The next morning that followed, Twilight shakily got out of bed, her face still wet from tears. She slowly walked downstairs, sniffling. She did get some sleep, but not much. Spike wasn't awake; he had returned from Rarity's, only to take one big nap.
Though she was tired, Twilight fixed her mane, took a quick shower, and had a fast breakfast of a single apple. She then walked out of her home, shutting the door behind her. She almost forgot to get the blades, so, she stomached the courage to look at them as she carried them through the town. Of course, just the mere sight of the weapons made Twilight teary-eyed, so she had to look away, just to save herself the public humiliation.
- - - -
She reached the hospital, and walked through the doors, getting permission to see Kratos quickly.
Once she got to his room, she opened the door, and hung the two blades on coat-hangers.
"... I wondered why they were gone..." Kratos said, his eyes still closed. Twilight's ears pinned back immediately.
"I-... I'm sorry..."
"So you took them?"
"Y-... yes..."
"Why?"
"... I..."
"Speak quickly, Twilight."
"I-I... I just... couldn't-"
"Couldn't what?"
"I... I..." Twilight just couldn't seem to find the courage to tell him what she did, but she had to. "I... know what you did... and I'm so... so... sorry..."
"What?!"
"Y-your wife..."
"Who told you of th-" Just as Kratos was about to yell at her, Twilight pulled him into an embrace. Kratos tried to struggle, but she tightened the grip, practically disabling him, hence the fact that he already was disabled.
"I'm so sorry!" Twilight cried as she wept into his shoulder.
Kratos just stared blankly at the ceiling, looking around in a state of shock. His mouth was slightly open.
He gulped, and as Twilight cried into his shoulder, with his right arm, he pulled her close, stroking her mane. He honestly didn't know what he was doing; it was out of instinct. Some strange, strange instinct that he didn't know much of.
Sympathy.
Kratos didn't know it, but this was the start of something he would never forget.
The Spartan's hardened heart seemed to crack like an eggshell at this, this strange feeling. The memories once again haunted him. The ashes that clung to his skin, they were a permanent reminder of what he did, the shedding of his own love's blood. He lowered his head, nothing else but a single tear escaping his eyes, rolling down his cheek as Twilight hugged him.
Eventually, the two of them were silent, for a long while.
Kratos eventually broke the silence. "How... did you find out...?" He asked.
Twilight sniffled. "T-the bl-blades... I used a sp-spell on them... I saw a lot of things... Zeus... Ares... Hades... Prometheus... Icarus... the Blade of Olympus... Gaia... Athena... you..." She almost looked away from him.
Kratos nodded understandingly. "I'm... sorry... you had to see that." He said. "My past isn't something that many would be fond of, Twilight. I told you, I would not tell you anything. Why... why did you not listen to me?" He demanded.
Twilight looked him right in the eyes. "B-because... we're friends..." She smiled sadly, before hugging him once more.
- - - - Mount Olympus...
As the Gods watched this happen, Hermes was drinking a goblet of wine.
He choked on it, and did a 100% legitimate spit-take once he heard that... all of it landing on Hades. "EUGH! Disgusting!"
... Hades then proceeded to choke Hermes.
"Well... what do we do now?" Helios asked Zeus.
Zeus shook his head. "Nothing. For now..."
"MY GRANDMOTHER COULD CHOKE ME BETTER THAN YOUUUUUAAAAAAAACCGGH!"
- - - - Kratos's room...
Twilight stayed with him for a long time. Kratos was still trying to render just what in the name of unholy Hades happened. His mind was scattered.
'Because we're friends?'
'Because we're... friends...?'
'Friends...'
'Friends...?'
'Because we're... friends? Because we're friends. Because-we're-friends.'
He just didn't seem to get it, but at the same time, he did. But the knowledge and 'anti'-knowledge clashed together, leaving him in a confused state of mind. Twilight still hadn't let him go, either. The unicorn's remaining tears were soaked into his skin. Kratos still embraced the mare, for he knew that she wouldn't be letting him go any time soon. "Because we're friends?" He uttered in confusion.
Twilight simply nodded with her eyes closed. "Yes... *sniff*..."
'She didn't listen to me because we're friends!?' Kratos thought. 'If I know anything about "friendship", it's that your 'friend' should NEVER turn his back on you...!' He started to get angry, but stopped. 'But she didn't mean any harm, she didn't know what happened. It wasn't her fault.' The voice of Kratos's seemingly non-existing common sense spoke. 'It was her fault, you imbecile... she was the one who took the blades in the first place...' Kratos growled at the voice in his head. 'That is where you are wrong, Spartan! The blades were taken unto you by YOUR choice! It was YOU who chose on that fateful day to become a servant to Ares! Do not be so arrogant as to your own common sense! She did NOT know what would have unfolded before her eyes, and yet you want to punish her for it!? You should be ashamed of every fiber of your BEING for even beginning to think something like that, you childish moron!'
Kratos didn't even attempt to 'talk' back after that. He had himself there. "Twilight... I need you to promise me something..."
"Y-yes... wh-what?"
"If you tell anyone else of this... I will see to it that consequences come... swiftly."
"But Kratos-"
"I have spoken, Twilight! If you are my friend," He almost shivered at the word. "-you will heed my request."
Twilight nodded, but looked back to him. "But what about P-Princess C-Celestia...?"
"Who?"
"Princess C-Celestia... the ruler of Equestria..."
"Why bring her into the matter?"
She lowered her head. "Because she is coming to v-visit you... very soon... and she will more than likely want to know a lot about you... s-so... y-you're probably going to have to answer some q-questions."
Kratos's hand clenched into a fist. "... Your leader is not of my concern."
Twilight looked like she was just smacked upside the head. "She is too your concern, Kratos." She snapped. "And you better know it."
Oh, the incalculable ratio as to how much Kratos wanted to yell, 'You dare speak up to the Ghost of Sparta!?'... but he forced himself not to, although it was hard as hell, and said, "We will see about that... when is she coming?"
Then, Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh nononono..."
"... She's coming today, isn't she?"
"... N-no... tomorrow... I almost forgot about it!" Twilight exclaimed, before releasing Kratos, who groaned. "S-sorry Kratos! I really need to go!" She said, rushing out of the hospital.
Kratos laid there, confused.
'Why would she worry so much about something so simple as a meeting...?'