//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Within and Without // by Cloudy Skies //------------------------------// Despite the short distance back to the hotel, it felt like a positively endless journey to Twilight. Four sets of hooves and a steady pair of wingbeats, the sounds of a city springing to life as the sun cleared the horizon – everything seemed muted to the purple unicorn and it felt like they were galloping through water. They had found Trixie, but it might all have been for nothing. On top of this, how long had Fluttershy kept quiet about her troubles? How deep did this run? When they arrived at the entrance to the hotel, the door was open, and Winter Sun stood in the lobby. The pale-maned pegasus waited in plain view in front of the desk, visibly shaken. There was still no sight of Luna. "Um, guys, what's going on? Should I go call for an ambulance cart? Fluttershy just headed up to your rooms with some poor mare on her back." Winter said, watching the five ponies enter and only barely slow down at all as they thundered into the lobby. "Stairs," Twilight said, pointing to nearby staircase before turning to Winter Sun. "I think we got a handle on it. If you see Luna, please tell her to hurry." Winter merely nodded and stood rooted to the spot as Twilight followed the others upstairs. Rarity briefly checked the tag on the key she'd carried in her tail, and the ponies spilled into the hallway of the second floor. Firefly-globes brightly illuminated the hall, but the floor was being re-carpeted. Applejack led the way as they picked a path across the bare wooden boards, weaving between carpet rolls and tools. Rainbow Dash was the first to spot an open door down the hall, rocketing inside before the remaining ponies had time to even speak up. Twilight and the others slowed down to a walk as if by an unspoken agreement, softening their hoof-falls. It was a quiet quartet of ponies that rounded the corner and crept into the darkened room. The only light present was what Celestia's rising sun could sneak in through the heavy curtains, and it was hard to make out any details in the gloom. A pony lay unmoving on the bed, and another, presumably Fluttershy, sat by the side of the same bed facing away from them. Rainbow Dash stood just inside by the door, and the entire room reeked. It smelled like an outhouse mixed with an extra helping of decay. “How is she?” Twilight asked. Though she’d made her voice as quiet as she could, it still felt too loud. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, and she could see Fluttershy’s supplies scattered all over the bed and floor both. "She's not doing too well,” Fluttershy said, her voice unsteady. “She's barely breathing, and I think-" Fluttershy choked up. "I think she meant it. I think she really is dying, but I don't know what. I don't know why." "What's wrong with her?" Twilight asked, shuffling a little closer to the bed still and peering over at Trixie. Though it was still dark, it was clear that the unicorn was utterly filthy. Her mane and coat were a mess, and she looked so frail that Twilight feared merely looking at her would break her. Her chest barely moved at all, and the thin wheeze of her breath was almost inaudible. "She underfed, she's dehydrated and I need to clean some minor scabs and bruises, not to mention clean the rest of her," Fluttershy said, still sitting with her back turned. "But... I have no idea what's killing her. Whatever it is, I think she's given up on fighting it." Twilight bit her lower lip. She had seen ponies in hospitals before, but this sight was downright pathetic and frightening both. "Still think we shouldn't have come?" she asked, shooting Applejack a glance. It was a horribly unfair thing to say, and she instantly wished she could take it back. The apple farmer shook her head slowly, apparently taking it in stride. "Ah ain't never once asked to see anypony like this, Twi', and if we can help her, we should. But how?" “We wait for Luna,” Twilight replied, hoping beyond hope that she was right and that Luna could somehow help. Even so, it was not a happy thought, to condemn them all to sit here and wait as Trixie suffered. Twilight closed her eyes and lowered her head. "No magic you can do, huh?" Applejack asked before the silence settled. Twilight had to crack an eye look to make sure it was indeed Applejack who had spoken again. The farmpony's eyes were fixed on Trixie, unblinking. "Magic doesn't work like that," Twilight said, feeling smaller by the second. "If there was a spell to make somepony all better, don't you think I would've cast it?" The last sentence sounded angry. Misplaced, stupid anger. "'Course," Applejack muttered. "Waiting it is, then," she echoed. Rainbow Dash took a step towards Fluttershy. The yellow mare cringed at the sound of the single hoof-step, and Dash instantly halted. Twilight knew Dash was desperate for answers, but the brash and colorful pegasus seemed hesitant. A month ago, Twilight might have felt that she shouldn't be here right now, that it was inappropriate. Earlier, she might have been tempted to turn around and let Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sort things out between themselves. Part of her brain still believed that she was not involved and should leave, but the argument didn't even have the power to make her hesitate the barest bit. They were closer now. Never before had she so keenly felt the bonds that tied them together as the moment she realized this. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy muttered, her voice hoarse. "If you never want to see me again, I understand. I'll leave you alone and never speak to you again if you want." "Why the hay would I want that?" Rainbow Dash groaned in exasperation, her head following as she rolled her eyes. "I just want you to tell me why you didn't let me know." "I'm sorry, I really am, I should have told you, but when you had left, it was too late," the yellow pegasus said in a pained whisper. "And- and it would just have made you sad if I told you later, it wouldn't have helped." "It would have helped you in getting it off your chest, you idiot," Dash spat, scratching the side of her eye with a hoof. "I- I know we're different or whatever, but you can't bottle this stuff up!" "I just didn't want to hurt you!" Fluttershy cried, turning around. Her face was partially hidden by her mane, but the one eye they could see was rimme with red. "I don't want you to-" "Me? This isn't about me!" Rainbow Dash shouted back, averting her gaze and swallowing before continuing in a softer tone. "I left you because I thought I was helping you, making you a stronger pony. It was-" she paused, drawing a deep breath before releasing it with a shudder. "It was stupid. It was the dumbest thing I've done in my entire life. And I’ve done a lot of stupid crap." Fluttershy's head tilted down as she stared at the ground intently. "You didn't know, I should have told you sooner, but it- it wasn't your fault." "Oh for crying out loud, Fluttershy," Dash muttered through clenched teeth. The colorful pegasus pony crossed the short distance between them, sitting down right in front of her distraught friend. "Hit me." Fluttershy, who sat on her haunches, wiped her eyes with one hoof, and gently nudged Rainbow Dash on the shoulder with the other. "I said hit me, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash repeated, louder. "I don't want to," Fluttershy muttered. "I don't want to hurt you. Sorry." Dash leaned in closer, and Twilight wondered if she should step in. The blue pegasus mare's voice was a low growl. "Fluttershy, you are going to hit me, and if you don't, I swear I'm going grab your hoof and do it myself!" The timid yellow mare shook as she slowly raised a hoof up. It looked as if though she would break down, and Rainbow Dash seemed on the verge of making good on her threat before Fluttershy finally did it. The meek pegasus turned her head away, clenched her eyes shut, and smacked her solidly across the muzzle. The blow sent Dash reeling, and she fell to the floor. A series of small gasps sounded, one of them Twilight's own, but nopony moved. Even Pinkie Pie sat completely still, staring wide-eyed at the spectacle. Fluttershy opened her eyes again to look upon her fallen friend, and for a second it looked as if though she might strike her again. Her hoof was raised for a fraction of a second before she withdrew, scrabbling away from Rainbow Dash as if she were on fire, upending a nightstand in the process. "Why did you make me do that?!" Fluttershy cried, her face streaked with tears. "What is wrong with you?" Rainbow Dash slowly got back up and tentatively touched her snout with a hoof. It came away bloody, and the pegasus sniffled. Despite all this, Dash was wearing the beginnings of a smile. "You didn't say sorry." "Why would- oh my goodness, I am so sorry," Fluttershy cringed. Twice she extended a hoof as if she wanted to go help Rainbow Dash on pure instinct, but in the end she curled into a ball on the spot. "I'm so sorry, oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, please, why did you do that, why did I do that?" "Because you don't need to say sorry for every little thing! You're afraid of hurting anypony all the time, and in the end, you're the one who ends up hurt. You can't kill me with the truth, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said, slowly approaching the quivering heap of pony in front of her. Fluttershy fearfully withdrew from her touch, but Dash soon had her cornered against the wall and the bed, leaving her nowhere to run. Dash reached out and lightly poked her on the shoulder. "There. We're even," Rainbow Dash declared, turning around to face Twilight and the others. Face to face with so many staring eyes, her ears went flat against her head. "Um, guys, a little support?" Twilight shook her head and walked over to sit by the two pegasi, the others following. Rarity scooped up Fluttershy's head and began running a hoof through her mane, humming quietly. Applejack removed her hat and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Pinkie hugged Rainbow Dash close, saying not a word. "She's right, darling," Rarity whispered to Fluttershy. "Even if her methods are a bit crude," she quickly added, tossing the bleeding Rainbow Dash a glance. The blue pegasus pony did not appear repentant in the slightest, content to hold Pinkie close and look over her shoulder at Fluttershy. "Ah ain't ever heard of nopony dying because of the truth, sugarcube," Applejack said, sighing at the pegasus in question. "It's all fine and dandy that you're the nicest pony Ah know, and we love you for who you are, but if you hurt yourself, you're hurting us, too. Give us some credit, sugar. Trust that we can take it, hm?" Pinkie Pie gently disentangled herself from Rainbow Dash and leaned down to nuzzle Fluttershy's neck. "Silly filly, get up and give me a hug. It's all okay," she said, smiling. When the yellow mare failed to respond other than clenching her eyes shut even harder, Pinkie frowned. "Fluttershy?" "It's not okay," Fluttershy sobbed, inconsolable. "I'm just a liar, and you are all going to hate me, because I only told you part of it." Twilight puffed out her cheeks and exhaled slowly, speaking up before Rainbow Dash could make a comment, the brash pegasus looking well and truly exasperated now. "Fluttershy, we're all friends. It's alright. We'll get through this, and none of us are going to leave you no matter what." There was a round of quiet but heartfelt agreements from everypony at this. "And I said I'm sorry," Dash muttered, swallowing. "I don't know if I can ever make it up to you, but I am going to try." "It's not that," Fluttershy said, trying to bury her face in her own tail. "I never told you why I went looking for you. I- I never told..." "Oh come on Fluttershy, just say it," Rainbow Dash implored. "I'm trying to be nice here. Out with it!" Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash with wide, fearful eyes, trying to steel herself. The pegasus mare sniffled once, and nodded. "I'm happy for you and Pinkie, I really am, I just don’t want to be alone. I never want to be alone again. Ever since you helped me at flight school, protected me..." she began, and Twilight could swear she felt her own heart drop and come to rest somewhere next to one of her hindhooves as she caught on. Fluttershy whimpered. "When you left, there was a hole in me somewhere, and it hurts so much I can’t breathe sometimes. I don’t know, I’m so sorry, but I can’t stop thinking..." "Oh, Fluttershy," Rarity breathed, cradling Fluttershy’s head and closing her eyes as she nosed her mane. "Ah," Rainbow Dash said, puffing out her cheeks. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy muttered. "I told you you'd hate me. It’s not your problem," she said, shakily getting up on her feet and trying to push past the gathered ponies, making for the door. She was stopped by Rainbow Dash who put her hooves on her shoulders and pushed her down to the ground again. "For pony's sake, Fluttershy I don't hate you!" Dash said, looking a little bewildered herself. "And we’re friends! That makes your problems my problems, okay?" The pegasus sat down on her rump, sighing. "If I can do anything, I will." Fluttershy shrunk back and made herself very small indeed. “Please don’t worry about me, I’m sorry I ever said something. I just, I- I want somepony to hold me, sometimes.” “I’m here for you, Fluttershy, I just-” Dash said, nervously scratching the back of her neck. “I just need some time to think.” The rainbow-maned pegasus bit her lower lip and glanced over at Pinkie Pie. "What's there to think about?" Pinkie Pie asked. The pink pony tilted her head inquisitively at Dash, moving a little closer to the two pegasi. She was smiling broadly, and a ray of light that snuck between the curtains fell right on her face. "But-" Dash began. She looked like she expected Pinkie Pie to interrupt her, but the pink earth pony mare simply smiled and waited as Dash worked her mouth, trying to form a sentence or even a word at all. Fluttershy was back to hiding in Rarity's embrace and peering up at the two. "Okay, I give up. What?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I don't know what to think, ponies go off to think all the time! Thinking, I can do it, too. I mean, don't know what to think-" "You're going to think but you don't know what to think?" Pinkie Pie snorted and giggled. Dash blinked and drew back, indignant. "There's nothing funny about it!" Dash shot, making Fluttershy cringe. Pinkie Pie frowned thoughtfully. "No, you're right. It's not funny. It's really sweet and if I can borrow one of your favoritest of words for a teensy-weensy second, Dashie, it's awesome!" She beamed and gave a hazardous little bounce in the tight confines of the clustered ponies. "Fluttershy is sweet on you!" "Yes!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "And I don't know what to do! What has gotten into you, Pinkie? This isn't funny any more!" Pinkie crossed her hooves. "But you like Fluttershy," she stated, as blunt as a caber to the face. "You've told me you think she's cute as a button, and I think that's saying a lot, because you don't usually like buttons. At least not when they're on dresses." Rainbow Dash blushed and shrugged, cheeks tainted with anger and embarrassment both. She quickly glanced at the other pegasus who still lay silent. "Yes, of course I do! I like all of my friends! But there's kind of one little detail you're forgetting!" "Uh-huh?" Pinkie asked. "You!" Dash cried. "The fact that I love you, you stupid, silly filly! I don't know if I'm in love with Fluttershy because it doesn't matter. Because I have you!" Pinkie Pie shrugged, her optimism utterly unshakable. Her curly mane rustled as she abjectly refuted Dash's words with a shake of her head. "And I love you too, Dashie, but I just don't see why that matters! If you have room for Fluttershy in your little heart, and I know you do, then I do, too. Why can't it be that simple? I know some of the best cookie recipes are the simplest ones." Dash was speechless as she tried to take it all in. The pegasus held up a hoof, pointing at Pinkie Pie, and let it drop without a sound. She turned around and looked at Fluttershy, who instantly averted her gaze, muttering "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again. "It's just... not that simple," Rainbow Dash said, her voice weak. "I- don’t even know how that would work. How would that work? What are you even suggesting?" "Oh I don't have any idea at all," Pinkie admitted, giggling. "But come on, what's the worst that can happen? For a brave supersonic pony who's going to be the best Wonderbolt ever, you're a very silly chicken sometimes!" "I am not scared!" Rainbow Dash protested, but she deflated instantly, refusing to take the bait. Dash turned back to Fluttershy and looked just as lost as the butter-colored mare herself. "Fluttershy, please, listen. I don't know how this works. I don't know, but... I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to be alone, okay? I’m here for you, so, uh. Just bear with me," she paused and looked back at Pinkie Pie, who looked content. "Bear with us?" Fluttershy's head barely moved. It was the tiniest of nods Twilight had ever seen, but her hopeful eyes told the tale far more clearly than any words possibly could have. It took Pinkie Pie approximately a quarter of a second to scoop up Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both in a hug. "Um, Pinkie, can we please, maybe-" Fluttershy squeaked. "I'm sorry, but I can't... breathe." "Pinkie!" Dash added, and the earth pony finally let go of the pegasi, giving them a mock pout. "Aw fine, but you're loco in the coco if you think you're getting away from hugs in the long run, I tell you!" she said. "I'm sorry for being so much trouble," Fluttershy said, still struggling to meet anypony's gaze. "And thank you. I don’t want to- to, um, get in the way." "Okay, seriously, Fluttershy, stop apologizing, and I don't even know what you're thanking anypony for," Dash said, though she was smiling as she puffed out her cheeks and sighed. "Step one, no more 'sorry'." "Sorry," Fluttershy muttered, but she smiled right back as she accepted a hug from Rarity, who whispered something about this all being ‘terrifically modern’. "Ah swear," Applejack muttered. “T’aint how we do it back on the farm, that’s for sure.” The apple farmer let out a low chuckle as she smiled. Twilight wiped her snout and giggled. She was about to make a comment on her own when she thought she heard something. The purple unicorn held a hoof up to her mouth and hushed the assembled ponies all, perking up an ear. Indeed, once they were all quiet, they could hear rapid hoof-falls, something coming up the stairs at a gallop and then thundering down the hall. Rarity reached out and touched a globe on the wall by the nightstand to rouse the fireflies, bathing the room in a soft glow. "Luna?" Twilight called, and indeed, the princess burst into the room a second later, glancing swiftly about. She was met with hopeful and relieved looks. Before she even thought about what she was doing, Twilight ran over to lean against Luna's neck, sighing in relief. The princess looked down at the purple unicorn and broke into an appreciative smile even as Twilight blushed and withdrew. Her attention didn't linger, though. The princess approached the bed very quietly, each step slower than the last. It was, in fact, too quiet. The soft wheeze that had served as the backdrop in the room until mere seconds ago was gone. "Did she just... stop breathing?" Twilight asked, a chill running down her spine. Fluttershy gasped and leaned over the bed. She put a hoof to Trixie's neck and put an ear to her mouth. "No, no, no no no no," the pegasus began muttering, pouring over to the supplies she had scattered all about the place. "Roseroot salve maybe? Wibblereed paste? Tea with- I, no, no no!" Twilight was rooted to the spot, staring at the lifeless unicorn pony. She had never before watched anypony die, and she desperately hoped that she still didn't have to. Her attention automatically locked on to Luna, who stood absolutely still surveying the scene. "Luna, can't you do anything? Can you fix it? You have to fix it!" she pleaded. "It is not in my place to bring life or death to anypony, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said, closing her eyes. "I am sorry. It is not my gift to grant or revoke." "So you can do it," Rarity said, watching Fluttershy madly dash back and forth, uselessly tossing her herbs and remedies all over the place. "But you won't." Twilight blinked back tears. Her throat felt tight. "What's the point of having power when you can't use it for good?" she asked. "What's the point? If you can fix stuff, but you don't? What kind of power is that?" "The kind of power that comes with great responsibility," Luna replied very quietly. The princess had removed any trace of emotion in her voice with mechanical precision. "The kind of power that is kept to a set of greater rules for the good of all." "Is this about destiny and prophecy? Even you can't know everything that will happen!" Twilight blurted. "Nopony will know! Who will care if you save her now?" "Somepony will," Luna said, adamant. "The rules were laid down for a reason, and there can be no exceptions. That is simply how it has to be." "Even when it's your own damn fault?" Applejack's words froze the entire room. Even Fluttershy stopped, one hoof deep in her saddlebags, to look at the apple farmer. Applejack had put her hat back on, and was looking straight at Luna. The princess turned to look back at her, and though she looked almost bored, Twilight knew that it was just practiced neutrality that belied turmoil beneath. The purple unicorn knew the princess' subtle tells by now. The way she was breathing. Her stance. "Even when it is my own 'damn' fault, Applejack," Luna said, heavily. "Ah s'pose when you've done all you’ve done, it's easy to let one more slip the net," Applejack nodded. Twilight's eyes bulged. "Applejack! You can't- I, you-" she looked back and forth between the princess and Applejack. The air in between the two looked about ready to burst into flames from the sheer menace of the gaze Luna gave the orange earth pony. Applejack, for her part, shook her head dismissively and sat down. She outright ignored the larger alicorn, turning to Twilight instead. "Ah'm sorry Twi, but Ah look at Trixie, and Ah can't but help think what it'd be like if she were kin," Applejack muttered. "Might be it's easy for a simple earth pony like me to say this, but Ah know Ah'd move mountains to protect my own. And if bein' a princess is all about thinkin' everypony is your kin, well." Luna spread her wings and shook them asynchronously before refolding them, and moved a little on the spot. The princess was fidgeting, and the entire room held its collective breath. "Curse this!" Princess Luna spat, approaching the bed in a few long strides. Her horn began glowing with the color of pure molten silver, the radiance filling the room and growing ever brighter. Just as Twilight felt her eyes begin to hurt, the silver that sheathed the princess' horn was laced with a darker magic. The painful luminescence was tempered with more and more of this black presence. The way the silver and black danced about reminded Twilight a little of when Pinkie used her toffee machine to make multicolored candy. She gave a nervous chuckle at herself for even thinking it, and felt a reassuring hoof on her side from somepony a moment later. The light and darkness playing with each other was accompanied by a rustle of wind. The absurdity of a sudden indoors wind was comparatively low at this point, but it was a little disconcerting to watch as Luna's mane started blowing every which way, caught in a miniature hurricane. The bedsheets billowed and would probably have flown off if not for Trixie's body. In a flash, it was over. The light disappeared, the wind cut off instantly, and Trixie coughed. Were it not for that last little detail, it would all have been very underwhelming. Fluttershy leapt atop the bed and leaned in close, immediately setting about checking up on Trixie. "I nearly made it a full year," Luna remarked, pursing her lips. "I am sure Celly will be proud." The princess sounded decidedly sour. Twilight was just about to ask what Luna had meant when the light dimmed a little for a few seconds. This wouldn't have been that worrisome if the light-globe that Rarity had turned on earlier hadn't winked out when Luna had begun her spell. The only light in the room was the sunlight. It was the very sun itself that had blinked. "Okay," Twilight said, her mouth suddenly dry. "Something tells me that wasn't just me spontaneously contracting narcolepsy without noticing. What the hay was that?" "That," Luna said, wincing. "Would be my dear sister." She sat down on her haunches in the middle of the room and closed her eyes. Her horn glowed softly once more in a brief glimmer, and her voice was quiet when she spoke again. "She is near." Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a thunderous crash as the entire building shook. The last remaining pieces of decor in the room, those brave paintings and vases that had held up against romping ponies and Luna’s spell, finally gave up. Pictures fell off the walls and Fluttershy nearly toppled off the bed. Rainbow Dash had to steady Pinkie Pie to keep her from falling over Rarity. Six sets of eyes instantly looked to Luna for an explanation. "Luna! Sister!" came a desperate roar from down the hall. Twilight recognized the voice instantly, but the raw emotion in it was utterly incompatible with who she thought the speaker was. The hoof-falls that raced down the hall came unnaturally fast, an almost constant thrum. When Celestia rounded the corner, one of her wings tore down part of the wall. At least, Twilight had thought it was Celestia, but she wasn't quite sure any more. The princess entering the room looked the same as ever, the brilliant white alicorn with her multicolored pastel mane standing tall and proud, but her eyes were panicked and her stance alert, almost martial. Twilight had rarely seen Celestia's poise broken, but the goddess in front of her looked terrified. Luna calmly got up and walked over to lean against her. Celestia pulled back half a step, her horn glowing briefly with a brilliant light, but the second Luna touched her, she let it fade, breathing a sigh of relief. "Luna, what have you done? You are alright! Oh thank goodness, I thought..." Celestia said, closing her eyes and savoring the contact with her little sister. She murmured something unintelligible and was quiet. For a moment, the two siblings merely hugged, holding eachother close. "I am sorry," Luna murmured. "I would have let you know ahead of time, but time was of the essence. And besides, you would have said no." "I would have," Celestia said, pulling back to look down at Luna, a trace of anger creeping into her voice and expression both. "You broke the covenant." "So I did," Luna nodded. The two princesses seemed entirely oblivious to their audience. "Because I believe I am strong enough now to know that an exception can reinforce and prove the need for a rule rather than break it." Princess Celestia shook her head and gave her little sister a smile. "I think we had better discuss the logic of this later, but all the same, you know I trust you." "I am not entirely convinced you should," Luna chuckled and returned the smile with a wan grin of her own. "I am going to tell the proprietress of the hotel that nothing is amiss. I will be right back." "Ah, yes, I suppose the treasury will have to cover this," Celestia muttered to herself as Luna slipped out the door. She shook her head and looked over at Twilight and her friends, suddenly smiling as brightly and royally as only she could. "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash too. It is good to see you all again," Celestia said, walking over to cross necks with Twilight briefly. "Uh, hello, princess. How are you?" Twilight managed. "Hi!" Pinkie chirped, as the only other pony to find her tongue. "I expect Luna will give you the details," Celestia said. "I feared something terrible had happened, and never before have I been this glad to be wrong. I should get back to the banquet I was attending, though probably in a less, ah, violent manner." The princess glanced at the newly and irregularly enlarged door. "Oh," Twilight said, too dazed to even try to make sense of this. It wasn't her head that was filled with cotton; it was the rest of the world. "Well, that's nice. Um, have a nice trip?" "Bye Celestia!" Pinkie said, waving. "It was nice seeing you!" The sun princess chuckled and nodded, taking two steps towards the door before pausing. She looked over her shoulder at Twilight, and the purple unicorn had no idea what she was looking for. For her part, Twilight was only just now trying to categorize the recent events, forming it all into questions to be asked in order. She wondered how much Luna would tell this time, and which parts she'd omit in the ever-frustrating, ever-fascinating process of trying to haul secrets out of the goddess. Whatever Celestia looked for, she apparently found it. She turned around again, and leaned in close to the stunned Twilight. She let her horn brush against Twilight's with a little zap that was invisible to the naked eye before whispering seven small words in her ear. "Hide it well. You will save us." "Whuh-" Twilight stammered, roaming her own mind for something sensible, something familiar. "I- um, would you like the latest friendship reports now, princess? I have them right in my bags here, er, somewhere." She glanced around the room. "It's... probably under a fallen bookcase or something." "That's quite alright, Twilight. I'm really sorry for being in such a rush, too. I will come visit you all in Ponyville sometime soon, but duty calls." The princess sounded sincere in her apology and nodded to them, receiving a full round of bows in return as she made her exit. "The stairs are down here," they heard Luna say out in the hallway. "If you want to try the door instead of the wall, that is." Celestia chuckled, and the two sisters traded words too low to hear. Soon after, Luna re-entered the room, levitating a large tub of steaming water and a set of towels. "The covenant she refers to," she began immediately, setting the tub down next to the bed and hovering the towels in front of Fluttershy, "is the agreement that we came to after my return. In fact, it is my agreement to keep to the rules Celestia made for herself after my, ah, banishment. A list of limitations. Do-nots, as it were. Celestia swore off most forms of alicorn magic that was out of reach for unicorns after the events a thousand years ago." Fluttershy gratefully accepted the towels and set to the unflattering but necessary task of cleaning Trixie with great care. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie began collecting the scattered medical supplies for her as Rarity set to tidying the room and Applejack put furniture back in place. Twilight did not even register that she was probably being terribly unhelpful, her attention all on Luna. "Celly is a lot better at it than me, I guess, since she has not slipped once in a thousand years, and I did not last a single year, but I do not think I regret it. I suppose she feared a..." she pursed her lips, as if seeking for the right word. "A relapse." "A re-what?" Applejack asked. "That it would happen all over again," Luna said, mending the glass of a shattered picture and hanging it back in place. "But we defeated the Nightmare," Rainbow Dash protested, offering Fluttershy a jar of salve from the floor, which she accepted with a faint blush. "Bucked her right back to the moon!" Luna closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "No, there is no distinction. I love my sister, and I appreciate how much care she has taken to try to take the blame from my shoulders, but Nightmare Moon is no separate entity. At best, if I were to be kind, I would call it... a notion. A disease of the mind." Twilight moved over to sit next to Luna. Perhaps the princess would think it an absurd and condescending gesture, but it felt like the right thing to do at that moment. Luna leaned a little on Twilight, and the purple unicorn leaned back. While nopony offered comment, Rarity glanced at the two of them every now and then, smiling. "The story as told is largely right, though. No lies, only omissions. I do not know when jealousy seized a hold of me to the point where I could no longer see how wrong I was, but it is a very mundane and common flaw, no? Emotions can make ponies do the silliest of things," Luna said, smiling at the six ponies who were scattered around the room, receiving a few sheepish nods in return. "It is just a terribly dangerous thing when it happens to somepony with a lot of power at her hooftips. Thus, the covenant." "Ah'm sorry if Ah made you do something you oughtn't have done," Applejack said, shoving a cupboard back in place with her hindhooves. "The choice has always been mine. I do not believe in apologies, here. The choice to be an idiot a thousand years ago was mine. The same is true for leaving my relics insufficiently guarded. Thus, similarly, so was the decision to break my promise to Celly and bring back Trixie." Twilight looked over at the bed where Trixie was receiving Fluttershy's tender ministrations. The unicorn was still sickly thin, but she seemed to be breathing easy, and Fluttershy had done a good job cleaning and dressing her wounds. She was still red, though, and that little detail would never stop causing Twilight some confusion. "What did you do to Trixie?" Twilight asked, furrowing her brows. Luna shrugged. "I brought her back. Oddly enough, I think it was easier this way, because whatever touching the Star Hammer did to her, I doubt I could have fixed it. The damage caused is as permanent as any wound, but Fluttershy should be able to deal with that. When she passed, re-igniting the spark was foal's play. Right now, she is alive and well." "Trixie objects to the use of 'well' to describe her state," the red unicorn mare groaned, her eyes cracking open a tiny bit. She tried to get up, but Fluttershy held her down with a gentle hoof. "You need to rest," Fluttershy whispered. "Please go back to sleep." "No, Trixie needs to get out of here," Trixie muttered, struggling feebly and tossing her head back and forth. "Trixie does not owe you anything, please let go!" "Rainbow Dash, can you please help me?" Fluttershy asked, her voice rising a little in panic. Dash quickly obliged, flying over to the other side of bed and putting her hooves down on Trixie's shoulders. "Please," Trixie begged, trashing as much as her limited mobility allowed. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. "Please let Trixie go. It burns, help! Trixie didn't mean to touch it! Help me!" "She's delirious," Fluttershy sighed. "Can somepony get me the slumber root?" Pinkie Pie silently handed Fluttershy a small brown bottle, which the pegasus quickly opened and held under Trixie's snout. With Rainbow Dash's help in holding her still, Trixie couldn't avoid breathing it in. The frenzied trashing slowly subsided and her voice died down, bit by bit, until all that could be heard was a soft and healthy snoring. The yellow pegasus quickly put the stopper back on the bottle. "Thank you," Fluttershy said, yawning. "I, um. She's clean, and I'm a little tired, so I thought I'd maybe take a little nap, but I don't want to leave her by herself. I thought I'd sleep here, but..." the pegasus' voice dropped. "I don't mind staying here," Rainbow Dash said, shrugging. "And I guess I could really do with a nap myself." She stifled a yawn of her own. "When was the last time we slept anyway?" "I'll stay too!" Pinkie said cheerily. "Of course you're not going to be alone, silly little Fluttershy! I mean, if you want to be alone, you can of course ask, but I'm not going to Pinkie Pie swear that I'll say yes!" she giggled. Fluttershy smiled thankfully at the pair of them, and the poor pegasus must've been running on fumes and pure duty for the last hours, Twilight thought, because the second she knew she wouldn't wake up alone, she simply closed her eyes and lay down next to Trixie, asleep within seconds. "It is just as well, actually. I do not think you will have a lot of choice," Luna remarked, smiling at the sight of the sleeping pegasus. "This is really the only remaining furnished room in the hotel at the moment." "I thought we were given two keys?" Twilight asked. "Isn't there another room?" "I said remaining," Luna repeated. "The other room is down one and a half walls at the moment, courtesy of Celly's arrival. She did apologize to Winter Sun, and Winter Sun herself asked me to apologize to you in turn. She said she really should have expected something like this to happen and prepared at least two spare rooms." Twilight just shook her head as she took her turn with the yawn that seemed to pass around the room. "Well, we've got this place cleaned up well enough, and the carpets are soft, so I'll take the floor since the bed is a little small." "Looks like we have precious little choice. It will have to do," Rarity admitted, levitating a pillow down from the foot-end of the bed and making herself comfortable. "I think I shall retire for the night, as well. Ah, well, retire for the morning, I suppose," she corrected herself. "Ah've had worse," Applejack chuckled as she headed over to the door. "Ah'll head down and say sorry to Winter herself before Ah tuck in, though. It's only proper." "I will join you, I think, and see about making arrangements for some proper food for when you wake. As I understand it, the kitchen is not yet complete here," Luna announced. "Are you planning on sleeping, Twilight?" Twilight nodded, and Luna smiled. The purple unicorn knew full well what she was getting at, and indeed, the princess' horn was softly glowing as she approached the spot Twilight had picked out next to the bed. Only then did she remember Celestia's words. Tentatively, as subtly as she could, Twilight focused inwards. It was a little harder without closing her eyes beforehand, but then, she was hardly new to this. Even so, she couldn't repress a gasp at what she found. "Is something the matter, Twilight?" Luna asked. The princess had stopped in front of her, a single brow raised. "No, sorry, I just, I'm really tired," Twilight said, smiling and faking a yawn. The princess merely nodded at this and leaned forwards, the tips of their horns meeting for a brief, electric moment. Twilight instantly felt stuffy and muted, as if her magic was a set of teeth forced to chew on cotton. It was remarkable how it felt familiar yet different every single night. Was Luna varying the specifics of the spell every night to prevent her from breaking it? Twilight cradled the gift Celestia had given her, hid it in her mind. Soon, Luna's spell would be put to the test.