A slow, rhythmic beeping sound rang through the room. Sitting on a chair next to a large bed, an exhausted Sandstorm looked in worry at the unconscious body of her marefriend, holding her hoof tight. In the corner of the room, a royal guard was keeping an eye on the two of them, though his expression softened as the hours passed. Misty was lying in a bed, tubes connecting her forelegs to a nearby IV drip. Her heartbeat was slow, but steady. Sandstorm sighed, tightening her grip and laying her head on the bed, burying her snout against Misty. The guard, a white pegasus, remained silent as he looked away.
Hearing hoofsteps approaching their room, Sandstorm lifted her head up to see a nurse entering the room, a green earth pony with a messy ochre mane. Morning Dew was wearing a typical nurse uniform and pushed a small cart inside the room, carrying breakfast for Sandstorm and the guard. The pegasus grabbed a cup of coffee with a wing and a banana with his hoof, nodding silently at the nurse. Sandstorm, not bothering to stand up from her chair, spoke with an exhausted voice.
"Do we know yet what's going on with her?"
Repressing the urge to yawn, Dew shook her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. We expect a full report around noon, but it may take a bit longer."
Opening her mouth, Sandstorm was just about to yell and scream, demanding for the hospital staff to take care of Misty faster, but no sound came out. She felt her eyes water and drooped her head down instead. "...Okay. Please let me know as soon as you get it."
Staring at the floor, Sandstorm felt defeated, exhausted, but above all else, she felt guilty. After Aphelion offered to help them get away from Steady and Mud in exchange of considering turning themselves in, Sandstorm ran to Misty to explain the situation. They were planning on running away, but as they packed up the essentials from their little camp, they noticed Steady falling down after a flash of yellow light illuminated the night sky. While Misty wanted to leave, Sandstorm had convinced her to go back and save him, reasoning that helping an official agent of the crown would help them get in Celestia's good graces. When they reached his location, they saw Mud and his cronies surrounding Steady. Once again, Misty wished to run, but Sandstorm convinced her to attack Mud while he was distracted, killing two birds with one stone. Because of her, Misty had gotten hurt during the fight, poisoned by Mud's second in command. And now, Misty's life was hanging by a thread. The phrase 'it's all my fault' kept repeating in Sandstorm's mind, causing her to sink deeper into her state of despair... Until she felt a hoof slowly reaching her shoulder.
Looking up, Sandstorm saw Morning Dew next to her, her cart left in the middle of the room. The royal guard had stepped out of his corner with a worried look on his face. Dew's face was worried, but she still forced herself to put on a warm, comforting smile. "Don't worry," she starts. "It will be alright. We have the best doctors in Manehattan on the case... Your friend will be fine."
Sandstorm scoffed. "I'm sure you're saying this to every patient in this hospital."
"I mean it. We... We are thankful for what you've done. Everypony here will do their best for her," Dew began patting Sandstorm's back, trying to comfort the guilt-ridden mare.
"Wait... What do you mean? Thankful for what we've done?" Sandstorm asked, confused.
"Private Swift Winds here told us all about how you've taken down Mud. A lot of ponies were unfortunately... Tied up in his web. Now that he's locked up and that most of the closest members of his group have disappeared... It's as if a weight has been lifted off the back of many ponies in Manehattan."
Sandstorm took a moment to register the information, looking at Swift Wing. "...So, Mud's been arrested?"
Taking a sip from his coffee, Swift Wind nodded. "Yeah. After you sent the letter, the captain didn't just send a flying chariot for Aphelion. He dispatched multiple squads to search the forest. I've heard they quickly found Mud freaking out in the woods, alone, with a bucked-up jaw... Last time I heard, they took him in."
"That's... Good. But what about the other ponies with him?"
This time, Swift Winds looked uncomfortable. "All I can say publically is that they're missing," he said while giving Sandstorm a knowing glance. She simply nodded, understanding that what happened to Poison Dart and the other ponies was considered classified. Morning Dew spoke once again.
"In any case, you don't need to worry about them anymore. You need to eat something, however... And to rest. Your friend isn't going anywhere."
Sandstorm sighed. "I guess. So, do I... Sleep here, or...?"
"You can, though I'm afraid it won't be very comfortable... Or calm. We can close the blinds, if you want, but it would probably be best if you went back home for the day," Dew explained.
"Actually, that's not an option, I'm afraid," said Swift. "The deal was for you to stay within the hospital grounds and for me to keep an eye on you. As soon as you step outside, I will have to bring you to Canterlot."
"No. I'm not leaving her," Sandstorm glared at the guard. She then turned toward Morning Dew. "If you can bring me a pillow, I'll be fine."
"Alright," the nurse answered. "I'll bring you one."
Swift shook his head, hoping that Sandstorm would eventually accept to be taken to Canterlot. He had very little sleep himself, and the prospects of staying in a hospital room for the rest of the day wasn't the most enticing one. "I'm gonna need a lot more coffee," he mumbled.
Sitting in a warm bath, Aphelion sighed, feeling content. Despite all the stress from the previous days and the admittedly terrible situation he was in, it felt great to finally wind down and relax... Especially with the royal palace's amenities. Slowly sinking below the water, Aphelion let the warm water cover his entire body, lingering for a while underwater while holding his breath. He slowly surfaced, then noticed a knock on his room's door. Feeling slightly annoyed at having to get out so quickly, he grabbed a few towels with his aura and quickly covered his mane, tail and barrel with them.
Drying himself off as fast as he could, Aphelion left the private bathroom in his chambers and opened the main door as the pony behind was still knocking. Meeting face to face with Glaze, Aphelion couldn't help but blush a little, especially given his current attire of damp towels that somehow made him feel more naked than he actually was.
"Good afternoon, sir!" she started with a chipper voice. "Did you have a nice nap?" Glaze asked, walking past Aphelion inside the room.
Looking at her and feeling a bit confused, Aphelion closed the door. "Uh, yes. I was able to get some rest after breakfast with the princess."
"Good, you honestly looked like shit back then. You also no longer smell like it, too!" she joked. For some reason, Glaze had a very casual attitude with Aphelion, which surprised him somewhat given how she was acting that morning.
"To be fair, I had a long night. In any case, is there something I can do for you?"
"Hey, I'm the one supposed to ask that. You're not a butler," she casually said while approaching the curtains.
"Right, but... Is something going on? Am I needed somewhere?"
"Hmm? Oh, no, you can chill for the rest of the day," Glaze began humming a tune as she opened the curtains.
"Then why are you here?" Aphelion asked, feeling completely lost. Glaze turned her head back toward him, raising an eyebrow.
"Whaddya mean?"
"Why are you here in my room?"
"...Dude. It's called 'being a maid'. I'm just here to take care of your stuff. Didn't you have servants in your manor?"
Feeling a pit form in his stomach, Aphelion began to worry. He wondered how much Glaze knew about him and his past, until he remembered that the maid was there every time he talked with Celestia, meaning that she heard him mention his father's mansion a few times. "...I guess she knows, then," he thought. "At least she's not freaked out by that."
"Oh, right," he replied. "There were butlers and maids back at home, but they... Didn't really make themselves known, I suppose."
"Really? You must've seen them cleaning your room, though, right?"
"Not really. They aren't allowed to speak to me, my father or any other important guest. They also always do their job when nopony else is in the room. It's, uh, the first time I see a maid or a butler actually work," he looked to the side, feeling ashamed. Until today, Aphelion had given very little thought about the ponies taking care of his father's manor. Interacting with a maid in such a friendly and open manner was new to him.
"That's... Pretty sad, not gonna lie. Also sounds like Tartarus for those working there. I couldn't imagine having to stay quiet for days on end," Glaze was starting to change Aphelion's bed sheets, struggling slightly as she handled the large sheets.
"Yeah. My father has some... Strict rules. Anypony defying his orders would end up fired on the spot if my father's in a good mood," Aphelion trotted to his bed and began assisting Glaze in changing his bedsheets. She stared at him with a bemused look for a second, before letting him help her.
"...And what would happen if your dad's in a bad mood?"
Aphelion sighed. "I'm... Not completely sure. All I know is that they technically aren't fired... But I've never seen any of them again."
"Sounds spooky. Do you think he sacrifices them in weird cult-y rituals?"
Having a double take at what Glaze just casually said, Aphelion blinked a few times. "Uh... Well... I don't necessarily think so, but..." he said, then becoming silent as he looked at the floor.
"...Sorry, it was a shitty joke. I shouldn't have said that."
"No, no, you're fine. It's just... Until now, I've never considered that it might be true. I just... My father's often in a bad mood, and he fired a lot of staff..." his ears drooped as his face became filled with regret.
"Hey. Look at me," Glaze started with a soft, yet stern voice. "I don't really know what the deal was with your family or the place you came from, but you're a good pony. Don't beat yourself up for things you couldn't have changed anyways."
Raising his head, Aphelion saw Glaze looking at him, a sad smile adorning her face. He sighed. "It's not... The issue is not whether I was a good pony or not, or what my intentions were. It's that I was blind to the suffering of those around me. I mean, it was so... Obvious, now that I think about it! Everything pointed towards the Pact being nefarious in nature. I've been a fool for the past 18 years of my life, ever since we moved to that damned manor..."
Searching for the right words to say, Glaze remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up again. "Well... I guess what matters is what you'll do now with that revelation. You already got out and started helping the princess' investigator buddy catch criminals. Then, you began arguing to defend the mares you helped captured. If you want my opinion, you've already begun fixing your, uh, past mistakes."
Glaze felt proud of her argument, the maid not being the best at debating. She was glad to see Aphelion's face go from ashamed to thinking, then to smiling. Aphelion, thinking about what Glaze just told him, began forming an idea in his head. "...Thank you, Glaze. I needed to hear that. You're really good at cheering other ponies," he chuckled.
"Well, I do my best," she bowed then winked. "So, any plans for the rest of the day?" she asked as they finished changing the bedsheets, the task going quicker with Aphelion's help.
"I... May have something in mind, yes."
"The way you're saying it, it sounds like a dangerous idea," Glaze smirked. "Just so you know, I'm kind of supposed to keep an eye on you, so wherever you'll go, I'll follow."
Aphelion's face suddenly dropped, then lit up again at the idea of spending the day with the maid he felt a growing crush for. "Really? I, uh, don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."
She chuckled, noticing his blush. "C'mon, not only is it literally my job, but I'm also kinda bored tending to boring nobles all day long. Just with the two conversations we've had so far, you've been more interesting than politicians and emissaries have been after years. And don't even get me started on prince Blueblood-"
"Oh, shit," Aphelion cut her off mid-sentence after realizing something. Raising an eyebrow, Glaze waited for Aphelion to continue. "I, uh, I don't think the guards were told to pick up the file on him I helped steal earlier this week. It might still be in Manehattan... If Mud hasn't sold it yet."
"Wait, they got dirt on Blueblood? ...I know it's probably, like, super confidential and all, but..." looking at Aphelion directly in the eyes, Glaze did her best puppy eyes impression. "...Would you mind doing a little bit of gossip with a poor little old, bored maid, please?"
"Uh... I'm already kind of on thin ice on a legal level with the whole... Heist thing. I don't think it would be wise for me to disclose that kind of information... Sorry."
She sighed. "No, it's okay, I understand. I don't want to put you in trouble just because I'm curious," Glaze lied. She was planning on getting this information out of him eventually, her hatred for Blueblood running deep. She would just have to be more subtle about it.
"In any case, I probably should talk to the captain of the guard about this."
"Good idea. I'll continue taking care of your room, in the meanwhile. See you later?"
"Yes, later," Aphelion began trotting outside of his room before hearing Glaze chortling. He turned back with a confused look on his face.
"Dude. You're still wearing the towels. You look like you just got out of a spa."
"...Yeah, good call."
Both chuckled as Aphelion went back in his bathroom for a short moment, coming back towel-less. With a last nod, he finally exited his room. Walking down the castle's long corridors, he couldn't help but feel guilty for lying to Glaze. One of the first things he had mentioned in his letter to Celestia was the stolen folder and its location. And as much as Aphelion would've preferred spending the rest of the day with Glaze, he had a more important task at hoof. One he couldn't do with her following him, even though she was the one that gave him the idea when saying what matters now is what Aphelion did.
It was about time he came back home and confronted his father.