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// CHAPTER TEN: What Needed to be Done 
// Story: As Hard As Velvet 
// by Stormbringer 
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Twilight and Dream were taken out the back of the tent and into a separate tent.  

As they entered, Twilight and Dream suddenly felt a very strong Ψ attack.  Dream Walker went stiff and blank.
“Dreamy!” shouted Twilight as ponies grabbed her and dragged her to a table.  
They strapped Twilight down and then backed off to allow Star Catcher to approach.

“Don’t fear my dear,” said the pony with a soothing tone in her voice, there was some Ψ scanning, but nothing Twilight couldn’t decoy into thinking that she was reading a non-Ψ mind.
The white robed pony caressed Twilight’s cheek.  Twilight glanced at Dream Walker who was frozen in place.

“I would congratulate you on the child you’d carry.” Said the pony.  Twilight was shocked.
“What child?  I’m married to a mare!  I have no desire to be with anypony else.  I love my wife!”
“We have no doubt,” said Star, “but we know in the future you will have at least one child.  She will be the one who will thwart the return of our Great Mother.
So we can’t let that happen.”

Star started to stroke Twilight’s abdomen between her navel and her nipples, her horn was glowing as was her hoof…  

“Such ripe ovaries,” said Star, almost in admiration. “It is too bad, for the good of all, we are going to have to remove them.”
A wicked looking knife floated to above her belly.
“NO!” screamed Twilight, “you can’t.  I’m awake!  Please have mercy!”
“Don’t worry honey,” said Star as the others gathered around the table, ready to help hold   Twilight still.  “I’m not going to say it isn’t going to hurt.  But we will be able, afterwards, make it where you won’t remember this.”

The knife lowered and was about to make contact with Twilight’s flesh.

“NOW!” shouted Dream.
When everypony was distracted, Dream Walker came up behind everypony. Hers and Twilight’s horn glowed in an amplification spell.  They closed their eyes and struck out.
There were multiple wet, sickening popping noises.  Twilight felt the knife harmlessly fall on her stomach along with many wet splashes.  She was about to open her eyes when Dream Walker reached out to her.
‘Honey!’ thought Dream, ‘don’t open your eyes if you aren’t ready.’
‘Since the time you first taught me, I knew this day would come.’ Thought Twilight with trepidation, she knew what would happen, but she never really thought what the aftermath of such a powerful Ψ attack would look like.  
It was nothing she was ready for.
‘Very well my love,’ thought Dream. ‘let me first unsecure you, then take your hoof and set you up before you do open your eyes.’
‘Okay, My Love.’
Twilight felt the restraints fall away, Dream took her hoof and sat her up.
‘When you’re ready,’ thought Dream.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes.  There all around her and on herself was blood and gore splattered everywhere.
The worst was the bodies of the ponies laying all around them.  There was fear, pain and surprise on their faces.  At least the ones who still had faces.  The top, back and or front of their heads had blown off from the inside.  All the brain casings were empty, the brains were splattered everywhere.
Twilight felt her stomach was emptying itself.  She was able to lean over the table and vomit on the floor.  It was perhaps apropos that the body of Star Catcher was on the ground beneath her and in the line of fire.  Twilight didn’t care, she deserved this and heaved her guts onto the mutilated mare.
Dream Walker with the knife that was going to slice open her wife, cut an opening in the back of the tent.  Dream helped her wife outside.  They could feel there were other zealots near, so they took off through the nearby woods.  There was a small pond nearby and the two mares washed the filth off of themselves.  As they sat in the water, Twilight started to cry.
“My love,” said Dream, embracing her wife. “it is hard, the first time.”
“It gets easier?” asked Twilight between sobs,
“No darling,” said Dream, “but unfortunately, you do learn to deal with it.  Let’s go, we have another unpleasant duty to perform.”
Twilight understood and got out of the water, shook the water off and then the two walked closely, touching sides and flanks, back to Sweet Apple Acres.
After collecting their things, they told their hosts that they couldn’t stay.  They thanked everypony and then Twilight and Dream’s horns glowed.  The trio of Apples froze in place.  It would be an hour before they came around.  Twilight and Dream felt bad for having to wipe the last two days from their minds, especially after their hospitality.  It eased their conscience some by leaving several hundred bits on their table.


Soon they found themselves on the late train for Canterlot.  Twilight was quiet and lay her head in Dream’s lap.  Dream stroked Twilight’s purple and grey mane and spoke soothingly. Her tears were felt on Dream’s legs as Twilight lay there.
“I know, my darling,” said Dream quietly, “I know.”

When they made it back to their rooms late, after a quick shower, Dream and Twilight held each other close.  There was no sex this night.  
Twilight had had to do many acts of mental violence up to this point.  But this time, she had to be helped through the realization that she’d taken lives in multiple counts of coldblooded murder.  Being it was in self-defense and in the name of the Crown held no comfort.

In the present…

“Are ya two just gonna daydream?  Yer pa, Twilight, says we’re goin’ to a nice restaurant.  Somethin’ ’bout celebratin’ some engagement, whatever that means.” Said Applejack giggling.
Both Twilights opened their eyes and the daughter embraced her mother tightly.
“Sorry mom,” said Sparkle, tears in her eyes.
“It’s okay,” said Velvet weakly, tears as well, “water under the bridge.”
The two shared a mother/daughter kiss and stood up.
“Let’s go,” said Twilight Velvet, sounding better, “we have to talk about a lot of work you’ve made for us.  Just wait until Celestia finds out.  I hope you aren’t hoping for a small intimate service.  She loves royal weddings!  
I can’t wait to see Princess Consort Applejack in her wedding dress and tiara!”
Applejack wasn’t ready for that.
“Thanks a lot, Sugar Cube,” said Applejack to Twilight, but she kissed her fiancée as they walked to the famous Restaurant Row.


To Be Continued…