"Calm thyself, Brother mine," Theá said, voice strained and under tight control. "I can feel thy anger, and you must calm thyself lest your become the dark abyss. Be the gentle brook, flowing around the obstacles that presents them to thee. Do not succumb." 

Even as she was fighting to not simply chase after Silver Scalpel and accidentally kill an innocent pony in the event that Meelo had been mistaken, she could feel the animalistic rage that swept off of Crashing in waves of sheer contempt and hatred. Something she could only understand all too well given her own state of mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

[i]Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.[/i] She turned around, eyes still closed, and faced Crashing. A small flex of her mind returned her appearance to that of a normal alicorn, and had a flute materialize in the air beside her head, held in her light green magic even as she opened her eyes and focused entirely on her brother, thoughts razing. She knew she had to calm him down, as how he had acted earlier gave her some suspicions that he would be unable to do so. [i]I just hope this works.[/i] 

She sat down by the lake and brought the flute to her lips, blowing through it once before she [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJhRDVBzf1Q]started playing.[/url] She played, eyes fixed on Crashing as she let her magic mix with the music, doing her best to calm the raging beast she knew he could become. It was a spell she had used on the larger beasts of Equestria and beyond in aeons past. From the smallest critter to the star beasts themselves, she had quenched their anger and made place for tranquility, for a time anyway. 

As she continued to play, her wings unfurled, and from the trees surrounding them blew a breeze carrying her voice like a gentle caress against his ears. [i]"Listen to me, Brother. Let not the Leviathans consume you. You are their master and guide, their sole protector and the divinity[/i] they [i]follow.[/i]" 

She continued like that for a few minutes, wings remaining unfurled until she finished entirely, then folding back against her sides as the flute faded into nothing. [i]I hope it worked. He is, in some ways, a wild beast what with the Leviathans. If nothing else, the mortals say music calms the soul.[/i] "Crashing, Brother. Do you feel well?" She asked, standing up and approaching. One of her wings unfurled and rested itself on his back, trying to comfort him if it was still needed. 

------

"Daddy, do you have to go?" The small unicorn filly asked, balancing against her father's leg as she gazed sadly down at her. 

"I have no choice, little Primrose. Theá asked this of me, and I have no choice but to obey. I swore an oath." Amaretto looked down at his daughter, smiling, and leaned down to give her a gently kiss on the forehead. "I will return in a few weeks, so I won't be gone long." 

"But I want you to stay! I've been with you and Mommy only a month since you rescued me!" She stopped suddenly, getting back on all four hooves and hung her head. "I'll miss you, Daddy. Please come home quick." She didn't want to admit it, but even if she was only eleven years old, she knew what it meant to make a promise. Promises had to be kept. 

"I will, Primrose. I will." He ruffled her mane with a hoof before turning around to his wife waiting behind them. "And you... I'll miss you, my love." Anything more he would have said was interrupted by the kiss she gave him.

"You better. Now, you should get going. Remember what Mister Meelo told you - you'll need it." 

"I will. I'll see you two soon." Then, with a nod and a hug from Primrose, he turned around and made his way towards the edge of the clearing and through the trees. 

[i]Whoever you are, Silver Scalpel. I hope you like whiskey.[/i]

---------------

Winterjet hadn't moved for the past several minutes, brain too jumpled over to do much of any thinking. This Amifera seemed sane and, if she had to be honest, quite pleasant to be around. Arcon was a bit strict, though, as she had noted before. She definitely didn't like him very much, if only because he had treated Bright Scrolls so badly. 

And Silver Sweeper. She didn't quite know what to say about her. Extremely kind, soft spoken if a bit energetic. But despite all of this, there was something she couldn't quite shake. A feeling that made her think of one thing, and only one. 

[i]Oddball.[/i]