//------------------------------// // Closing Gaps // Story: Being of Two Minds // by cosmofur //------------------------------// In the magicly silenced private office the events in the lobby where unnoticed.  Instead the two Alicorns were dealing with their own crisis. After a long time of not speaking, Twilight Sparkle and Celestia just comforted each other, not as teacher and student, or as Princess but as two simple mares that had seen terrible things. They stood, leaning on each other, there necks nuzzled together in a quiet hug, neither said anything for long minutes. After more time than they really could afford passed, Twilight lifted her head and opened her mouth to speak. She was going to say something like ‘It’ll be alright’ or ‘Pony’s will understand’ or perhaps ‘you did nothing wrong.’ but then she closed her mouth. Twilight wanted to comfort Celestia but she couldn’t say any of those things, it wasn’t the complete truth and she knew Celestia would reject the words, even perhaps by lashing out. Twilight loved order, she lived by checklists, and there was a huge gap in her mental list, the line item that read ‘comfort Celestia and tell her it will be alright’ just couldn’t be checked off now, perhaps it never would. A hair on her mane flew up in a wild crooked line and Twilight briefly smiled too wildly as her mental gears were forced to skip a sprocket. With an effort she patted her mane down and mentally forced herself to skip to the next item on her mental checklist. This item was in bold imaginary text and read ‘Defeat the Cult’ She couldn’t check that one off yet either, but she COULD think about it and make plans. That was something Twilight could do. Twilight bent down and using her hoofs rather than her magic, picked up Celestia’s crown. She stood on her rear legs and started to put the crown back on Celestia’s head. The older Alicorn flinched from the contact, but before she could voice an objection Twilight said, “Celestia, for now you HAVE to be the Princess, after we defeat the Cult we can talk again, but until then, neither you, nor me, nor Equestria has the luxury of rejecting our responsibilities Can you do this for me?” Celestia closed her eyes, tears had been flowing freely during their previous conversation, but now she forced herself, willed herself to stop. She was the rock that Equestria had rested on for over a thousand years, she had banished her own sister for the good of her ponies. She would find the strength. She spoke, her voice cracking at first but gaining strength. “I must, only because regardless of how I may feel like a fraud, I can’t deny the Ponies of Equestria, even if I’m nothing but an empty symbol.” Twilight disagreed, “Your wisdom is real Princess! We need it more than ever.” Celestia smiled, “My dear Twilight, you’ve grown in your own wisdom, and for at least the next few days we will all have to rely on that. I will wear the crown, for you and for my little ponies, but I can’t lead, not until I completely purge this poison in my system. I’m not sure you should even trust my advice until I’ve had some time with Doctor Somnolence.” “Right, you said the spell was cast on you.” “Even now, it is trying to tell me to attack you, and blame your death on the Pegasuses guards.” Celestia said this with a strange smile. “Attack me!” Twilight’s eyes opened wide. “The spell wants to kill me?!” She backed away a step. Celestia chuckled, “There’s no danger Twilight. Never would I follow that instruction. The spell is not really that clever, it keeps trying the same tactics. But I do admit, I’ll be happier once the incessant nagging comes to an end. But it does tell us something about the Cults plans and tactics. They clearly want me, and probably my sister under their control, probably to manage the Sun and Moon for them, but I doubt they see a purpose for a Princess of Friendship and would only want to use you as another way to rally hatred against the Pegasi.” Twilight gulped, not realizing just how hard it was to try to understand the Cult’s way of thinking. That was something else she was going to have to add to her mental checklist. ‘Learn to think like the Cult leaders, in order to defeat them.’ Turning to Celestia she said, “I’ll start the fight, we need capture and attempt to cure the palace staff and guards. That has to be the first priority we can’t allow the Cult to maintain control of the palace even just as a symbolic victory. Meanwhile you need to see Doctor Somnolence, the sooner you get through the first treatment, the better.” “First treatment? Right the Doctor’s notes said the first treatment is the most important.” Celestia asked, “You observed the first patients. How did it go?” Twilight shuddered, “Effective but magically exhausting.” Celestia shook her head in confusion, “Exhausting? Why?” “Oh right! So much happened,  I forgot you didn’t know yet. We started treating Gentle Breeze but Solid Star…” Twilight paused sadly for a moment, until Celestia nodded for her to continue. “Solid Star had suspected something was up with Red Wood and bucked him onto Gentle Breeze’s bed putting him into the EPC field. It ended up that Red Wood was suffering from the Cult’s spell as well. I had to use my magic to enhance the size of the EPC field so we could treat both of them. The inverse cubed root law, meant it took a lot of my magic to keep it up.” “Red Wood!” Celestia said in surprise. “Yes of course, this new vile version of the Cult’s magic works fast, he must have been enscrolled when he was captured. We’ll need to come up with a more sensitive magic test for the spell. But didn’t I see Red Wood on your back before?” “A single treatment was enough for you to trust him?” Celestia asked warily. “I think so, he really helped me with the bomb. But the Doctor Somnolence did say after a few hours he may relapse so he has to have daily treatments until they’re sure. I guess that will be the same for you.” Twilight added sadly. “It be a relief to get this noise maker out of my head.” Celestia countered. “Let’s go talk to the Doctor and make sure Red Wood is back in his care. Once we’re back in the lobby, I’ll make a simple announcement saying you will handle the fight with the Cult, while I’ll be working behind the scenes on relief efforts. That should calm the population while I’m getting treated.” Celestia led Twilight to door and as she opened it, she also dropped the silence spell. A blast of mayhem and noise rushed through the door, loud enough to make both Alicorn’s squint in shock while their manes were blasted back as if in a wind tunnel. Both Princesses gave each other a tired look and galloped forward into the hospital lobby. There they found a chaotic scene that was only missing Discard and a bag of popcorn. Ponies of all sort were piled three deep on Spring Kicker whose head and forelegs stuck out from the bottom of the pile, looking stunned and confused. On the other side of the lobby, other ponies, including some nurses and doctors stood in a half ring around Red Wood who was bloodied and bruised and seemed unconscious. The gawking ponies seemed frozen in indecision, uncertain to aid Red Wood or Spring. Twilight Sparkle took this in and started repeating, “No No Nononononono!” Celestia was more decisive, and though she used a soft voice that was nothing like the Royal Canterlot Voice, every mare and stallion in the large room heard her as if she was standing right next to them. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!, Stop this foolishness now!” There was a moment of near comical dumbfounded faces all looking at Celestia, even Spring Kicker looked up, his head and one leg visible under the pile of ponies. A few ponies jumped up and tried to explain, most talked over each other resulting in unintelligible nonsense. With a sigh, Celestia pointed at a random intern and asked. “Just you! Explain this immediately!” Stammering the gray earth pony intern explained, “Sorry Princess, but you said we couldn’t trust the guards and he was beating up that other pony.” He pointed from Spring to Red Wood. Celestia wrinkled her brow, “I said not to follow the instructions of the guards! Not to try to beat them up.” She face hoofed and sighed. “Twilight can you check on Red Wood. I need to clarify my instructions.” Celestia called over most of the ponies to one side of the room, while Twilight and a few of the medical ponies nearest to him, kneeled to check on Red Wood. Spring Kicker wasn’t injured in any serious way and stood near Celestia, frequently glancing towards Red Wood. He looked uncertain and guilty but was also still angry. Celestia repeated to the other ponies, with more emphasis the same warning she gave before about not trusting the regular palace guards and workers but when a moment became available she quietly told Spring Kicker, “I’m very disappointed Guard Kicker. What ever made you attack Red Wood? It’s not his fault that he was waylaid by the Cult and has already re-earned Princess Twilights trust by aiding in disposal of unexploded bombs.” Spring narrowed his brow in anger, he attempted to make his voice sound apologetic but mostly failed as he answered, “I’m sorry Princess, it’s just not fair, what happened to Solid Star, and I just wanted to hit somepony that I knew was involved. I..sor…” Before Spring could complete his apology, Twilight Sparkle called out loudly from the other side of the room. “Princess Celestia! Red Wood! He’s not waking up!” Deeply concerned Celestia cantered over with Spring following behind. She gave one long glance at Red Wood, her horn glowing as she probed the pony with a quick scan. “He has some bruises and small cuts, but I don’t sense any serious injuries.” Then she probed deeper, seeing if she could sense the remaining effects of the Cult’s spells. With a gasp Celestia looked at Twilight deeply concerned, “We got to get him to Doctor Somnolence right away!” An orderly nodded and ran off towards the main hospital. “What is it Princess?” Twilight asked. “Magical induced depression, he’s shutting himself down. Doctor Somnolence said he could prevent this, but in past infestations of the Cult, every victim that started down this path,” she paused as if to consider her words, “ever victim that became like this, died within a few hours.”