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// Quietly the pieces move 
// Story: Being of Two Minds 
// by cosmofur 
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Solid Star watched with hidden amusement as Spring Kicker stumble out of the castle barracks, the younger guard looking behind himself several times as if confused. Solid had not been able to see though the darkness of the barracks with all the windows covered, but knew Spring had been talking to Crimson Peytral so it wasn't that hard to put the one and one together. 

“You’re sweet on Crimson?” Solid ribbed Spring goodnaturedly. 

Spring Kicker was staring off a bit dazed by Crimson’s performance, and took a moment to register what Solid had just asked. “What? No, I mean, she’s has a nice flank, but we never really talked much before.”

“So what was she talking to you about?” Solid asked curious.

“She said she wanted me to tell her folks she’s alright.”

Solid laughed, “From the little I heard, that mare was not thinking about her parents. At least I hope to Celestia that she wasn't.”

Spring blushed, “Yeah she was being a lot more forward than, well anypony, I've ever met.”

Solid wondered, “Maybe its a reaction to being captured? Realizing life is short and that sort of garbage?”

“Yeah,” Spring agreed, “Probably not too smart to take her up on any offer like that then, she’s just stressed out and it would be way way too complicated. She’d probably buck me in the head once she got her's straight again.” He sounded a little wistful though.

Solid just laughed, “That my friend is probably the wisest thing I've ever heard from anypony. Though got to admit be a shame to walk away from a flank like that.” Soon Spring joined him in his laugh and both guards left the castle grounds behind them.

Spring Kicker and Solid Star arrived back at the Hospital as Twilight was just finishing explaining Doctor’s Somnolence treatment plan to Celestia. The two guards stood respectively to the side as the two princesses spoke. 

Celestia was looking over Twilight's short hoof notes and nodding her head in agreement. “I understand your concern about safety risks, and share them. But in my observations of the Cult in the past, one thing I've noted, they can be terribly cruel when carrying out their master plans, but they can also be counted on to not be randomly cruel at other times. Normally if a cultist was captured by just chance, they were rarely violent or dangerous, indeed unless a cultists had specific orders to follow from their leaders, their normal behavior is no different than any other ponies. It can make it hard to detect them.”

Celestia paused to think a moment, “Well no, certain behaviors are so deeply  embedded they can’t stop. The chief one is their hatred of the cults scapepony race. Even when they try to hide it, body language and slips of the tongue would give them away. One of the signs that a cultist was cured was when they could again be friends with the hated ponies.” 

Twilight nodded, “You mean pegasi? Too bad they didn't pick on unicorns, then they wouldn't have any magic to help them and be easier to stop.”

“That can vary, each time the Cult re-emerges it seems to randomly pick one tribe to be the scapepony. Not always pegasi, the Stone Heart book has instructions for potions and talisman spell casting techniques that allow the cult to be a serious threat even when there no unicorns among their members.”

Twilight thought about that and started to ask, “They really can match unicorn magic with just potions? I know zerba magic can be ….”

Celestia stopped her, “Please Twilight we’re getting off topic. The question really is, can we use Doctor Somnolence’s procedure, and how can we make sure our innocent ponies are safe while the cultists are treated?”

Twilight nodded her head, “Well Doctor Somnolence wanted them to be cared for by foster families. I think that is too much of a risk. But perhaps we can ask the guards who have apartments outside the barracks, if we can get any to volunteer, to take them in as room mates.”

Celestia added, “Not at their apartments, most of the guards who have apartments do so because they have family and I’d prefer it so the least number of ponies are put at risk.” The Princess paused to think for a moment, “I’ll arrange to rent out all the rooms in a inn or hotel near the Hospital. A sufficient guard force will be assigned to watch the hotel, but the cultists will be allowed some freedom within the walls. I’ll also request individual guards to volunteer to be assigned one on one with the cultists, living in the hotel with them. It may not be the family environment that Doctor Somnolence was describing, but it would be a major step up from the dungeons or being tied to a hospital bed.”

Twilight added, “Also I know a  tracking gem spell that could be mounted to an un-removable cuff or chain. We’ll get an alert if they leave the hotel grounds when unescorted.”

Both princess nodded their agreement, Twilight magicked up their notes and started to walk away when Celista turned her attention to the two waiting guards.

“Hello my little ponies.” She smiled at Spring Kicker and Solid Star, “Are the injured guards safe in the Barracks?”

“Yes your majesty” Solid replied. “Should we proceed to escort Red Wood back to his home?”

Overhearing this Twilight perked up, “Going to Red Wood? do you mind if I follow along, I need to ask him if he’ll want Fluttershy to watch his son Banyan, while he recovers for a few more days.”

Both Spring and Solid bowed deeply and allowed Twilight to lead the way to Red Wood.

Now that the guards had been released from the emergency room, there was more room to move about. Some of the ER bays were even empty. They found Red Wood sitting up and looking wide awake. He was talking to one of the ER doctors, a yellow and red coated mare with a stethoscope cutie mark. As the guards and princess approached they could overhear that Red Wood seemed to be begging for something.

“Please, I can’t stand the nightmares! There has to be something!” Red Wood asked, nearly in tears. 

The doctor seemed concerned, “There are some potions that can quickly make you fall into a dreamless sleep, but it’s too soon after your trauma. I can only prescribe that sort of drug if you have been trouble sleeping for a while. Maybe if you’re still having sleep problems next week I can…”

“No! Please! It’s more complicated for me!” Red Wood continued to beg, then he saw Twilight approaching and added. “See ask Princess Twilight! She knows my situation, I have … “ Red Wood paused to stare pleadingly at Twilight, “Complications, that make going to normal sleep difficult for me.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes and look concerned, Red Wood was a wood carver, not a fighter and had been subject to torture by the Cult, of course he would be scared. While there was no hard rule or law about it, they had been keeping Parker’s presence in Red Wood’s head quiet. Twilight considered, she really didn't want all the ER doctors and nurses to know there was an alien in their ER. It could cause a panic. She did want to ask Red Wood about how Parker was feeling, but she couldn't without compromising the secret. 

Twilight made a decision, while she herself had fought many battles and had become at least a little hardened to it now, clearly Red Wood or perhaps Parker, wasn't taking it well. Twilight considered what she knew about the odd pony with two minds and after only a small pause, choose to trust them. 

“Doctor Healing Heart” Twilight said to draw the Doctor’s attention. “I know this Pony and I trust him. I’m sure if he feels he needs a sleep aid, he has good reasons for it.”

Healing Heart looked back and forth then nodded. “As you wish Princess.” The doctor unlocked a medicine closet across the hall from Red Wood’s bay and returned a few moments later with three potion bottles wrapped together with a blue and white ribbon. A danger warning tag hang from the top of the bottles.

“There is enough dosages in these bottles to give Mr Red Wood six nights of dreamless sleep, but do not ask for or let him acquire more. It can be dangerous for a pony to go without dreams for very long.” She told Twilight as the princess packed the bottles into a travel bag.

When Doctor Healing Heart, finished her exam, she turned to leave the ER bay, declaring, “He is free to go, there’s nothing wrong medically with him that justifies keeping him here.”

Twilight smiled at Red Wood, “That’s good news, I’m asking two of the royal guards to stay with you tonight Red Wood, and we’ll arrange to pick up Banyan from Fluttershy’s tomorrow or maybe the day after, if you need more time?”

Red Wood looked confused for a moment as he mouthed the name Banyan to himself, then his eyes opened even wider. “My Wife! Did you see my wife?”

 “Wife!” Twilight reared back in surprise. “But Red Wood your wife died years ago.” She said reflectively only pausing to think how tactless that was, after the words left her mouth.

“No!” Red Wood insisted, “I found her! She was living among the Cultists all these years. She..” he paused seemingly overwhelmed with his thoughts.

“You found your wife? Alive? There was a faint possibility but it seemed so unlikely….Red Wood you got to tell me the whole story. We've not been able to get a lot of information from the victims so far. What happened after I teleported out of the town?”

For a long moment Red Wood was silent, then he spoke softly, “They tortured us. It was horrible." Red Wood made a pained expression and paused for a long time. After a while he continued. "When I woke up, I found my wife, she was just there, not knowing who I was at first. Gentle Breeze had been with them all this time, she didn't know what happened to us and they had told her the pegasie had killed everyone in Coltsdale. She believed them and had been living with them all this time." 
Red Wood smiled at Twilight, "She started comforting me, it was like no time had passed," 

Red Wood face fell into a frown again, "Then one of their elders came up and said he was going to make examples of all the guards and me. Gentle Breeze and a few other cultists begged him to spare us. There was a lot of yelling and some fighting.”

Red Wood coughed and turned away, unable to keep his eyes on Twilight as he finished his tale. “When the fighting ended, Gentle Breeze, My Gentle Breeze, My wife, was tied up next to me and the elder said she would share my fate. I think they tied up the other cult members with the other guards. I don’t know. We were tied up for hours. Cultists would come by and cut us with sharp blades for no reason. The elder told them to make us bleed, maybe they had more of those monsters nearby and were going to feed us to it. I don't know.”

Twilight held Red Wood’s hoof as he paused again in his narrative. “I think they were working themselves up to kill us, I don’t know why they held off for so long, they killed the pegasus right away. We could hear them do it. They were dancing an partying, dragging villagers away to who knows where."

Red Wood looked up as if trying to see something in the ceiling tiles. "Then there were two more pegasus, high in the sky, too high to be attacked, but they were spotted and all the cultists panicked. They were running around, setting things on fire and there was so much smoke. After that there was quiet for a long time, until some earth pony guards arrived and untied us and cleaned our wounds. I think you know the rest.” Red Wood put down his head on the pillow as if telling his story made him unusually tired.

Twilight asked, “You mean the mare you were found tied up with, the one with the cut off horn? That was Gentle Breeze?” she asked softly.

“Was?” Red Wood head shot up and he looked beggingly to Twilight, “Was?! She OK isn't she? Please to Celestia, tell me she’s OK!”

Twilight backed up a bit from his reaction, “Yes, yes, she’s fine, same as you. I just didn't know who she was. I don’t think any of the cultists we rescued have been willing to give us their names yet.” 

“Do you know where she is?” Red Wood asked looking side to side, but only able to see the white curtains that marked off each of the ER room’s bays.

“Well, you’re medically cleared, so come with me, and we’ll go visit her.”

Quickly Red Wood got to his hooves and followed Twilight down the hallway, the two guards, Spring Kicker and Solid Star gave each other curious shrugs before following.

Twilight led them down the hall and around a corner, bringing Red Wood to another ER bay. There a mare lay, her purple blue eyes open, and seemly busy counting the cracks on the ceiling tiles as two additional guards stood nearby. 

Twilight paused a moment at the entrance of the ER bay and looked the mare over. She was unusual looking, her hide and mane hair having been shaved close, not long enough to give her gray skin any real color. Perhaps there was a hint of green in the stubble left behind from her mane, but that was it. But her skin did have decorations on it, lines and tattoos  ran in patterns all around her exposed body, dark spots marked where ritual gems would normally be glued but any that may have been on the mare’s body when she was brought in, must have been washed off by the doctors, leaving her even more naked now. Either the mare or one of the medical staff had draped a sheet over her lower legs and nethers to provide a mediocre of modesty. Letting her eyes pan to the mare’s face, Twilight took in an involuntary breath at the sight of the mare’s horn stub. She knew about it, of course, and has seen it before when the mare had been still tied up, but seeing it again triggered sympathetic pain in her own horn. 

The sound of Twilight's gasp, drew the mare’s attention and her eyes moved towards Twilight and for a moment they locked. The mare raised a questioning eyebrow and was about to ask a question, when the young alicorn princess stepped aside and allowed the mare to see the pony behind her.

Gentle Breeze and Red Wood stood staring at each other, and for a long moment nopony said a word.

Then in a flurry of motion Red Wood was no longer behind Twilight, he was in front of her and in Gentle Breeze’s forelegs. The two ponies nuzzled, hugged and embraced each other. No pony moved to stop them, or had the will to tell them to control themselves. 

After several minutes of the two long lost lovers crying into each others shoulders, Twilight motioned to the four guards to step out of the ER bay and closed the privacy curtain. She told the guards, “I do not believe we have to worry about them escaping, you can guard them from this side of the curtain just as well.” 

Twilight remembering Doctor Solumnun’s advice about family added in a whisper, “This may be just what the Doctor ordered.”

She then directed her words to Spring Kicker and Solid Star, “Once Red Wood is ready, accompany him to his shop. I want to tell Princess Celestia about this turn of events. If what Red Wood said about some of the Cultists being tied up with the guards because they refused orders is true, then that maybe the break we've been needing.”

Solid Star gave a little cough, and said. "Princess, you do know the story that Red Wood told you don't exactly match all the facts. The timing seems off." 

Twilight nodded, "I know, but considering the circumstances some confusion could be expected. Later we'll compare his story with the guards back at the barracks. I'm sure any discrepancy will be cleared up."

Meanwhile in the ER Bay, Red Wood and Gentle Breeze continued to embrace, there was nothing fake about their passion. Still, while still clinging to each other they started to whisper to each other.

“They haven’t hurt you?” asked Red Wood.

“Not yet, but they elder said…” Gentle Breeze gulped, Red Wood could feel her body shudder. “..The elder said, I’ll have to be strong, the pegassi lovers torture any of the Stone Heart they capture alive and kill most of us.”

“I’ll be with you to give you strength, they don’t know I've had my eyes opened to the Stone Heart, they’ll let me come and take care of you.” Red Wood was tearing up as he said this. 

“Yes, please” Gentle Breeze rubbed her hooves on Red Wood’s shoulders, patting down his mane. “Remember though they can’t be allowed to suspect you. Were you able to get a potion from the doctor to keep that alien thing in your head asleep? We can’t risk it upsetting our plans.”

“Yes, Princess Twilight, of all ponies helped me get it. She has been very helpful, I hope I can help open her eyes when it comes time.” Red Wood replied. 

“Only if I can help my love,” Gentle Breeze gave Red Wood a coquettish look, “but don’t endanger the mission, she’s not the primary target. Your job is to help the guards and distract the Princess. “

Then Gentle Breeze looked much more serious, her eyes locked on Red Woods, “But you have to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“This is important, if the turned Stone Heart guards can’t rescue us, and the pegasus lovers torture starts to work, if there is any sign I’m starting to turn away from the Stone Heart.. Please my love, End Me. I don’t want to live as a traitor to our cause. “

There was tears in Red Woods eyes, and a small tremor ran through his body, but with absolute conviction he whispered back. “Of course my love.”