//------------------------------// // Act 2 CH 4 New Beginnings: The Mask Goes Back to Bed // Story: Twilight's Nightmare // by Nightsclaw //------------------------------// The void of unconsciousness had been surprisingly comfortable. For an unknown amount of time, there had been nothing to do, no ponies failing at their jobs, making more work for her, and no choices to make. Despite the comfort of lying on a soft surface, a nagging sense of paranoia started to build in her heart. Is there something I'm meant to be doing right now? She considered opening her eyes to check, but then she heard a pair of voices. So she reached out with her magic to check the time. The sun had only set an hour ago, so it was still night. Being in bed asleep after sunset was perfectly acceptable, so that is where she stayed. "First that energy blast, then Celestia screamed, and neither the moon nor stars showed in the sky. Now you're telling me you can't find a single Night Guard?" The voice of Acting Captain Paper Pusher said. Maintain public image. How? She almost shouted at the rule that pulsed in her mind. She had tried to do what was needed and something had gone wrong. The moon not rising was going to cause panic, and the lack of stars would disrupt maritime navigation. Add to that the cost of the shattered window. Her radiance is not going to be happy. Just the idea that Celestia might be disappointed hurt far more than whatever had happened as she touched the moon. The Mask pushed herself deeper into the softness of, what was by the scent of it, Celestia's own bed. As she breathed in, other scents reached her. The sourness of dried perspiration and the acrid fear of the two unicorns were nowhere near as enticing as the wonderful surgery delight that strands of its tempting sent almost made it seem worth opening her eyes to get to the secret stash to eat. "It's worse than that, sir," a pony Mask did not recognise said. By the slightly high tone, they sounded too young to be a guard. If I open my eyes, I'm going to have to do something. As she weighed her options, the two ponies kept talking. "Worse?" Paper Pusher did not sound happy. "Vaults two and seven have been broken into." "Do we know what was taken or who did it?" "Almost everything, and so far, the little evidence we have points toward the Night Guard." A quick mental note got added to the pile on Celestia's table. As this did not seem to be a case of tribalism or an imminent threat, Mask just kept pretending to sleep. "Was anypony hurt?" "No, all the disabled guards were found under high-powered sleep spells." "Have somepony check in with every post in the city," Acting Captain Paper Pusher said. By the sound of it, the other pony saluted, then hurried off. Once they were gone, he sighed. "What do they think they are doing?" With the second pony gone, she heard Acting capting Paper Pusher slump against the wall. "I'm not cut out for this." Emotions were thick in his words. Fear, anger, despair, self-loathing, and even hate lent a desperate warble to his tone. The realisation struck like a ton of bricks. He's just like me. She opened her eyes to see him slumped against the far wall. A loyal servant of Her Radiance stuck doing a job he was never made for. A pang of sympathy rose in her. It was a novel thing, a thing not born of rules or duty. That did not explain why he was in her room, but he was a trusted individual, so the fact he was here did not compel any actions from her. Before she knew what she was doing, she silently left the wonderful comfort of her bed behind. Right here, right now, was a pony that needed her help. A pony that would be impaired at doing their functions unless their emotional state was improved. The first toolset to come to mind was the sort of compliments the nobles liked, but she discouraged that. He was a guard and an intellectual. That pang of sympathy moved her closer, even as her mind still did not know what she should do. Something about her approach alerted him, and he looked up, his suddenly fearful eyes locking onto hers. The look was so similar to one she had seen before. Twilight had looked like that when she thought she had failed Princess Celestia. Maintain public image. A part of her said, but this time more quietly, as there was only one pony here. The first shimmering of tears started to make the details of his eyes waver. As if by reflex, her wing reached out and pulled Paper Pusher to her chest, her wing closing around him in an embrace. "It is going to be alright." She almost said 'My Little Pony', but that seemed too distant, 'My Faithful Student' was just factually incorrect, so she went for the other option. "Captian Paper Pusher." It is going to be alright. She repeated to herself.  It was not a lie. Celestia would be back soon, and she would know what to do. She looked at the exhausted pony under her wing that was about to pass out. Again, she was in a situation where she had no rules to follow, but this time, there was no panic. The night was the time for sleep. Here he was, exhausted and yet still awake. If everypony just followed the rules and did their jobs… Well, Celestia had to deal with Twilight when she neglected her sleep, so the Mask knew exactly what to do. She loosened the control on her body temperature and tightened her grip on him. A little motherly nuzzle, and despite his sleepy eyes trying to widen, blissful unconsciousness claimed him. She smiled.  She had just assigned herself a task and completed it. Now the Acting Captain of the Guard would be well rested. She looked back to her bed and considered it. The phantom sensations of softness called to her. It was night time, it was where she was expected to be. One by one, she went through her directives. Not a single one required she do anything at this moment. Her smile widened, and with her stately gate, she returned to bed, delicately carrying Paper Pusher with her. As she held him, his rhythmic breathing and regular heartbeat were strangely soothing. She knew not why the bed was more comfortable when shared, but she let the void of sleep claim her once more with a smile on her face.