-Voices of the Soul-

        At first, Rainbow Dash thought that nothing had changed. Coalback hadn’t moved, and she had only felt the pressure of his gaze for a moment. Then it had disappeared, and Coalback wasn’t moving at all. Not even the delicate shake of his ears from his heartbeat, he was a statue in all senses.

        But then her eyes flicked to the air around him, it had definitely changed. And she was not in her house any more.

        That familiar, foggy dreamscape surrounded her. The wisps of vapor swirling forward, toward and around Coalback.

        She stood up on shaky hooves, this place was wrong. Just as it had been in her dreams. She took a step to the side, revealing what lay behind Coalback.

        A pit, its depth unreadable in the fog. It could have been four meters deep, or four hundred. It’s curved edge stretched to either side in a wide circle, and if she concentrated, she could just make out the opposite side of it.

        And as she examined the opposite side, she discovered a true horror. Above the pit, as if they were on some unseen plane, was a wolf and something else.

        Whatever the other thing was, She had never seen anything like it. It was pale, and devoid of fur save for on it’s head. It was shaped like a manticore, but without the bulk or the hooves. Instead it had two wide appendages at the end of its legs. The things at the end of its arms were like claws, but more streamlined, softer. Its face was flat, and twisted into a snarl of concentration. The thick muscles of it’s body were covered in a sheen of sweat as it wrestled with the wolf, who was a monster all it’s own.

        It was not like any wolf she had seen. Regular wolves just looked like bigger, thinner dogs. But this one didn’t, its head was too wide, and its limbs too thick. The claws were humongous, sharp enough to rip through trees, soil, and flesh alike. Its fur was dirty, and clung to its body in its sweat. She could hear the two creatures grunt and snort as they struggled in a locked embrace, a stalemate.

        She stood stock still, a predator and some sort of monster locked in a battle of will and strength lay before her. And she dare not interrupt it.

        “We accept the love we think we deserve.”  A rasping voice echoed in the fog, startling Rainbow Dash from her stillness. She looked around desperately for its source, but found none. “But he still does not believe any would love him, even after you demonstrated it so clearly to him.” The voice said again, its sound coming from her right.

        She turned, and nearly fled for her life. Standing beside her, looking at the struggling monsters, was a phoenix. Its feathers were pure gold and too long, giving it a look like an old pony with beard hair. It turned its glowing red eyes to her, and opened its beak again.

        “You must save him, from himself. Else he will not survive the next fortnight.” The bird’s beak did not move with the words, it merely opened and the words came to be. Rainbow stared at it, waiting for her mind to catch up.

        “Who are you? What are those things? What are you talking about?” Her words barely made it out of her throat, she couldn’t breath properly.

        “I am not important, yet. Those three, are your friend. And that is his ever present battle.” It turned it’s head back to the fighting figures. “You know them as ‘Coalback’.” It ruffled its feathers. “Coalback will die, but only if you let him.” The phoenix’s words rang heavily in her ears, and then it turned away.

        Its steps were measured and it walked away slowly. “Wait!” Rainbow called, she didn’t know what she was going to say, but she didn’t want it to leave yet.

        “You are running out of time, Rainbow Dash. You must earn his trust, not the other way around.” And then it was gone, disappeared into the mist.

        “I don’t understand! Come back!” She yelled, hearing her own voice echo in the fog.

        The fog grew thicker, she felt that pressure on her eyes again. She closed them, trying to stave off the sudden headache.

        And she was back in the living room of her house, Coalback sat in front of her. His rings still sat on the floor, and he was smiling. He reached forward, replacing the rings on his arms and driving away the static feeling.

        He coughed again, his hoof covering it. She looked at him, unable to keep her eyes from watering. She took a shaky breath, his smile wavered and he moved to her.

        She jumped forward, wrapping her hooves around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He sat with her, holding onto her as she sobbed.

        “I’m sorry.” He said, nuzzling the back of her neck.

        “No,” Rainbow said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I can’t help you.” Her hooves tightened around his neck, pulling him closer. She took another shaky breath. “Tell me about your cutie mark...” She whispered.

        “I think that it appeared during the arena fight.” He said softly, slowly stroking her mane. “I think that the wolf’s head means wildness, and change.” His hoof lowered to her side, stroking slowly. “Those things around it are called ‘hands’. I think that they represent how others would seek to stop change.”

He pulled her toward him, letting her body press against his. “Are you okay? I do not know what you saw, and I will not ask you to tell me. But, can you still stand to be around me?”

        She pulled away from him, looking back into his eyes. The pressure was no longer there, it was gone with that gaze. “I made a promise, and I won’t ever go back on it. I want to stay with you.” She pushed against him, rubbing her head against his. He returned the movement.

        “Thank you.” He rocked back and forth, comforting her with the repetitive movement.

        She smiled softly. “Hmm...” She pushed away from him, standing. He frowned, following her with his eyes as she walked to the stairs.

        “Come on,” She turned her head to him over her shoulder, her eyes half-lidded. She bounced her hip seductively, swishing her prismatic tail over to one side. “I want to show you something.” She teased.

If Coalback’s jaw could have hit the floor, it would have gone straight through it.

        She began walking up the stairs, Coalback rose and followed her. The door to her bedroom closing behind them.

---

        Coalback was laying on his back, Rainbow Dash lay across his chest. They were breathing slowly and heavily, wafting in the warmth of the others body against their own.

        “You act like a mare in heat.” Coalback mumbled, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She smiled, humming in her throat.

        She looked up at him, her rose eyes staring into his muted green. “I like it like this, with you. Just us.” She closed her eyes again, leaning into him. They stayed like that for a moment.

        Coalback took another deep breath, letting it out through his nose. “I need to work, I have a duty that must be fulfilled. Reports to write, research to be done.” His words were heavy, his voice sad. He really didn’t want to go, but he had made his promises, and put them off long enough.

        “No, stay here.” She wrapped her hooves around his chest, holding him gently. He pushed her away, sliding out from under the covers of the cloud bed.

        He stood up and stretched his wings out, he turned his head when he heard the covers shift behind him. Rainbow Dash had moved onto her back, splaying her wings out underneath her. She let the light leaking in through the window warm her belly as she stretched her back, her legs spread to show him another part of her.

        “Please, come back to bed Coalback.” She said sleepily, looking at him with her head resting against the cloud. He shuddered, and visibly forced himself to look away.

        “I have to do some work for the princesses, I’ll be back before the moon is high.” He walked out quickly, not looking back for fear that he would not be able to look away. He heard her frustrated sigh as he walked out the door.

        Coalback ran into his room, gathering a few items from the wardrobe and flying out the window. He swung his wings around, aiming himself toward the library and gliding down to it.

He really hated to leave Rainbow like that, duty or not. But his word meant more than a promise, if he went back on his word it would hurt him. His power could evaporate, and he could be overtaken by the beast in him. He shuddered slightly mid flight.

Coalback flared his wings, halting himself in the air and dropping to the snowy ground in front of the library’s door. He walked up to it, but paused.

He hoped Twilight wasn’t still mad, or drunk. If she was, then doing his research and reports would be more difficult. He hesitated, finally deciding to simply knock.

His hoof shook the door, using more strength than he should have. He heard something impact the floor, and someone grumbled inaudibly.

The door opened, revealing the scaly library assistant, his eyes betraying his annoyance.

“Hi.” He said, not motioning for Coalback to enter.

“Um...hello.” Coalback said, looking beyond him and into the library. “I need to do some research, and write to the princesses.” He said, Spike sighed.

“You might as well come in then. Twilight’s upstairs in her study, you should talk to her.” He moved away from the door, leaving it open as he went back to his work.

Coalback stepped inside, wiping the snow that clung to his hooves off on a matt. He walked over to the stairs, watching Spike pick up a pile of unorganized books. He left the small dragon to his work, going up the stairs at the other end of the room.

The stairs ended at a hallway, whose entirety was carved from the wood of the tree. At the end of the hall a round archway led to a room beyond, and the sound of rustling papers came from inside.

He peered around the archway, examining the room beyond. The walls were lined with shelves, each stuffed full with books. Below the windows, countertops served as desks. These were equally cluttered with books and papers. A staircase wound around to a balcony that he could not see, and a telescope was aimed out the window that was above them.

Crouched over the desk farthest from the doorway, was Twilight. Her horn glowed in her colored aura as she concentrated on a spell. His eyes widened, the lines of magical energies appearing before him. He felt as the power she fed into it materialized in the air, in what should have been invisible magics.

He had only ever seen that once before. And that wizards spells looked like a child’s crayon drawings compared to the precision and power with which she commanded the energies. The magic weaved into their intricate shape before her, then falling to wrap around an orange that lay on the desk.

In a flash of brilliant light the orange disappeared, and in it’s place an apple sat.

“Haha! Yes!” She exclaimed, bouncing in the air in celebration. It had taken her weeks, but finally, she had perfected her transformation spell. Even if it was limited to fruits at the moment.

A gentle thud echoed through the room. She stopped her celebration and turned toward the source of the noise. Coalback stood in the entrance to the door, his mouth open. Coalback had dropped the things he had brought with him, an old bound notebook, and several pieces of loose paper piled around his hooves.

“Oh.” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Hi, Coalback. I hadn’t realized you were there. Was there something you wanted?” She picked up his things for him, holding them in a neat stack with her magic.

He leaned forward nervously, taking the items in his mouth and putting them under his wing. “I wanted to know if you could help me start some research, as well as send some letters to the princesses. You did say you could contact them, didn’t you?” He looked around the room, trying to spot some sort of communication device besides the papers and ink.

“Oh! That’s right! I kept forgetting to tell you about the letter that came in from the princess.” She ran over to a drawer in a repurposed dresser nearby, pulling free a scroll. The seal was already broken, but a stylized sun was still visible. She floated it over to him and unfurled it before continuing. “I wrote to the princess after...well, you know. And her response came a few moments later, but you were already gone by the time I had gotten it. And then with all the other things that had been going on I had completely forgotten about it.”

Coalback looked at the letter, mumbling the words under his breath as he deciphered the swirling text.

‘My Dearest Student,

        I have been very upset by this news. As you know, Equestria has not seen war, or crime on this level in over a thousand years. How this could have manifested without our knowledge is the most disturbing fact. If any other events like this should happen, I would like for you to inform me as soon as possible. Take safety as your number one priority. Let Coalback help in any way he can, that is why he is there.

~Princess Celestia

P.S. Luna sends her condolences to Coalback. She understands his predicament.’

        “I wasn’t sure what the last part meant until today.” Twilight said sadly, putting the letter down. “What sort of research did you want to do Coalback?” She asked, putting away several items at once with her magic.

        “Well, I was hoping to look at the history of Equestria,as far back as possible. As well as the geography and political borders of the nations nearby, I did hear mention of griffon countries. As well as a look into magical theory and practice.” He stated, watching as several quills danced across the air and into a drawer.

        “Why would you need to look into magical theory?” She asked, returning her full attention to him.

        “I would think that my demonstration this morning would have been proof enough that I am not unfamiliar with the arcane arts.” He said simply.

        “I thought that was another illusion, like the one Rarity said you pulled off in her boutique.” Twilight shook her head. “And it is such a large subject, but I suppose I could get you the introduction to some of the simpler theories.” She began walking down the stairs Coalback following behind her.

        She reached the bottom of the stairs and immediately began to gather books from the shelves, muttering the names under her breath as she did. She had gathered a sizable pile by the time Coalback had reached the bottom as well.

        “You can start with these. I don’t expect you to read through all of them, but they should get you to a good base of what you wanted.” She set the books down on a table, the wood creaking under the weight of the collective paper. “You can set up here. Just try to stay quiet, it is a library after all.” She left him and his pile of books, walking back up the stairs.

        Coalback sighed, wishing that he had listened to Rainbow Dash. But he did sit at the bench, and he did read, and he did take notes.

---

        “Twilight! Get down here!” Spike yelled, his voice a mix of worry and fear as he called for her.

        Twilight jumped, she had fallen asleep while reading a book on the effects of magically transforming other living objects. She turned toward the stairs, the tone in Spike’s words worrying her as she ran down them.

        She entered the library, examining the room around her.

        Coalback was on the floor, his body convulsing in violent fits of coughing. Spike was pressing a wet cloth to Coalback’s forehead, steam rising from it softly.

        “He started coughing, and then he got really cold. I don’t know what happened to him.” Spike yelled, desperation shaking his voice.

Twilight rushed back up the stairs, pulling a blanket from a closet and dragging it back toward the library. She draped it over Coalback, and then she turned to Spike.

“Go get Fluttershy, she’ll know what to do. Send her here, and then go get the others.” Spike looked at her, confusion halting him. “GO!” She yelled, opening the door with her magic.

Spike jumped, rushing out the door as fast as his small legs could carry him. Then Twilight turned back to Coalback.

“Coalback? Can you hear me?” Coalback shuddered, his coughing stopping for a moment. “I’m going to move you to the guest room upstairs, don’t move.” She said, trying to keep her voice calm despite her own panic. She wrapped him in her aura, lifting him up.

She grunted, he was a lot heavier than she had expected him to be. Then she floated him up the stairs, her horn’s glow illuminating the way. The door in the hall opened, revealing the guest bed. She lowered him onto the padded surface gratefully. As powerful as her magic was, it didn’t make lifting heavy objects any easier.

He coughed again, mumbling something in a tongue she couldn’t understand in between the loud convulsions. She backed away, trying to think.

‘What was it that you were supposed to do for a pony having a coughing fit? Was Coalback allergic to anything?’

She wrapped more blankets around him. If she couldn’t stop the cough, then she would stop his shivering. He continued to cough, each becoming more rough than the last. It wasn’t long before the blankets around him were covered in mucus, and blood.

Twilight stiffened. Ponies were not supposed to cough up blood, she began to panic. But before she could act on her panic, a pale yellow blur rushed past her and to the bed.

Fluttershy had her medicine bag open before she had even come to a stop. She examined the situation quickly, pulling a small bottle and a small needle from her bag. She stabbed the needle into the vial, pulling the pale liquid inside up into the needle’s reservoir.

Fluttershy turned back to Coalback, flicking the needle gently before pressing it into his exposed neck. Coalback stiffened for a moment, and his body relaxed almost instantly. Fluttershy sighed in relief as she pulled the needle back out from him. She wiped off the small puncture, and bandaged it neatly.

“Do you know what happened to him?” Twilight asked quietly, listening to Coalback’s much more gentle coughs. He was no longer choking on his own throat.

“Yes,” Fluttershy nodded, her expression grim. “one of my beaver friends had similar symptoms earlier this month. It kept him away from his hibernation this year.” She looked down at the floor. “His lungs had gotten infected with something, and they had started to fall apart inside him. He eventually drowned in his own lungs.” She said, her voice cracking and a tear falling from her face.

“Oh no.” Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof, her eyes darting back and forth. “And you’re saying that that’s happening to Coalback?” She asked, hoping that Fluttershy was wrong, that Coalback wasn’t dying in front of them.

“Yes, but if we caught it early enough he should be okay. But he won’t be able to fly or run anymore,” She looked back at the stallion. “ever.”

He mumbled something, but it was either gibberish or a language they didn’t know. He coughed gently again, pulling the sheets around him closer.

“Although,” Fluttershy said, drawing Twilight away from Coalback’s shaking form. “I’ve never seen somepony get this cold before. He should be fevering up, not freezing.” She shook her head. “If he isn’t warm, then his body isn’t working against the infection fast enough. He could already be...be...” Fluttershy shook her head again, not willing to utter the words.

“I should write to Celestia, maybe she’s seen something like this before.” Twilight turned toward the door, a quill and scroll floating in from the rooms beyond. “Maybe you could get him some soup, that could warm him up. Couldn’t it? I’ll stay here with Coalback until Spike and the others get here.” Fluttershy nodded, hurrying out of the room.

“Dear Princess Celestia-” Her frantic scribbles were cut short however, as a cyan blur shot into the building and into the room.

“Twilight, what happened?!” Rainbow Dash asked, her mane blown back and stuck to her sweaty face. “I was with the weather team, and then Spike was yelling that something had happened to Coalback! Please tell me he isn’t hurt!” She was right in Twilight’s face, her words and questions coming faster than Twilight could respond. Twilight pointed at the bed, and tried to explain.

“Coalback stopped by and asked to study a few things. I left him with some books, and then I went up to continue my own work. But then Spike called me down, and Coalback was coughing and cold. And we didn’t know what to do, so I sent Spike to find you all.” She said, watching as Rainbow rushed over to the bed. “Fluttershy says that he might not make it.”

Rainbow gasped when she say him. His face was pale, he was shivering, and his body was cold. The sheets in front of his face were wet with mucus and blood. Her legs buckled, and she sat on the floor besides the bed.

One of her hooves rested on his covered side, her shoulders slumped. “How long is a fortnight, Twi?” She asked, her voice shaking slightly.

“Um...about fourteen days. Why?” Twilight replied, walking forward and resting a hoof on her shoulder.

“He said a fortnight.” She whispered, her head shaking. “There has to be something.” Her eyes watered, but she didn’t move to stop the tears.

“Rainbow? Is there something you want to tell me?” Twilight leaned down to look at Rainbow’s face. “Who was talking about a fortnight?”

Rainbow took a shaky breath, reeling in her emotions before talking. “A phoenix...it was talking about him, and it said-it said...that he was going to die.” She shook her head, tears flowed down her face and she began to sob.

Her head fell to the blankets, her face buried in the wool as she cried.

“Rainbow, I’ve never seen you act like this before.” Twilight said, her voice tinged with concern.

“I’ve never felt like this before, for someone like this.” Rainbow sobbed, her words interrupted and muffled by the blankets. “Can I be alone for a while? I don’t want you guys to see me like this.”

Twilight removed her hoof, walking slowly out the door and shutting it behind her. Rainbow didn’t move, letting her tears and sobs be absorbed by the blankets in front of her.

Everything had fallen apart. She hadn’t heard from the Wonderbolts since she had gotten out of Canterlot. The party had been a disaster. And now, just when she thought that she could have pulled Coalback away from death, there he was at the brink of it. And it had all happened so fast.

She thought about how much Coalback had already suffered. His family, his first love, and his home. He had never been part of anything before, and the one time he was, he had to destroy it. And then at the party, when it looked like he was really relaxing and having a good time. And how everypony had screamed and ran at the sight of his cutie mark.

How must he have really felt, that he couldn’t show or talk about?

She took a deep, shaking breath. Letting it out slowly as her sobbing slowly died away. And in the absence of her sobs, there was silence.

Rainbow lifted her head, Coalback had been coughing earlier. So why was it so quiet now?

Her eyes moved up the bed in front of her, coming to rest on Coalback’s head. He had rolled over, and every breath whistled and struggled in his lungs. His eyes were barely open, but he was looking at her.

His irises glowed, red light moving like light reflected off water and onto his eyes. He took a deep shaky breath, he was fighting for every second of consciousness.

“Rainbow Dash?” His voice was harsh, rasping in his throat after the violent coughing fit.

“Coalback? I’m here. What’s wrong with you?” Rainbow moved up onto the bed, cupping his head in her hooves as she lay down beside him.

“This body is dying.” He said, the words coming out like sandpaper in his mouth. “And when it does, I cannot be a pony any more.” He coughed, his mouth closing as he tried to hold it back.

“What do you mean? You won’t be a pony any more, you’ll change?” She said, her eyes stung from her crying but she didn’t rub at them.

“I will...change, and I will never be able to be a pony again.” He breathed deeply, trying desperately to stay awake. “The catalyst is gone, and my body cannot make any more without a template. You remember what happened in the arena, with the dragon?” He reached a hoof out from under the covers, holding her with the deathly cold limb.

“Yes. When you tried to heal me, you changed.” She resisted every urge telling her to remove the cold hoof. Every instinct telling her that she was holding a dead body.

“No.” He said coldly. “When I healed you, I licked at the wound. And as I did, I drank some of your blood. That is the template.” He coughed again, turning his head away and breaking her grasp.

“You need blood? Then take it! As much as you need!” She reached forward, putting the crook of her arm in front of his muzzle. He turned back to her, sadness in his eyes.

“That will not work, my liver and kidneys have failed. And soon my stomach will cease to function as well. Then my lungs will fill with fluid, and my heart will stop.” His eyes wavered the red turning golden for a brief moment. “I require an intravenous injection.” His eyes fluttered, nearly closing from exhaustion.

“I’ll get Twilight, she can help me do it.” Rainbow turned, making to rush out the door, but the cold hoof held her.

“Bring a dish, a needle, and razor. As well as the things that you will need for the injection.” The hoof dropped from her arm, his eyes finally falling shut.

“TWILIGHT!” She yelled, ramming through the door.