A Foolish quest which will know no Rest CONT.(Ave & Aero)

She listened, nodding. "He's always been a bit... extreme. He's been like this for a while, for... say, 8? or 7-ish years." Hearth told Aero. she thought a bit more before her next words. "we've learned to kinda read him by now, and we noticed something was wrong..." She sighed, looking to Ave. Regal interrupted, with a slightly irrate tone "And that garish fortune teller of yours... she was right." he said, annoyed at that. Most fortune tellings were a scam, but it seemed that Hearth had found a more reliable one. this time, she gave a bit of a smug smile towards Regal, but it was much less than his towards her.

Hearth noticed that Aero didn't seem happy. "well, seeing Ave already told you the most important details, and you two have been saving one another's life... i suppose he won't mind if we tell a little more. " she thought about it, before starting. "As i've said, he's been like this for a while. but he hasn't always been so careful. He's hurt a few people, mostly the heart of Mares in his youth." she sighed. She was likely target of this once aswell, but she was still his friend. "To evade it all, he's moved here and changed his name. His original name was 'Intellectual Awesome'. that's why we still call him 'Intel'." She told Aero, her tone a lot more kind and approachable than that of Ave. "It seems that his guilt and dissatisfaction have grown..." She said with a groan, looking up to the sky with a forlorn expression. she was worried for Ave, and even though the three were flying easy, Ave obviously wasn't completely well. "I hope the ventures you two made gave him something to think about... to be happy with. " She said, looking to Aero with a smile. "you'll visit him in the hospital, right?" She asked hopefully, smiling to Aero as the three flew. They were almost at ponyville.

Aero took some time to contemplate everything Hearth had told him. There was a lot to take in, and combining that with what he had gathered from Ave himself started to answer a whole bunch of question. It also created a lot more questions.

He had to wonder why Ave had gone to such desperate lengths to escape his past, with moving away and changing his name from Intellectual Awesome. Clearly there was to this than just his ability to express, but what?

Aero looked over the the earth pony carried between the Regal and Hearth. He seemed blissfully unaware of everything, dead to the world around him. Perhaps that was how he felt anyway, without being able to fully express is joy, sadness or anger. At least he seemed to have some good friends who cared for him. Aero felt he should probably try to be one of them.

"Yes, I'll be sure to visit," he said to Hearth, looking back at his own wing, "Might need to go there myself anyway..."

"I'll hope your wing heals quickly too." she looked forward. they were already there, and Hearth and Regal started descending, coming close to the ground, Regal panting softly as the four landed. "Here we are... Are you alright, Regal?" Regal nodded, relaxing and catching his breath for now. Hearth nodded, too. She then looked at Ave and sighed. "i think the two of us only have the time to drop him off at the hospital, though, before i go back to Manehatten and Regal goes back to Cloudsdale." She said, picking Ave up with some effort, slowly moving to the ponyville hospital.

"About Ave... Is there any final questions you'd like to ask before we lea-" Regal stopped her from walking right there. "Let's grab a leaf and hide his mark first, hearth." he said, looking to Ave. hearth blinked in surprise, gasping a bit and nodding. "Right." Regal then went to some of the everfree's plants, ripping out some leaves to bind around Ave's flank, so no one would see his cutiemark. when he was done, the two started walking.

hearth then continued in a somewhat hushed tone, because she didn't want to be spilling Ave's secrets out to all of ponyville. "Anycase... any final questions? perhaps you'd like to know what to ask him about, in a way you don't sound too insensitive?" she asked, suggesting she could give Aero some tips to help Aero learn about Ave's backstory, from Ave himself.

Aero stood by with interest as the pair covered Ave's mark for him. These two had demonstrated their knowledge and friendship with Ave quite clearly. He was right to have eventually trusted them, or so it seemed. He predicted there was a lot more to Ave and his old friends than meets the eye.

"I'm not sure what I would as," Aero admitted, with a shrug, "But I'm sure I'll figure it out."

He decided he'd head home at first to drop his saddle bags off before heading to the hospital himself. It would give Hearth and Regal some time to book in Ave and leave ahead of him. It was probably best if they didn't all turn up as one injured party.

"Thanks for your help. Maybe I'll see you both again. Hopefully under less dangerous circumstances."

The two nodded. "Mayhaps. You simply need to ask Ave for our names." Hearth nodded. "Again, thanks for everything you've done. Now we should hurry!" The two said running off. Hearth was okay with Aero, and Regal did kinda like him. Perhaps that Regal might meet him in cloudsdale sometime.

((wanna continue this in the hospital, then?))

Aero stood alone, watching the two ponies as they left. What an interesting pair of friends you have Ave. He resolved to ask Ave about them when he visited him in hospital. Most likely when he went to get his own injury looked at.

With a sigh, the pegasus started to trot back home. Already, the aches and pains of the last 24 hours were beginning in set in. He was going to be sore tomorrow...