he was asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant got off work late. It was seven fifteen when he closed up Mrs. Soothe's apothecary. He had an experimental form of a sleeping potion in his saddle-bags. Mrs. Soothe had a recipe for a sleeping potion and Valiant had spent his free time pouring over his text books trying to figure out how to strengthen it. The jar clinked inside his saddle-bags as he galloped toward the clinic to meet his friends.

Valiant burst through the door of Trooper's room at seven twenty-three, startling his friends,
“Sorry I'm late. I had to close up shop. Mrs. Soothe went home early.” he panted.

Valiant took stock of the occupants of the room. Dr. Mend stood next to Trooper's bed, both looking at Valiant like he was nuts. Evening Star, Lemon Lime, and Big Macintosh were huddled around a table and looked to have been studying something on a piece of parchment.

“I would invite you in, but it looks as if you have already invited yourself.” Trooper said smirking, “At least we know you are not a vampire.”

“Vampire ponies?” Dr. Mend asked.

“With all the magic floating around Equestria, I would not doubt it.” Trooper defended.

“Let's get serious here.” Lemon Lime said eyeing Trooper sourly, “We have a lot to discuss. I'm afraid we have some bad news Valiant. The unicorn struck again. This time she took a filly away from her father. She ran him through, with her horn. She almost killed him.”

Valiant clenched his jaw,
“She's developing a pattern. Let's figure out what the victims have in common. We have to do something soon.”

“She chooses isolated victims. A lone pony, or a lone adult at least. It's always in an alley too.” Evening Star observed.

“It's always near after sundown and it's always ponies who can't fly, at least for her original victims.” Big Macintosh added.

“The location!” Lemon Lime yelled suddenly, “All of the incidents have been near the same area. I'll bet it's close to her hide out. Unicorns can't teleport very far, maybe a couple of hundred paces at most. Evening Star you mentioned you have maps. Could you go get one that shows all of Canterlot?”

“Sure thing.” she said heading out the door.

Valiant turned a questioning eye to Lemon Lime,
“How do you know where the attacks happened?” he asked.

“I asked Trooper where he saw the unicorn and Dr. Mend told me where the latest victim was found.” he said proudly.

Big Macintosh cleared his throat,
“Hey, uh Dr. Mend? How long can a filly go without food or water?”

Dr. Mend looked stricken at the question and its implications,
“I'd say no more than two days. Less if she's crying, which is a safe bet. She'll be dehydrated already by now.”

Trooper craned his neck up to speak,
“Is it out of the question to leave food and water in the area where this rogue unicorn seems to stay? She may be crazy, but she has obviously been eating and drinking. Even if we do manage to capture her, she will be too out of it to tell us anything helpful. She has taken a filly so she has at least some brain still working, she might have enough sense to feed the little one.”

Valiant nodded,
“Good idea. It's the best we have to go on right now.”

Dr. Mend addressed Valiant,
“Actually, we have more than that. Sea Blue claims to know a spell that should lead us right to Patch.”

Valiant's ears stood up ram-rod straight,
“Sea Blue was the one injured?”

Dr. Mend nodded,
“Yes. In all truth he should have died, but he managed to pull through. He might be well enough to cast the spell. We can use Evening Star's map. By the way, I introduced myself while we were waiting.”

Valiant turned to Lemon Lime,
“I thought you were going to bring along your friend Cantankerous.”

Lemon Lime's ears wilted,
“Big Macintosh and I went to find him, but he didn't go to the bar tonight, which is really weird, he always goes there. We waited and asked around and waited some more but he never showed up. It's strange, he's always there. Even the barkeeper was concerned. I feel bad for letting you down Valiant. I hate letting my friends down, especially now that I actually have them.”

Valiant's expression softened,
“It's alright Live Wire. We'll just have to try again tomorrow.”

Evening Star opened the door and came into the room carrying a thick map in her mouth. She laid it down on the floor and opened it up, displaying the whole of Canterlot. Big Macintosh stepped on two corners of the map to keep it down.

Valiant looked over the map carefully, noting landmarks,
“There,” he pointed with his hoof, “That's where I encountered her. Live Wire can you put a dot of ink right there? I've got the quill and ink jar from last night in my saddle-bags”

Lemon Lime reached into Valiant's saddle-bags and retrieved the ink and quill. He set them down and levitated the quill, dipping it into the ink then proceeded to put a thick dot on the map, where Valiant had indicated. The short yellow unicorn studied the map for a few more minutes and placed two more dots on two other locations, making a semicircle, almost in the center of Canterlot.

Valiant pointed to a large clump of buildings near the center of the semicircle,
“What are these buildings?”

Lemon Lime scratched his chin,
“Those are old condemned warehouses. There's a cluster of them that have been boarded up because they were deemed unsafe. They're due to be demolished within the week, and new ones are scheduled to be raised from the ground by Celestia and Luna. These particular buildings were made about eighty years ago. Back then there was a company that wanted to stand out in Canterlot and decided to build their warehouses out of brown stone instead of white-marble. The problem was that it's unstable and the rate of decay was greatly increases because of poor materials. The company went under after only about a decade, and the warehouses were left alone. Nopony wanted to use such ugly buildings, especially in the capital of Equestria. I agree, it's the wrong way to stand out.”

“Circle those buildings. I'll bet that's where she is. Let's leave food and water, here, here, here, here, and here.” Valiant said indicating five places in a rough circle around the warehouses, “We don't have enough ponies to even attempt a rescue, right now. We need to wait and hope for the best.”

Trooper frowned,
“There must be more we can do than that. Hope is good and all, but we need something solid to go on. For all we know, we might be looking at the wrong area. I say we ask the father of the filly to cast his tracking spell and try to correlate it on the map. There should be a way to do that.”

Lemon Lime nodded,
“There is, but we'd need an arcane connection, a personal item that the filly kept close and interacted with on a regular basis. Something like a favorite toy or an article of clothing. The best thing would be a strand off her mane or tail or better yet, a drop of blood, but it would have to be fresh, less than three days old. Valiant, you and Dr. Mend know Sea Blue right? Why don't you go to his house and grab a couple of things for us to work with? While you're gone, we can gather in Sea Blue's room. We can try to get Dr. Avalon to put Trooper and Sea Blue in the same room or at least close by. I think it's a given that Sea Blue will be willing to help us get Patch back. With him we'll have our full compliment of ponies necessary to pull off both the rescue and capture the unicorn. We'll have two Earth ponies: Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend, three pegasi: Evening Star, Valiant, and Trooper, and two unicorns: Sea Blue and I. It's a good balance of skills and strengths.”

“We'll have to get Sea Blue's permission to go into his house, but I think we can handle that. Come on Valiant.” Dr. Mend said.

Valiant followed Dr. Mend out of the room quietly, while the other ponies gathered up the map, ink jar and quill.

“Pardon me, but what am I supposed to do?” Trooper asked from his bed.

“You just wait here and think positive thoughts.” Evening Star said as the three other ponies left the room.

“I'm positively sure there is something I can be doing to help!” Trooper yelled at the retreating flanks.

Big Macintosh felt sorry for the lame pegasus,
“Ah'll stay here with him.” he offered.

Evening Star and Lemon Lime nodded and left the room.

The door closed and Trooper sighed heavily,
“A great lot of good I shall be doing, laying here on my back. Positive thoughts. Bah! I can still fly, even with my legs bandaged up like this. I could be trying to get my cutie-mark.” he sighed heavily, calming down, “As if I have anything left to try. I will have you know, I have worked for every business in Canterlot. Literally, every business! I have found plenty of things I am good at, but nothing that I am spectacular with. Nothing that drives me, with the exception of finding that unicorn so she will be unable to hurt anypony else. Obviously, stopping a single individual is nothing worthy of a cutie-mark, so I am, yet again, left to stew in my morass of self pity.” he stopped to take a breath, “Fear not my muscular compatriot! I will not wallow for long. I shall do what I have always done, pick myself back up and continue on. I will not rest, except in this bed, until my flank is filled with the symbol of the driving force in my life, my passion, if you will. Yes, I can feel it! The day is coming where I will finally achieve my lifelong goal of finding out who I am, and what I am meant to be!”

“Ayup.” Big Macintosh commented blandly.

Trooper looked sidelong at the huge Earth pony,
“Are you mocking me sir?” he asked.

“Nope. Ah was just agreein' with you.” Big Macintosh informed.

Trooper began ranting again,
“Such an encouraging companion, I have never encountered. I should like to shake your hoof, but that might prove difficult.”

Big Macintosh smirked and put his right fore hoof on the side of Trooper's head and shook vigorously.

“Steady on there, large lad!” Trooper bellowed, eyes rolling, “I am not yet hale of health. Do you mean to give me a concussion, good sir? I believe you may have gelatinized my brain.”

Big Macintosh had to stifle a laugh,
“Ayup.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant and Dr. Mend returned with Valiant's saddle-bags full to bursting and entered Sea Blue's room, which was likewise filled to bursting. Trooper's bed sat next to Sea Blue's, with Big Macintosh, Lemon Lime and Evening Star standing around the base-boards of each bed. The map had been laid out on a rolling counter next to Sea Blue's bed. Sea Blue himself looked to be doing better, even if he still looked pale and weak.

Sea Blue addressed the two stallions,
“Did you find it?” he asked weakly.

“Yes. We found her brush and brought the toys you said she liked the most.” Dr. Mend said removing each article, brush first.

Lemon Lime levitated up the brush and plucked off a single strand with another spell,
“This should do. I've explained the plan to Sea Blue so we should be ready.”

Lemon Lime used his magic to tie the strand to a small rock while he explained,
“I have a fair grasp of magical theory. I've modified the spell to channel through the strand and use the rock as a plum bob. Sea Blue will cast the spell into the strand while I levitate the tip of the hair and the rock will guide us to the location of his daughter on the map.”

“I'm ready.” Sea Blue grunted.

The turquoise unicorn settled back and closed his eyes. His horn began glowing dimly as Sea Blue broke out in a sweat almost immediately. He clenched his eyes tighter pouring his concentration into the spell. He began breathing heavily, but his horn glowed all the brighter. The strand of hair Lemon Lime was levitating over the map began glowing a dim brown color. The rock moved toward the set of buildings and Lemon Lime moved the hair with it. It took some maneuvering but finally it settled right dead center of the old warehouses.

Lemon Lime levitated the quill over and marked the spot,
“That's it!” he said excitedly, “We've got her location!”

Sea Blue opened his eyes and stared blearily at the marked spot on the map,
“That's where Patch is?” he asked.

Dr. Mend used a cloth to wipe off Sea Blue's face,
“We can't move yet. You and Trooper need to get better first.”

Sea Blue looked stricken,
“You can't be serious!” he yelled weakly, “We can't wait that long! I'll be weeks recovering in here! I will not let my little girl stay with that monster one second longer than necessary!”

Evening Star had an idea,
“Can't you get an idea of how she's doing with a spell?”

Sea Blue shook his head,
“No. That's advanced magic, like Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns advanced. I'm nowhere near powerful enough to cast that, besides I don't know the spell.”

“I do.” Lemon Lime said in a quiet voice.

Every eye in the room turned to the short unicorn, Lemon Lime explained,
“I use it to see exactly how much progress my patients are making and if I should increase or decrease the regimen. The version I know is for touch though. Doing something like that would be a serious strain. If it's too much I could go right into 'Caster's Stroke' in a matter of seconds. I mean I could try it, but I'd need to have a safety in place to render me helpless if I do. The best thing would be to get close to the warehouses. The longer the distance the more of a strain it is.”

Big Macintosh stepped forward,
“Ah think Valiant, Evenin' Star and Ah should go with you and take some food and water along to leave nearby.”

“I'll go too. I know what to look for to diagnose C.M.E.S. plus I've dealt with it before.” Dr. Mend offered sagely.

“Then let's go, but remember, at the first sign of trouble we bolt. We can't risk an open confrontation with the rogue yet.” Valiant said.

Nopony argued the point.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The four intrepid friends approached the old warehouses as quietly as they could. The darkness surrounded them like a cloak, making it difficult to see. They were in sight of the decrepit buildings when Valiant called a halt. Valiant carried the food and water in his saddle-bags.

“We're close now. Evening Star, would you be willing to fly up and scout around for us? Take a look and guide us in the most direct and dark path. Make sure you aren't seen.” the wingless pegasus directed.

“Sure thing.” she said taking to the air.

Valiant turned to the other ponies,
“Big Macintosh, you're the strongest. If the rogue spots us, I want you to pick up Live Wire and carry him away as fast as you can. Mend tie up your mane and tail in buns. They will stand out like beacons in this gloom. Live Wire, do you have any idea which part of the complex Patch is in?”

The short yellow unicorn shook his head,
“Sorry I don't. I'll stay quiet from here on out. I'll use gestures.” he said.

Each of the ponies was nervous and all but Big Macintosh showed it. The stalwart stallion simply stood nearby watching every shadow he could.

Valiant took a deep breath and let out a quiet sigh,
“Be on your guards, everypony. She seems to go out at night the most, so we stand a good chance of running into her. Let's keep that chance to a minimum. Stick to shadows and walls where you can, only move across open ground if you're sure the coast is clear. All the buildings between us and the warehouses are white-marble and will make you easy to spot even in the shadows. Stay close to the ground when you're not moving.” Valiant looked toward the cluster of warehouses then back to his friends, “I estimate the distance to be close to seven-hundred paces to the walls of the warehouse complex. Follow Evening Star as closely as you can. I'll take the front. Give me a fifty pace lead then follow behind. Watch for my signals. You all know the hoof signals for 'stop' and 'come' right?” he asked.

The other three ponies nodded silently, Valiant continued,
“Good. Let's get in and out as fast as possible.”

The royal blue, wingless pegasus turned around and took a couple of deep breaths,
“Princesses protect us.” he whispered to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Valiant had the only experience sneaking around. When you spend five years outside of the protection of any town and in the wilderness, you learn how to keep from being noticed by anything that would make a meal of you. Valiant crept from shadow to shadow and from cover to cover making hardly a sound. He was a ghost. Sadly, the same could not be said for his friends. Big Macintosh, Lemon Lime and Dr. Mend stuck close together in a tightly packed group and often tripped over each other with many a loud 'shush' from each stallion when, said tripping occurred.

Valiant knew they were getting close. The dark mass of buildings took up most of his vision. He stood at the shadowy corner of a building with a twenty pace gap in front of him that was swathed in moonlight. He looked up and saw Evening Star's silhouette directly above him. She pointed straight ahead, across the gap. He turned and motioned for his friends to come to him. They came as quietly as they could, which equaled about the same amount of noise a small flock of birds would make, just with less chirping. Less, not none. They reached Valiant and plastered themselves to the wall of the building.

Valiant turned to his friends and whispered,
“I'll go first. Mend, you follow next. Live Wire, you come after Mend. Big Mac, bring up the rear. Wait for me to signal you. Now when we get across, spread out a little. You guys make a lot of noise when you're all bunched up. Follow nose to tail, not side-by-side. Ready?”

The three stallions nodded silently. Valiant made a point to look left and right, in front and behind, hoping his friends would get the idea. Seeing the coast was clear, he lowered himself close to the ground and crept across the gap, barely lifting his hooves so as to minimize the sound he made. Valiant reached the deep embrace of the shadows, turned and looked around again. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he motioned for Mend to come. The black stallion mimicked the younger pegasus and crossed the gap, joining Valiant in the shadows. Moments later Lemon Lime and Big Macintosh followed. They were all nearly silent.

Valiant looked up, searching for Evening Star. He spotted her directly above their position. She was pointing around the left side of the building and toward the warehouses. Valiant crept around to the corner of the building and scanned the area. He saw nothing unusual. Motioning for his friends to follow him, he continued on down the length of the building. The warehouses were straight ahead of them with only a single large gap separating them from the walls of the condemned buildings.

Valiant looked up, again searching for Evening Star. Dependable as always, she was directly above them, pointing across the gap. Valiant gauged the distance to be close to thirty-five paces of moon-lit open ground. He looked around once again and stealthfully crossed the gap. The shadows were deep next to the warehouses and Valiant breathed a sigh of relief, 'Even Mend will be all but invisible in this.' he thought. He motioned for his friends to cross the gap, realizing afterward that he had neglected to look around. He nearly panicked, looking in every direction at once. He saw nothing.

Dr. Mend, Lemon Lime, and Big Macintosh crossed the gap quickly and hugged the warehouse wall, looking greatly relieved. Valiant didn't waste a second. He nosed open his saddle-bags and withdrew Patch's brush. Placing it on the ground, he stepped back, allowing Lemon Lime room to work. The unicorn lowered his head and plucked a single strand from the brush.

Valiant leaned toward Big Macintosh and Dr. Mend,
“Keep an eye out while he casts the spell. His horn will shine like a beacon out here. I'll look left, Big Mac, you look back the way we came, Mend, look right. If you see something, don't say a word, just tap Live Wire. Live Wire, if you get tapped stop the spell immediately. If anypony spots something, Live Wire's horn will stop glowing. If that happens, lower yourself to the ground, lay back your ears and tuck your head between your hooves. Don't make a sound. With some luck we should look like nothing more than debris.” he whispered.

Each stallion took their place and waited. Lemon Lime gripped the hair in his lips and focused his magic through it. The young unicorn could feel that the hair he had chosen was an older one, it didn't have nearly as much life left in it as the other one had. Undeterred, the unicorn focused all the more, his horn glowing brightly in the darkness. He closed his eyes and allowed his magic to interpret what it felt through his own senses. The strain was intense and began draining him quickly. The coil of arcane power penetrated the stone of the building, led by the hair to act as a guiding force to its origin. Lemon Lime became suddenly aware of Patch. She was in there for sure. The young unicorn filly felt exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, but she was alive and as well as she could be.

Lemon Lime stretched out his magic even farther, trying to tap into her senses so he could get a feel for the area around her. It was an entirely unorthodox use of the spell but he poured every drop of his reserves into it. The strain was incredible. Lemon Lime could feel himself sweating from the exertion. He pushed his magic so far it hurt. He could feel himself shaking, he was losing the spell. For the briefest of instants he was rewarded with a momentary flash from Patch's sight. Darkness all around. A room, twenty paces by fifteen paces with a doorway set into the far wall, barely discernable through the darkness. A dark unicorn starring right at him out of the shadows.

Lemon Lime's eyes shot open,
“She knows we're here! We have to go!” he whispered harshly.

Valiant lowered himself to the ground with the others following suite. He quickly opened his saddle-bags and removed the food and water. He set the five bottles of water out in a row with small plastic bags of food in front of each. He stood back up and waved to Evening Star. The pegasus winged down to the four stallions quietly.

“What's up?” she whispered.

“We've been detected. Can you fly around and leave one of these at each corner of the complex? Leave the last one right in front of the main door if there is one. Be careful. If you're spotted high-tail it away. We'll meet you back where we started.” Valiant whispered.

Evening Star picked up one bottle and bag in her mouth and took off quietly, winging away over the warehouse complex.

Valiant rose to a standing position and addressed the other three stallions,
“Follow me quickly and quietly as you can. We have to move, now. Come on.” he whispered.

The four stallions sprinted quietly back the same they had come, still keeping to the shadows. They arrived back where they started and hunkered down in the deep shadows panting for breath. They had only just settled down when Lemon Lime began shaking and a cold sweat rose on his skin. Dr. Mend noticed and put a hoof to the younger unicorn's inner-thigh, taking his pulse. Big Macintosh and Valiant looked on worriedly as Dr. Mend raised his head.

“He's going into shock.” the medical pony informed calmly, “The strain from his magic and the running is getting to him. He needs to rest. It's not serious but we need to keep him awake for now. He needs to get away from here. The stress will make him worse.”

Big Macintosh shifted his position so his flank was to the smaller unicorn. Dr. Mend nudged Lemon Lime to a shaky standing position and maneuvered him over Big Mac's back, then carefully lowered him down onto the huge Earth pony.

Big Macintosh stood up easily and turned to the other two stallions,
“Do you think you need to come with me Doc?” he asked quietly.

Dr. Mend nodded and joined the other two ponies,
“Wait here for Evening Star. If she's not back soon, come get us. We'll be back at the clinic.”

Valiant nodded,
“Thanks guys. I'll join you as soon as I can.”

Valiant watched as the three stallions headed back to the clinic. The wingless pegasus laid his head back down onto his hooves and waited. A slight sound echoed in the darkness. Valiant became instantly alert. He quietly shuffled back against the wall of the building he was next to doing his level best to make himself invisible. He heard the noise again and moved his eyes toward the source of the sound, keeping the rest of himself as still as a stone.

Valiant waited for eternal seconds as his heart raced, 'I'm completely vulnerable out here. I have no way to defend myself if the rogue attacks.' he thought. Fear raced through his veins, making it nearly impossible to keep still. His eyes searched frantically through every shadow, every dark corner. He came up with nothing, but still he looked. Suddenly, movement nearby caught his eye. It was faint, mostly concealed by the darkness, but Valiant focused his eyes on the spot. As he focused on penetrating the shadow, his vision began to pick out a form, just barely distinguishable from the enveloping shadows. She was there, not five paces from him. She was looking around with her eyes, moving nothing else. Valiant could see the faint reflection of light on her glazed-over eyes. She was so close, Valiant could smell her scent. It was as ugly as her eyes, tainted and muddy, like an icy wind coming off a mound of festering garbage.

Valiant's breath caught in his throat when he noticed Evening Star leaning over the edge of a nearby building. She didn't give any sign that she had seen the rogue. Even so, she seemed to have the sense to stay still. The situation turned into a waiting game from there. Valiant's nerves were on a razor's edge. His fear swelled up and made him feel sick. He felt a bubble of gas crawling up his throat and swallowed it. He felt even worse after that. The rogue still didn't move, and Valiant feared Evening Star would get impatient and be spotted. The gas bubble came up again. This time Valiant closed his mouth and constricted his throat, making a nearly silent burp in his mouth. He blew out the foul stench silently and angled it toward the rogue unicorn.

The rogue's nostrils flared and she cringed back,
“Ugh! Smells like dead rats. I hate rats!” she yelled to the darkness.

She turned and skulked away into the shadows silently.

Valiant waited for what seemed like hours. He looked up to where he had seen Evening Star. She was gone. Valiant determined to wait until he was sure the danger had passed.

Suddenly, Evening Star landed right in front of him,
“Come on! Let's get out of here!” she whispered tensely.

Valiant ran as fast as he could, while Evening Star flew overhead.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You're sure she's alright?” Sea Blue asked for the um-teenth time.

Lemon Lime lay stretched out on the floor between the two beds, barely coherent,
“I'm sure.” he grunted.

Dr. Mend had kept the plucky unicorn stable but Lemon Lime was making a slow recovery. Lemon Lime had been suffering from Stage One C.M.E.S. when they had returned, but Dr. Mend was certain he was not mentally impaired.

“She's fine.” Dr. Mend said moodily, “Stop stressing about it. There's nothing more we can do right now. You'll impede your recovery if your body is stressed. Help Patch by helping yourself. We've done all we can for tonight.”

“You couldn't understand unless you had foals of your own. Any parent would be upset.” Sea Blue countered.

Evening Star opened the door with Valiant following behind her,
“That was closer than I would have liked.” Evening Star said sitting down on the floor, “She nearly had Valiant there for a minute.”

Valiant smirked,
“How are you doing over there Live Wire?”

Lemon Lime raised a hoof into the air,
“Splitting headache and blurry vision. I'm doing great. If the room would stop spinning I would come over there and smack you. How can that rogue stand it? This is torture.”

“I think we need to revamp out list of strengths and weaknesses.” Evening Star laughed, “Valiant here, is a regular old biological weapon. You should have smelled what he let out! Whew! It was foul! I'll wager you could knock out Princess Celestia with that.”

Valiant blushed, embarrassed,
“Well . . . it worked didn't it?”

“Where did you grow up to have a digestive system that developed to emit that kind of smell?” Evening Star laughed, rolling on the floor.

Valiant smiled,
“I grew up in Haysburg. I doubt you've ever heard of it.”

The statement drew a great deal of attention; Valiant had never spoken of his hometown before,
“It's a little village far to the East, near where the White River flows out into the Eldritch Basin. Most of the immediate area is a boggy swamp, but outside of that are leagues and leagues of plains. It's thick with bugs in the summer, but in winter you can walk right across entire portions of the swamp on the ice. Haysburg is on the western bank of the Eldritch Basin, that's where the swamps are. On the other side of the Basin is the Razor Wing mountain range which separates Equestria from Gryphonvale.”

Big Macintosh cocked his head,
“Ah would have never guessed you used to live so close to the kingdom of the Gryphons. Did you meet a lot of them growin' up?”

“A couple of them would regularly come visit us. They always caused minor problems, but they aren't too bad. They almost never brought any younger gryphons with them because of the weather trouble.” Valiant explained.

“What kind of weather trouble?” Evening Star asked.

“Tornados. A lot of tornados. They happened all the time out on the plains. The swamp stopped most of them, but once in a while one would start out in the basin and work its way toward the shore. Every house in Haysburg has what we call 'swimming cellars'. The water table is only about four paces below the ground, so every cellar fills with water, up to about mid-chest. It takes a lot of effort to keep the water fresh and you need it to be fresh all the time so that when a tornado comes you don't have to hunker down in nasty, brackish water.” Valiant explained.

“But why don't your pegasi just keep the tornados at bay?” Evening Star asked.

“Pegasi hate Haysburg. We're so light-weight we get picked up and thrown around all the time. There's always a wind there and we would never have a chance to rest if we tried to control the weather. Any cloud-home we could build would be torn apart within a week. Trust me, I tried. It's a combination of constant wind and never-ending challenge for every pegasus family that moves there. Arabesque and I were the only two resident pegasi and we were only there because we were orphans. The vast majority of the population is Earth ponies. The few unicorns that live there tend to keep to themselves deep in the swamp where they can practice their magic. Arabesque and I really had no choice but to bond, we were alone.” Valiant said.

Trooper grunted,
“I dare say, it sounds like a right old mess. Why would tornados pop up all the time? Furthermore why would anypony want to live in such a place?”

“The Everfree Forrest is huge. It spans from Ponyville to the plains and swamps around Haysburg. The weather it makes tends to drift right over the plains to the basin, and Haysburg is smack-dab in between. As to why anypony would want to live there, I can answer that without even thinking. The place is incredibly rich in ancient ruins and relics and the constant water is a perfect environment to grow rice.” Valiant explained.

Valiant's statement was met with a plethora of curious stares,
“What's rice?” asked Sea Blue.

Evening Star popped up from her sitting position to explain,
“Rice is a type of grain that has to have a lot of water to grow. It's sweet, like corn and full of starch. It's a delicacy here. I've had it once. It is really good. I'll bet there's no other place in all of Equestria that can grow it. Am I right?”

Valiant nodded,
“As far as I know. Haysburg sells its rice to neighboring communities and the gryphons buy it for a premium.”

“Why did you mention ancient ruins and relics as one of the reasons to live there?” Dr. Mend asked.

“Oh that, it's easy. Archeologists from all over Equestria go there to nose around the ruins, but they have to pay Haysburg to go and they have to pay a high price to take any relics or artifacts back to wherever they came from.” Valiant smiled, “I'd have to say that Haysburg is one of the few places in Equestria where ancient history is common knowledge. I can tell you all kinds of things about what's in those ruins. Haysburg actually has a storehouse filled with relics and artifacts that archeologists have left because they couldn't pay to take them. The unicorns who live in the swamps were constantly begging Haysburg to let them have a look at the storehouse. Princess Celestia occasionally sends a unicorn to Haysburg once in a while to make sure the storehouse doesn't hold anything magical.” Valiant said.

Out of the blue, Lemon Lime asked,
“You really miss it don't you, Valiant?”

Valiant nodded,
“Yeah I do. But I can't ever really go back to Haysburg, now can I?”

“Ah don't see why not.” Big Macintosh ventured, “You've been forgiven and all.”

“I doubt they would see it that way. All they would probably see is a murderer, and I don't want to stir up trouble if I don't have to.” Valiant said in a low voice, “Remember, somepony carved out my cutie-mark. I don't want to think about what would happen if that pony saw me again. There might be another Vagabond running around before too long.”

Trooper expressed himself loudly,
“What in the name of the Goddess is a Vagathingie?”

Valiant sighed heavily and said,
“It's a long story.”

“Well, I happen to have a lot of free time on my hooves at the moment.” Trooper said.

“I'd like to know too.” Lemon Lime said from the floor.

“As would I.” Sea Blue chimed in.

“I'll tell you all tomorrow night. I have to get to bed.” Valiant said evenly.

Everypony agreed. It had been a long day.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: As always I appreciate any and all comments feel free to leave your opinions as they WILL be read in short order. Since Google Docs doesn’t allow you to post anything too . . . explicit, would anyone be interested if I put an intimate scene in here? (it would only be available through e-mail) If enough people post comments asking for it (at least 25) I will do so.

Comments

[Lord erigon]

plainly, “Valiant, please understand. There is another mare out there waiting for you, don't disappoint her just because you can't be with me.”

DANGIT