Blaze woke up from his sleep. Even without playing the guitar he was sleeping peacefully now. He guessed that telling somepony else (in this case a group of somepony’s) his story had made him rid himself of that memory. The nightmare had gone. He sat up and looked at his surroundings. He was on his couch. Fluttershy was still weak, and he had insisted on her staying for the night so he could help her if she felt ill again. After being awake for 48 straight hours, he had fallen asleep in the kitchen, after leaning against the cabinet for a second and blinking.

“So you’re awake?” he looked up and saw Rainbow Dash in the kitchen doorway with 2 bowls of hay.

“Wait, when did-” he asked, rubbing his gluey eyes.

“I came round this morning to check on you and Fluttershy, and when you didn’t answer I invited myself in. You were on the kitchen floor, drooling like a foal.” she giggled. “So I picked you up and put you on the couch.”

“Ok, you didn’t see me like that.” he responded, standing himself up and stretching.

“Of course I didn’t. Want some?” she asked, holding up a bowl.

“Sure, why not.” then something hit “Wait, did you say ‘this morning’? Then what time is it?”

“About 3 o’clock, why?” responded Rainbow Dash.

“Have you seen Twilight? I need to send a letter to the Princess.”

“No, I’ll get her after lunch.”

“Breakfast for me.” laughed Blaze. He took the bowl and chewed thoughtfully for few minutes, occasionally looking back at his wings, stretching and folding them. He swallowed a mouthful of hay and spoke. “Rainbow Dash, can I ask a favour of you?”

“Uh, sure, what is it?” she responded, a curious look on her face.

“It’s been 19 years since, the, uh… accident, and I thought that maybe, just maybe my wings are strong enough to fly.”

“And?”

“Well, I never really learnt to fly properly, so I was hoping that if my wings are strong enough you could teach me.”

She pondered this for a few seconds. “Sure.” she smiled and held out her hoof, which Blaze shook.

“…and I am planning to visit Hayton with the cure and administer it to the ill ponies there. Signed Dr Blaze Carousel.” Blaze finished reading out the letter Spike was writing for him.

“C-a-r-o-u-s-e-l. Okay then.” he rolled up the letter and let out a breath of fire, turning it to dust and teleporting it away.

“Thanks Spike. I wonder why she wanted me to write to her.”

“Dunno, but I’m going back to the library. I’ll let you know if I get a reply from the princess.” Spike shut the front door behind him. Blaze was about to turn around when the room was lit by a blinding light that then suddenly disappeared. He saw the Princesses Celestia and Luna standing in his living room. He bowed before them.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.”

“Please Blaze, you don’t need to bow.” said Princess Celestia

Luna looked at him with a curious look on her face as he stood up. “So this is the pony that found the Hide, big sister?”

“Yes sister, but call him Blaze.” Celestia looked back at Blaze and smiled. “Twilight told me about you, Blaze, how you came to live in Ponyville and your quest. I must say, it’s very noble of you to do all that, and from what you wrote it seems to have paid off. However, there is one thing I ask of. This ‘Everfree Breach’ you have discovered. Me and Luna wish to see it.”

“U-um, of course your highness, but, why? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Because I believe it is a place me and Luna used to visit as foals. Now, one moment.” she lowered her head and her horn began to glow, suddenly he and the 2 princesses were standing in the Breach.

“Is this the place you have discovered?” asked Luna.

Blaze blinked, getting over the blinding light, and looked around. “Yes, this is it.”

‘How does the princess know about this place?’ Blaze thought.

“I’ll tell you in a moment Blaze. And yes, I can read your mind.” she turned and looked around the clearing, her face showing a number of memories and emotions. Luna had less control, and ran over to the rocky outcrop with a look of excitement on her face.

“You see Blaze, our old castle is very near to hear.” said Celestia, as Blaze thought back to a story that had gone around Equestria about the 6 ponies he had met here going to the castle, discovering the Elements of Harmony and using them to defeat Nightmare Moon. “Yes Blaze, it’s that castle I’m talking about. Me and Luna used to visit here and play. Those are wonderful memories.”

They looked over at Luna who had climbed the rocky outcrop and was lying at the top, enjoying the view, out of earshot.

“We had so much fun here, long before Luna became Nightmare Moon. Once the Everfree Forest had overrun the old castle and we had moved to the Canterlot castle, I came back here one last time to protect the Hide from the advancing Forest. Using my magic I created these flowers,” she gestured to the Everfree Wall “, or Everfree Wall as you call it Blaze. Neither me nor Luna have been back here since.”

“What about the flower that caused the Illness though? It was here, in the Hide.” Blaze was trying to take everything in.

Celestia sighed.” I suppose I should explain that to you. As a filly, it was natural I would get a crush, and I crushed on another Alicorn, but at some point, he had to leave. We were in love, and it broke both our hearts. I came here and shed a single sad tear for him, and I remember watching it roll down the rock side and hit the ground, right there.” she pointed to the armadillo burrow. “I saw a flower grow almost instantly, but thought nothing of it. I suppose that flower made ponies sick.”

“Then how did Minerod get sick?”

“I believe my Alicorn love also shed a tear. Where was Minerod when he got sick?”

“He was in a mine. Why?”

“Because my Alicorn love liked to go to underground places, it gave him inspiration. It’s entirely possible that he shed a single tear like me in that mine, a thousand years ago. You see, when an Alicorns true love is broken, they shed a single tear that is filled with all the sorrow and sadness. I suppose when those tears find soil, they produce flowers.”

“Alicorn’s Sorrow.” said Blaze thoughtfully.

Celestia smiled sadly. “Yes. Good idea.”  

After 10 minutes looking around the Breach, or the Hide as Celestia and Luna called it, Celestia teleported them back to Blaze’s house so he could finish the medicine and prepare for his trip to Hayton.

“Thank you Blaze, for re-discovering our Hide.” said Princess Luna.

“You’re welcome Princess Luna.” he bowed to the princesses again, when a letter appeared in front of Princess Celestia.

“I’m sorry, I must go, urgent business. Good luck Blaze.” with that she and Luna disappeared in the same blinding white light that had brought them here. Blaze walked over to the stairs to check on Fluttershy, who was still in his bed reading a book.

She smiled when Blaze appeared in the doorway.

“I see you’re back from your trip with the princesses.”

Blaze shook his head “I swear everypony in this town knows everything about me at all times. How are you feeling?” he looked back up at Fluttershy.

“I’m ok, but I heard you’re going back to Hayton to give the cure to the ponies there?”

“Sort of. I’m only visiting Hayton.”

“Visiting?”

“Yeah, I’m not staying. I’m going to move here to Ponyville.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew, and Blaze smiled back, walking over to hug her.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish this medicine and leave for Hayton in the morning.

“Oh.” Fluttershy looked down sadly. “How long will you be gone?”

“Well, at walking pace with the ambulance to carry the medicine, it would take a week. Another week to help the ponies in Hayton and another week to walk back…”

“3 weeks.” said Fluttershy sadly.

Blaze had an idea. “What if you came with me? If you wanted, you could ride in the ambulance for the trip there if you’re too weak to walk.”

Fluttershy smiled “That sounds nice. I love seeing new places, and I need to stretch my legs after all this time in bed.

Blaze hugged her “Ok, we’ll set off in the morning.”

-2 weeks later-

Blaze was sitting on the dock of Lake Hayton with his guitar. It had been one of his favourite places in the world before The Illness. He would come here at least 3 times a week, always with his guitar. He looked over the water to mountains on the other side, 5 miles away. He saw Impact Peak, where he had crashed all that time ago, covered in snow, but went back to looking around the lake. To his left was a large patch of reeds. The lake was surrounded by a forest, and Fluttershy had spent a lot of the last week in there.

His week had been slightly different.

When he had first walked into the town, he had seen pale faced ponies looking out from windows, and Fluttershy had gotten deathly frightened, but soon the faces came out onto the street. He soon reached the town hall, where he had been met by the sick mayor.

“Blaze, you’re back” he smiled, coughing. “Did you find a cure?”

Blaze smiled, and nodded silently. The crowd replied with a rasping cheer, which caused several to cough.

“I’m going to set up in the hospital, but I’ll visit the worst ponies.”

He was about to walk on, but the mayor lifted a hoof in front of him. “Who’s that?” he asked, nodding to Fluttershy, who was hiding behind her mane.

“She’s Fluttershy. She helped me find the cure. I’ll tell you all after I cure you.” with that, he walked on, with Fluttershy walking close to him, both heading to the hospital.

For the next 3 days, he had immunized and cured everypony in town. They were planning a celebration for him and his success with the cure. After he had cured everypony, they had all wanted to hear his story, especially the foals and fillies, so he had told them about everywhere he had gone, Canterlot, Phillydelphia, and finally the Everfree Forest. Most of all, they had wanted to meet Fluttershy, calling her his ‘mare-friend’ which had made them both blush.

Now he was relaxing on the dock, planning to leave Hayton forever in the morning. He was saying his final goodbyes to the place where he had been raised. The lake had also been where he had first seen the unicorn, and the first place they had kissed. He picked up the guitar ready to play the song, when he heard hoof steps behind him and looked to see Fluttershy making her way towards him.

“Hey Shy.” he smiled.

“Hello Blaze.” she sat down next to him. “Are you going to play?”

“Yes, a song I wrote and have been learning for a few weeks.”

“Play it.”

He picked up the guitar and strummed it 3 times, readying himself, then started playing.

“White lips, Pale face,

Breathing in snowflakes,

Broken wings, can’t move,

Lights gone, days end,

Struggling, to look up,

Then a shadow, strange pony,”

He hummed the next 40 seconds of the song.

“It’s too cold outside,

For angels to fly,

Angels to fly.

Scratched coat, bent hoofs,

Tried to stand, fell down,

Picked up by, the gentle colt,

Wrapped up in, a warm quilt,

Teary eyed, dry throat,

Carried away, to safety.”

He hummed the song for another 40 seconds, then thought about the unicorn he had loved.

“It’s too cold outside,

For angels to fly,

An angel will die,

Covered in white,

Closed my eye,

I’m hoping for a better life,

This time, we’ll say ‘Goodbye’,

Then go home.”

He hummed again for 50 seconds.

“It’s too cold outside,

For Angels to fly,

Angels to fly,

To fly, fly,

For Angels to fly, to fly, to fly,

Or an angel to die.”

He finished and put the guitar down, feeling sad but at the same time like a great weight had been removed from his shoulders. He looked at Fluttershy, who was smiling sadly at him.

“I wrote it as a way of saying goodbye to Minerod and the unicorn. Any other way just didn’t seem to do it.”

She nodded and they looked into each other’s eyes, letting their heads slowly creep closer to each other. They paused just like they had last time, but this time when their lips connected, they kissed each other firmly, letting the kiss speak for them and say what words couldn't.

After a minute, Blaze pulled back.

“I know it sounds corny, but I love you Fluttershy.”

She smiled and blushed, making him chuckle. “I love you too Blaze.” They kissed again, quickly, and Fluttershy stood up and shivered. “It’s cold, I think I’m going to go. I’ll meet you at the house.”

He smiled at her. “Meet you there.”

“You’re not coming?”

“I want to stay here for a minute.”

“Ok.” she turned and walked off the dock, down the path towards town.

Blaze walked to the edge of the dock, looking into the water, watching it ripple against the dock’s supports. Slowly, he thought he saw the shapes of 2 ponies faces form in the water on either side of his reflection. They slowly formed into Minerod and the unicorn he had loved, both of their faces heavenly pale. He looked either side of him on the pier, but no-pony else was there. He looked back at the water, when a gust of wind blew through the reeds to his left.

“Well done Blaze.”

He could have sworn he heard Minerod speak. Maybe he did. Blaze would never know. But right there, right then, he could finally say goodbye to his adoptive father and first love.

“Goodbye, Minerod.” He looked at the unicorn’s reflection. “Goodbye, Hun.” he said, using her old name for him. He let a tear roll of his muzzle and drop into the water, causing a ripple that made the reflections fade, both of them smiling.

He stood up and put the guitar on his back, making his way back to town, at peace with his past and looking forward to a future with Fluttershy.

The End