A Bit(e) of Hope (Private)

the mare looked unfazed by the stallions reaction uttering a quite "a thank you wouldn't do any harm" she shook her head practically not hearing his vow only to catch 'sire that mare' as she started to listen again. she rubbed her head looking at him sharply "of course you wouldn't, there's no cost to you and you get to fornicate to your content." she shook her head as she walked away "just go say thank you, I don't want to keep thinking about what you get up to."

Sugary wondered if Menacy thought he was grateful or not, but figured he'd have time to get to know her one way or the other while on the airship. On the way to meet with Lightning, he also considered what Menacy had said about fornication and whether or not one lover's session between him and the magical thestral meant more could come...

He was glad she aided him, but he cautiously approached wherever she was as Sky was still an enigma to him. "Lightning, you there...? How's Sky doing? And how are you for that matter."

The door to Lightnings room was open, as a faint light emanated from the door. no response came from the stallions inquiries.

The stallion went into the room curiously, trying to assess what was going on that both mares were quiet despite being certain that they were both present in it. "Hello...?"

Upon her bed sat the solitary mare, she looked annoyed and not at all in good spirit, the room was more chaotic than before, as devices layed strune across the room, most of which were torn open and there contents either gone or laying somewhere close. Next to the mare sat a small syringe and vial with a small amounts of pure raw magic inside, the mare did not speak her eye closed she simply sat there waiting

Sugary steadily approached more so, becoming more concerned that his call to her went unheard. "Lightning...? Lightning, please, speak to me! I'm glad you helped me back there, but what's wrong?"

the mares opened shining her signature gold before fading to her normal state. she shook her head "damn it" she exclaimed turning to him taking a deep breath, "what's wrong is, I just had to flood my body with magic with no barrier to stop it from becoming contaminated, meaning every bit of magic left after that spell is now contaminated, worse is that I now no longer have my spare arms as I had to salvage parts from them including manna locked capsules, that were basically the last of the magic onboard and now I'm on the verge of death so if you want to help, be silent, grab that syringe and jab me here between the ribs on my say." she finished marking the spot on her side, once again going into some form of meditative trance.

The unicorn huffed lightly at Lightning's demand, but clearly there was no time to argue given her condition as he moved to her side, grabbed the needle, and aimed right where she pointed to. "Just tell me one thing... What did you DO to Sky? How did your magic work where mine faltered?"

barely holding the meditative state she spoke "are you kidding me this is not the time, this needs doing now, i am very literally about to die if you don't!"

"Aaaand there's the say!" Without a second thought, Sugary injected Lightning and hoped that whatever she was doing he was following along with it properly. "Sorry, just... So much happening at once..."

she frowned focussed and the suddenly spoke, "now, pull the plunger all the way until it clicks" she commanded.

"Gotcha..." With each act, he kept composed on what he did, his posture level and steady as he did as told until the click came. "... Done." He kept vigilant of her condition.

as soon as the click came a weightless thick blackish-blue fluid serged into the glass canister of the syringe, lightning broke her meditation and quickly ushered the needle out of her side as she quickly sealed the hole with a glowing piece of metal extending from her bionic hoof, she then somewhat light-headedly scrambled for a small metal capsule like the one she gave Amery which once opened she allowed the light to flow into her.

Sugary carefully placed the needle aside for the time being and sat next to Lightning, frowning lightly still before he spoke softly to her. "... It's always this close to the edge for you, isn't it? This condition of yours... Is part of the reason you're doing all of this so you can cure yourself too?"

"well, I'm sorry if that's a burden for you, but its part of my being, and no, what I'm doing is solely so my people can eat." she drew a breath "look, I'm sorry, I had little magic as was, I could hardly hold it back as was, and then there was all that stuff with sky, I had to make myself sick just to deal with all that." she laid back looking to the ceiling, the passion and angst gone from her face "honestly I don't think there is a cure, and that's my burden, that's what I have to deal with every day, that if I don't take extra care, it could be my last and that is just my life."

Sugary's frown left and soon a tiny smile kept along instead. He gently wrapped a hoof around her and kissed her on the cheek, speaking softly as he nuzzled Lightning. "... That's a fine goal to have. Hardly a burden for me though, it just means I need to keep a closer eye on you from now on knowing that. I hope you have no complaints about that. You're a bit too stubborn for your own good." Despite her words and delicate condition, he continued to give her the same warmth he had shown her all along. It seemed she didn't have to worry about losing a partner and lover if she didn't push him away herself.

she sighed and looked at him "I don't need looking after, I'm the mare that single hooved made bionic prosthetics when she was 6, literally, I cracked manna manipulation that same year and was the first non-unicorn to be admitted to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. for luna's sake, I usurped a tyrannical regime in my mid-teens,, I just, I need to not be the one that has to solve everything all the time."

"And THAT is exactly why I wanna watch your back, you silly mare!" His tone became a tad more stern, though no less amicable as he rubbed her shoulder. "It's a little hard to not be the one that has to solve everything when they take on things with such an independent mindset, now is it? I'm not asking you to stop being you... Just wait a bit for the rest of us to keep up so we can all keep pace together, will ya?"

she sighed "I suppose, it's just I, well, ok so don't think I'm weird ok?"

Sugary leaned in a bit, looking blankly at her before smiling a little bit. "... A little late on that, but feel free to surprise me." He teased in good humor, not minding her quirks so far. "So, what is it? It's not like you to be so hesitant to tell me something."

her hoof glowed her signature gold as a scrapbook floated in front her and opened as she sat up "well I had a chance to be a scholar, and I'm only a couple of years younger than, well, a certain now alicorn, but then I had to drop out, well she was already my hero, I mean I met her a few times, but mostly I knew her from afar." the book held a single photo on the page, it was burnt and warn from between two books in a very well kept library of a purple well know unicorn, around 12 doing studies surrounded by books on her table, " I used to have competitions with her before I had to leave, she never knew but there it was, then the day came, I had to leave, I ended up on the street alone my 'mother' dead and tyrants ruling over, well to me I had failed, I didnt graduate, I didnt have a home, and I had fallen behind my learning benchmark, but this photo, it's stupid I know, but it reminded me of what I had, and maybe what I could have again if I pushed hard. well you know I pushed hard, build a library and a workshop out of what I could find in an ally, but it wasn't until I was 15 that I finally did what was needed and took control with a small army of supporters and friends of my 'mother'. there was a lot to fix, but once it was all done I headed back to Canterlot. the summer sun celebration came up and what do you know but a mythical being came back from the moon and within that night my hero came back into my mind, she was the savior of Celestia and set a new bar, while I studied I found myself hearing of her victories and triumphs, how she had become a hero to a few of the students and how she had a friend group and everything and here I was still studying pre grad stuff, alone, and if it wasn't for a certain night loving princess I may never have finished that year and graduated, I passed and had done it all in a year, I was ahead of my other classmates who quickly I was separated from, to study under specific direction but all I could focus on was this group's constant achievements, I became icolated, so focused on my studies so that I could supass this mare that I I began to shun everypony,, I eventually learnt thanks to sky and those 6 ponies that that was a bad idea but it still lingers in me, the need to prove myself and be 'the best.' im just a ball of neurosise", she flicked through the book containing a picture of each of the mane 6 with a lesson of what she learnt from them. the photo from a hidden perspective each time. "I'm sorry, I just, I have a lot on my chest I guess"

The stallion listened intently, though it seemed he had to make a bit of effort as he felt she only picked up the pace and spoke more closely word for word as she went on. By the end of it, he had a good grasp of what was in her mind at least, so he tried to be supportive and understanding. "Um... So you're pushing yourself because you still feel unaccomplished compared with Lady Twilight? While I can get why you wanna be number one among your peers, hers is an incredibly high bar to match... I suggest you focus more on where you have your best influence, you know? She is the Princess of Friendship. I do believe you have your own royal ties and scholarly work to deal with, yes? Just stick with it. Trust me, it's no small feat as is."

"I know but, I look at her with her friends and royal status, she earned them, Sky's just my friend because I'm all the family she has, and I was born into my royal blood, she completed an ancient spell all by herself and proved to Celestia that she was princess material in a year of being tested. i know she deserves it all, but i just wish, well i just wish i was in her place, but if she were in mine then i wouldn't be able to live with myself."

He hummed a tad somberly at that. "Really...? I thought Sky is a good friend to you in general. And this... Menacy lady, she seems fond of you as well. As for your status? You've been hard at work through it all I think. Besides, I think Twilight is somewhat older than you. Whose to say you won't manage great trials by then? Just don't make that journey into torture, is all I ask."

"Hm, I suppose you are right, Sky and Manacy, they are honestly too good for me, jeez even snow and crystal were there from the start. I'm sorry, I was being selfish, I suppose, to be honest, you, tho I've known you for such a short amount of time, have been there for me whether I deserved you or not. so I guess, thank you." she layed back down, again closing and placing the book back.