//------------------------------// // Dropped Crown // Story: Being of Two Minds // by cosmofur //------------------------------// Princess Twilight Sparkle flew wildly through the sky with Red Wood clinging to her back. She was trying to catch up with Princess Celestia who oddly enough also had a unicorn on her back. Much to Twilight’s consternation though, Celestia wasn't slowing down or letting her catch up. Twilight was sure Celestia had seen her, they had locked eyes for a second but where Twilight had expected a welcoming or at least a reassuring look, Celestia’s eyes had widened momentarily in fear, then the elder Princess locked down her expression into one that was unreadable. Rather than moving towards Twilight, Celestia turned her course towards the hospital and dived down to the entrance. Twilight tried to follow but Celestia had put on a burst of speed that would have made Rainbow Dash proud. Twilight landed letting Red Wood to slip off her back, the unicorn was shaky on his hooves but his expression mirrored Twilight. “Do you think…” he started to ask but Twilight didn’t stop to listen, she raced to follow Celestia. Twilight found Celesta in the main hall of the hospital, already a crowd of ponies gathered around her. To one side stood one of unicorn guards that by this time Twilight knew very well, he was one of the ones that was supposed to be guarding Red Wood but had disappeared during his treatment. Twilight remembered Spring Kicker was his name, and she thought he did not look well. As Twilight worked her way through the crowd she finally caught Celestia’s gaze and the two locked eyes for a long moment. Twilight tired to read her mentor’s expression, to most any other pony it was a calm and controlled expression, but with her long experience with Celestia Twilight found no comfort in Celestia’s face.  She realized the flash of fear she had seen before was no fluke, and the mask was in danger of cracking. Celestia eyes hardened, she had come to some sort of decision, and motioned for Twilight to join her. As the younger princess moved to her side, Celestia announced to the crowd. “My little ponies, we have a crisis on our hooves and I need you all to remain calm. The palace is now in the control of a deadly enemy force. Just about the entire staff and the majority of the earth and unicorn guards are under magical mind control. The most important thing we can do now, is get word out, no one is to take orders from the palace staff or guards without confirming them.” Celestia paused here to think. “Your best bet is to follow the pegasus guards as they are the least likely to be affected. Meanwhile stay away from the palace and do not follow the orders of the palace guards, they are dangerous, if you encounter them, try to escape or run away. Princess Twilight Sparkle will have more instructions for you, once I explain the situation to her. Follow her orders as if they were mine.” Twilight had stood next to the Princess during her short speech and in her mind tried to stand firm to project strength and confidence. But unlike Celestia Twilight was far from a refined political actor and it was the best she could do to keep from shaking and screaming. Once Celestia finished she tapped Twilight on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow. Celestia led her to a private office behind the reception desk, and after asking a duty nurse to step out, closed the door and blinds and cast a privacy sound blocking spell. While Celestia paused to gather her thoughts, Twilight let loose all the questions she had started building up. “Are you OK Princess? Did the Cult attack you? What happened in the palace?” Celestia didn’t answer Twilight, but instead gave her a long deep look, then she lowered her head nearly to the ground. Twilight had never seen Princess Celestia look so depressed. Before Twilight could form another question, Celestia raised a hoof to her own crown and knocked it off her head, making it skit across the floor to rest between Twilight’s feet. Confused Twilight asked, “What’s going on Princess?” With a strained voice Celestia said, “I abdicate.” For a long moment Twilight tried to process that. “Huh?” “I give up my throne. I no longer am worthy of being a Princess.” Twilight still struggled with the idea, “You can’t give up your throne!” “I have to,  I was stupid and couldn't protect my ponies. I should have seen this coming.” “Princess! You can’t mean that. We need you, now more than ever.” Twilight cried. Celestia turned away from Twilight to look at a spot on the wall, she paused for a long time not able to answer Twilight. Then with a strained voice she whispered, “I let them get to me. I was weak. This version of the Cut is doing things none of the previous infestations ever tried. They must have discovered new spell, a new potion or poison. Its a pill, they forced me to swallow….” “Forced you to swallow!” Asked Twilight, “does that mean.” Without looking at Twilight, Celestia nodded and cut her off, “It means I’m affected by the cults spell, I’m still fighting it, even now it’s whispering to me. I can’t trust my own judgment.” Twilight moved closer, “You know about the spell, that should make it easier to fight.” She started to raise a hoof to put on Celestia’s shoulder to comfort her. but the elder Alicorn blocked the gesture with her wing. “No! Even more when I successfully fight it, I can’t trust myself.” Celestia seemed to ready to say something more, then she cut herself off. “Princess I don’t understand! You can’t just leave me to fight this war against the Cult by myself! What happened?” Twilight cried. “They have nearly all the palace guard in their thrall, but I didn't realize it, not in time. Then General Righteous came to me, he was one of THEM. He forced me to take their poison.” “The General? Forced you? But how?” Twilight truly could not imagine any pony capable of forcing the powerful Celestia to do anything against her will. “He surprised me, he had it in my mouth before I realized what was going on, and it dissolves instantly, I wasn't even able to spit it out. Then, Twilight, the  poison, it talked to me. In my head and in my own voice it talked to me and told me so many horrible things. Things I know are false and lies but they were coming from within me. Even now it’s only due to my centuries of experience can I tell which voice is mine and which is the Cult’s poison.” “OK Princess” Twilight tried to calm her down again, “I actually do understand, that’s what Doctor Somnolence’s treatment is all about. I watched first hand as he cleared the Cult’s spell from Red Wood’s and Gentle Breezes minds! We can cure you, easily since you already can fight it.” “NO!” Princess Celestia’s voice grew louder and angrier, her mane glowed brightly in her anger and Twilight had to back way. “You’re not getting it. I fought off the spell! I knew what I was doing!  I went against the commands of the Cults poison! And that’s what’s wrong!!” Then in a softer but still intensely hurting voice she continued. “The Cult’s spell is not complete, not fully ingrained until the victim has her mind programmed to associate the Cult’s messages with good feelings and pleasure.” “Pleasure?” Twilight nodded, she had already studied the spells structure from a technical point of view for a while now, but hearing the Princess description sounded alien, distant. “The Cultists, force the victim to feel, forced pleasure. Things that talk to the most basic instinct of a Pony. They…” Celestia paused here as if she needed to gather strength to say the next word. “sexually stimulate the victim.” She looked back at Twilight,her eyes willing the younger Alicorn to understand. It took several long moments for Twilight to read between the lines of Celestia’s words. “Sexual? Oh Celestia!” She put her hooves up to her muzzle in shock. “They raped you!” Celestia let the words hung in the air, before in an exhausted motion she gave Twilight a single soft nod. “Yes” she whispered, her head dropping in exhaustion. Twilight looked over her shoulder through the closed door and seemingly at the ponies beyond it. “Does that mean all the Cult victims? Even the stallions?” “Yes” Celesta breathed out again. In a dead voice, she added, “Doctor Somnolence will need to be told. He’ll probably find a way to use that knowledge to improve the treatment.” Twilight looked at Celestia and ran up to her, putting her hooves around the larger Alicorn’s neck, who flinched slightly at the touch, but allowed it. “Oh Princess Celestia! I’m so sorry! We’ll make them pay!” “I made them pay already” Celestia whispered into Twilight’s ear, but added, “And that’s why I can’t call myself a Princess anymore.” “But? Huh?” Twilight asked still confused. “I said, I resisted the Cults spell, I was weak and unable to move, at least at first, as I fought the battle in my mind. That’s when they started.” She sobbed, “started...it. The voice of the Cult’s poison was telling me to relax, to enjoy it, to accept it. I did NOT do what the Voice told me.” “Four guards, Twilight, four of my most wonderful guards, ponies I knew. Ponies I would have called colleges, even friends. They were the instruments of the Cult. While I was unable to move, they embraced me. The Cult’s mind control made them think they were doing good. In their minds they were just trying to make me feel good, they were innocent in every way but one. They were tools of the Cult to get at me.” Celestia looked at Twilight willing her to understand, though the younger pony was still trying desperately to keep up. “If it was just that, if all it was my own dignity that was at stake, then I would have let them have their way and escape peacefully when opportunity arose. But that’s not what happened. Fate challenged me and I wasn't up to it.” “What  do you mean?” Twilight asked, “You would be willing to be raped if something else hadn't happened!” She was shocked and confused. “If it would have saved lives, yes, but I said four guards attacked, but the General wasn't among them, he instead turned his attention to two innocent guards, guards who unlike the others was not affected by the Cult’s spell. They had come to warn me, too late...too late. You know the two guards very well. Solid Star and Spring Kicker.” “Solid and Spring?” Twilight of course knew them. “They were assigned to Red Wood, they disappeared when the bombs started. Wait! Spring Kicker was on your back just a few minutes ago! He must be in the outer room now. What did the General want with them?” Celestia answered, “He wanted their lives, because they had come to warn me, about the bombs and I suspect the Cult. He attacked them in a terrible battle and I busy with my own fight could do nothing! Nothing that was until….” she paused. “Until what Princess?” “Until I watched General Righteous cut Solid Star down like a paper dummy.” Twilight gasped, “Solid Star was hurt by the General!?” “Killed Twilight, no euphemisms please. I watched him die.” Celestia choked off a cry. “Oh” Sobbed Twilight, “Solid Star!  But the General what did he do then?” “The General died.” Celestia answered. “I killed him, and with not even a thought or an excuse, I also killed the other four guards. “ Celestia paused and then recited with her eyes closed, “Bright Sword, Green Locks, Brass Armor and Fire Hoofs. I burnt them up to ash without a single hesitation, I didn't even leave bodies to bury. They were no real threat to me, nothing they could have done could have permanently hurt me. I have been forced to kill before in my long life, but never have I killed such innocent and harmless ponies. I’m a monster.” “Oh Celestia! They were doing horrible things! They dese…” Twilight tried to comfort Celestia. “Don’t dare say ‘they deserved it!’” Celestia screamed, loud enough to knock Twilight back several feet. “They were more a victim than I was, I was successfully fighting off the Cult’s poison! I can’t blame the Cult! They had no choice, but I did! I killed them and I didn't need to!” For a long moment the two alicorns looked at each other, both breathing hard before Twilight whispered “I’m so sorry Celestia.” It was enough to break the tension and the two immortal friends fell on each other shoulders and cried. Outside in the Hospital's main waiting room, stood more than a hundreds ponies, many in confusion and near panic. Princess Celestia had made her earlier statement about not trusting the guards and then she and Princess Twilight had disappeared into a sound proofed office for more than half an hour. Standing among the crowd were the two ponies that had arrived on the very backs of the Princesses. They each had been dropped off in the hall without so much as a comment from their respective royal rides.Since that time, neither Red Wood or Spring Kicker had noticed the others presence or done anything more constructive than staring at the closed office door. But both were busy in thought with the same question, “What now?” But even shock will wear off in time, and both unicorns were exceptionally resilient. So as the minutes of waiting stretched out, both started to look around. Red Wood spotted Spring and raised a hoof in greeting with a mild smile, at least here was a familiar face. Spring Kicker did not return Red Wood’s smile. Instead the guard, frowning hard, walked towards Red Wood, not moving very fast, he seemed reluctant and deliberate with each step. There was a deliberate ringing clop with each step. Red Wood stopped smiling, he was confused by Spring’s expression which was angry, openly hostile. Just last night, Red Wood clearly remembered drinking cider and telling stories with Spring, in the stress of the situation he couldn’t see the disconnect from that memory and the current situation. As the guard drew closer, Red Wood tried to defuse the hostility with a friendly greeting, “Hay there Spring, I saw you with the Princess, where’s Solid Star?” But Spring Kicker didn't answer, rather the young guard picked up his forward pace until he was moving at a full charge right at Red Wood. The crafts pony did sense that something was up, but still Red Wood’s reaction was way too slow, he didn't put up a hoof to defend himself, when Spring crashed into him, punching and bucking him with all four hooves. Red Wood fell like a sack of potatoes. He fell to his side and screamed involuntarily in pain. He kicked feebly and tried to block the blows from Spring, but couldn't even begin to defend himself from the trained guard. Spring Kicker got on top of Red Wood and blasted the older pony, screaming in his face so loudly that the entire crowd in the lobby turned to look. Spring yelled “He’s dead! You bastard! How dare you stand with the Princesses! You foul traitor! You might as well been the one holding the sword! You killed him!” The crowd gathered close, but seemed uncertain what to do until one of Spring’s kicks struck Red Wood’s belly and the crafts pony reacted by vomiting on to the floor. The smell and sight of Red Wood’s bile seemed to decide the crowd. One nurse towards the middle called out, “Stop him! That must be one of the royal guards turned traitor!” She said this loudly enough that the rest of the crowd started to repeat ‘traitor’, and started mumbling. Being called traitor broke through Spring Kicker’s anger and he looked up confused. “No! He’s the traitor!” He yelled pointing at Red Wood. A few burly earth pony orderlies moved forward, there faces angry and gesturing threateningly at Spring Kicker. As soon as they moved, large parts of the rest of the crowd followed them. Cries of “The Princess said don’t trust the guard!”, “Look at how he attacked that civilian pony!”, “He must be the one that set off a bomb in the Princess Celestia’s tower!” came from random ponies in the crowd. Surprised and hurting, Spring looked sided to side as the crowd was turning against him. He started backing away and slipped on Red Wood’s vomit. “No!” The crowd was a mob now, and Spring Kicker only managed to slide on the floor a few feet before a heavy mass of confused and angry ponies was on him. Red Wood was left laying on the ground, dazed and bleeding. He raised his head to look towards the noise, and saw Spring Kicker falling backwards under a tidal wave of brutal ponies. “No! Don’t hurt him! He’s right!” Red Wood tried to call out, but his weak voice couldn't contend with the crowds shouting. He tried to move towards the fighting, but could only crawl unnoticed by anypony. Like a sudden weight dropped on him, Red Wood felt a blanket of depression crush him down. Everything Spring Kicker had said was right. He was a traitor, he had endangered all those ponies and foals without a thought. He didn't deserve to live. He faintly remembered Doctor Somnolence’s words during the treatment, about the danger of depression, but he didn't care. Putting his head down on the tile floor, Red Wood let the darkness take him.