Diprosopus

by WritingSpirit

Nascent Love, Shriveled Love

He was fast.

Lightning fast, if he had to be.

Not tonight.

Perhaps tonight, the Masque had slowed down a considerable amount, leaping from roof to roof. Perhaps it was a sprained hoof, one can guess, or an aching wing. Perhaps he had grown old, or was old, but he himself knew that was far from the truth. Perhaps the hoard he had gathered in the night was overbearing for now, as even the wittiest of thieves may bite off more than they can chew. Of course, that was only half the truth.

The answer was the one few can imagine.

Perhaps he was saving a life.

He leaped with much more strength than he ever needed before, taking care not to drop Twilight Sparkle off his back. Her breaths were shallower by every passing minute, with rivulets of precious blood seeping through the cape that he tied around her wounded chest. She was fighting within her subconscious, thrashing once in a while in a vain attempt to fight back whatever demons that haunt her mind, all the while mumbling something quietly underneath her breath. Whatever she was saying, he couldn't comprehend, but he could hear the sound of fear in her voice. The sound that drove him to move faster.
"Don't worry, Twilight," he mumbled to her, gripping her tightly.
"You'll be safe soon."

The entrance to the sewers soon met him. Without another second to spare, the Masque quickly yet carefully placed the injured mare onto his back, galloping through the tunnels as fast as he could. It was all a twisted chain of events. Just a quarter of an hour ago, he was wooing Twilight Sparkle and set off to get a glass of water. That was before he heard some shouting, clashing of steel and a few audible fizzles. Five minutes later, he found Twilight splayed and unconscious on the carpet of a corridor, streams of blood flowing out from between the torn, ruptured flesh of her chest.
Now, here he was, running to save the life of said mare. The night that he presumed to be one of sweet nothings and happy thoughts had been maimed and warped. Death was tailing him, pursuing to get the life of Twilight Sparkle back. As a thief who would never give any of his loot up, however, he won't be a pony easily dissuaded.

All the laughter and cheering stopped when he had finally reached the sanctuary, the frozen look of desperation prompting many to look. Dripping blood prompted the older ponies to quickly escort the children away, the chatter reduced to murmurs and whispers when they realized who their savior had brought back. One mare, however, galloped up to the Masque, gasping as he laid down the mare onto the floor.
"Twilight!!" cried Trixie, paling at the gaping wound on her chest.
"Move aside, everypony!"

"Hold on now, Twilight," the Masque wheezed, pressing his hooves onto the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Twilight winced at first, before suddenly howling in pain, back arching up high as every nerve in her body jolted up. Loud, croaked whimpering filled the silo, the foals listening beneath their hooves already cringing amid their sheets. All of that was broken by the clattering of the first aid kit onto the ground as Trixie desperately unlatched it and fumble through its contents.

"Hold her still," the magician ordered, the Masque joined by another two as she ripped out a patch of cotton.
"This might get a little ugly."

A dip of ointment later, the patch was carefully lowered onto the gaping wound. Piercing cries went rampant throughout the room, screams echoing like a banshee in the night as the fine lattice stung Twilight's ripped nerves. She struggled vehemently, kicking and flailing her hooves about in vain as the others held her down. Carefully, Trixie dabbed it around the torn flesh, gritting her teeth from all the screeching as if it were needles being stabbed into her temple. She closed her eyes, tears falling; she didn't mean to hurt her. She didn't want to hurt her.
By the seventeenth shaky dab, Trixie finally yanked a long strand of bandage out from the roll. Carefully, they hoisted the trembling Twilight up, letting the magician do her work with every slow and meticulous circle of the cloth around her form. All the loud screams have long since become light gasps and quiet whines; the suffering was finally over.
"Thank you, Trixie," the Masque finally spoke after such a long moment of tense silence.
"I shall let her know of what you did for her tonight."

"Just doing what needs to be done," was her somber reply.
"Would she... would she be alright?"

"With enough rest, probably."
Perhaps that was the least of his problems now. Knowing what had happened back there, the Masque was sure that there will be orders given to comb the entire city in a desperate search for Twilight Sparkle. Smuggling her back into the palace would be a genuine challenge. Not one he would easily back down from, however.
Quickly thanking the rest for their efforts, he cradled the sleeping unicorn into his chambers before gently laying her down on the bed. Compared to the turmoil earlier, Twilight seemed calm, despite the distressed crooking of eyebrows and an occasional shiver of her hooves. Whatever nightmare that had shaken the composure of such a brilliant mare must be pretty terrifying, he thought to himself. She had, after all, faced the very nightmares that were carved in Equestrian lore, to which she had remained triumphant to this day. Granted, there were close calls that could forever scar a pony with trauma for the rest of their lives, but close calls all the same. It impressed him that she still seemed fine, knowing what she had went through.

At least, it would seem that way.

A small gasp from her jolted the Masque from his reverie, a frown forming on his face as Twilight's shivers grew more violent, the glimmer of tears in the moonlight leaking out of her eyelids. It was the first time he had ever seen her this vulnerable. Perhaps, he surmised, in all her past experiences of battling the demons of yore, she had never been so close to death. Perhaps Pendant Lakes served as the one battle that finally broke her in.
Everypony in Canterlot remembers that brief period of chaos in the past year. How a swarm of renegade dragons momentarily occupied the capital, how the Royal Sisters ventured up north to do battle themselves and how the country mourned for the loss of one of Twilight's closest friends. They all took it hard, so the rumors say. Surely, Twilight was no exception.
"Twilight, Twilight..." he mused with a shake of his head.
"The lengths that you can go to for your country..."

Of course, the Masque knew this wasn't just about patriotism.

At this point, it would never be about patriotism anymore.

Gently, the Masque held her up again, daintily stepping up onto the balcony as he looked down at the world before him. With a mare to save and a string of faith, he leaped off, falling for a good eighty feet before he stretched his wings open, gliding just over the decrepit chimneys of the suburbs and the domed spires of the main districts.
Settling on one of the many slate roofs, he placed Twilight down and unfurled his cape before carefully wrapping it around the mare like a sling. With that done, he plopped her onto his back, looping the sling around one of his wings. It would certainly render him flightless for a while, but it certainly wouldn't affect his jumping that much.

Once again, he made the return trip to the palace, hopping roof to roof before eventually reaching the courtyards. Carefully, he settled Twilight down onto the gravel road, a little surprised to find her still asleep, but nevertheless he glanced up at one of the many palace windows while he adorned his cape. Cradling the mare, he swiftly sneaked into the corridors, hooves lighter than a feather with the destination set right into his head.
The battle seems to have long ended, though the results were shrouded in mystery. All was quiet throughout the palace halls, though it was safe to say that the silence, however tranquil, unnerved him. Somehow, the home of the royal bloodline seemed to stare down at him, scrutinizing the intruder that was hauling in one of their own. Twilight was of noble blood, he had to remind himself sometimes. If anything, the Sparkle family was one of the most prestigious families in Canterlot; their ties with the alicorn rulers, notably Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's marriage, cemented that pedestal.

It was then that he remembered something she said.

Something that he held onto. Something he would never dare to forget.

"Equestria might need heroes like me to save the world, but we need ponies who can preserve it as well."

He remembered those humble words she said that night.

"Ponies who keeps everything alive and in good condition, ponies who can make sure others feel safe when they sleep at night..."

Those humble words that only made his love for her grow.

"Ponies which... which a hero like me can depend on and trust everything I have upon, including my own emotions."

Such eloquent words, coming from the mare on the pedestal.

Finally, the Masque arrived at his destination, standing before a pair out of many doors along the hallway. Cautiously, he glanced about, all the while assuring himself about the emptiness that surrounded him. He was certain the guards would be searching the palace top to bottom by now, but somehow, it felt like this wasn't the case. His suspicions were swept away, however, when the door before him suddenly swung open, the Masque jumping back immediately while the other pony gave a surprised yelp.
"Y-You!" croaked a familiar voice.
"Why are you..."

"Scootaloo!" the Masque exclaimed softly with a relieved gasp.
"Quickly, we don't have much time."

"What are you talking abou-- is that..."

"Yes it is," he said frantically, glancing around.
"Now hurry! Let me in!"

Without a moment to lose, Scootaloo stepped aside, ushering the Masque in hastily. Making sure not a single soul spotted them, she quickly shut the door behind her, trying to sort out the sudden onslaught of events as the stallion laid Twilight down onto the bed. Her eyes widened when the dim moonlight exposed the bloodstained patch on the mare's chest, a slight gasp escaping her mouth.
"Celestia, what happened to her?!" she asked.

"Not enough time to explain," the Masque simply stated, frowning grimly.
"It wasn't this dark when I came here..."

"What? What do you mean?"

"The color," he said, pointing at Twilight's bandaged chest, which seemed to turn redder by the second.
"She's losing blood again... Scootaloo, go get some help."

"But they would see you--"

"It doesn't matter now!" the Masque shouted, stopping when he saw Scootaloo shirk a little.
"It doesn't matter now, Scootaloo. Twilight is dying as we speak, okay? Now, I want you to be brave. I want you to save her before it's too late, understand? It's all up to you now."

"But what if... what if I fail?"

"You wouldn't," he affirmed with a grin beneath his mask.
"Trust me on that."

It took a second, but a determined nod later, Scootaloo galloped out of the room, leaving the Masque alone with Twilight. The only sound that filled the room was Twilight's rapid, guttural breathing, her hoof clenched tightly in his. Every vein and artery in his heart froze, his breathing coming to a standstill. The warmth within her prone figure was being ebbed away, the shadow of death almost casting over her. Clenching his eyes shut, the Masque resorted to words of prayer, hoping in his heart that Scootaloo have a swift return.

And a swift return it was.

The sound of galloping hooves made him leap towards the window, shutting the panes and perched on the windowsill like a gargoyle. Panting lightly, he turned back and took a small peep, a little surprised at who the teenage filly had brought along with her to the rescue.
"Will she be okay?" he heard Scootaloo ask.

"She will be alright now, young one," came the reply of none other than Princess Luna.

"She will be alright."

It was all about control.

To many, it may not be the best solution for insanity. By definition, insanity is supposedly uncontrollable. That may never be true, really. Sanity was just a term used to separate the average pony from those that possess abnormal behavior. Sanity was a fortress, insanity an accusation, a phrase used when the doctors could find no explanation. Conclusively, insanity is a subjective idea. The gravity of the idea, depending on how it was maintained, may or may not provide the means of control.

Princess Crystallia was a veteran of this.

A war veteran, one may put it.

Selena Gust, as her instincts and experiences told her, had the more lenient form of insanity. She was capable of having a rational conversation, she has a motive behind most of her actions and she was even a half of a romantic relationship. If one were to judge her without any knowledge of her condition, they would think she was just another average mare. It was ponies like her that the princess couldn't help but feel envious about.
"But if it gets out of hoof once again..." the mare asked with a small shiver.
"How would I calm it then?"

"Quelling those emotions, you may find, requires lesser effort than repressing your earthly desires."
Another thought that hinges onto the surrounding factors, Princess Crystallia mused. How can one really be sure with their heads thrusting in and out of sanity just like that? Selena was a fast learner, she surmised; she would figure how it would all work eventually. There is no law for such harum-scarum affairs. None worthy of sharing, at least.
Morning had come sooner than expected. The trial of Artemis became a celebration of the past. Now, here she was, dining with her subjects and the caravan like the night before, only with the position of Oracle vacant. Artemis was now with the enigmatic band of friends, catching up on all their stories and adventures with their leader and occassionally the pink one they call Pinkie Pie.

Strange.

It's almost as if she heard that name before.

Aside from the luxuries of food, she had been seeing each member of the caravan, partly to scrutinize them and second her initial judgement. More importantly, though, was to herald advice for them. She had so far provided some for Ollivander and Ganger; for the scout, it was to have a sharper wit and an encouragement with his unique relationship; for the cook, it was a mere compliment on his food. Selena was the harder one of the few, notably because it concerns her mental state and her sudden 'sisterhood' with Artemis.
"Both you and Artemis suffer from similar problems," Princess Crystallia continued.
"I cannot say when will you learn to calm it, but I can say that together, the revelation would come faster."

"What if..." Selena asks in a hushed tone.
"What if Ollie gets hurt because of me?"

"His love for you isn't that frail, I can guarantee. What I can't guarantee is whether the implications of your... outbursts may end up being fatal. Do consider that not only he may be the victim. There are others who can be hurt as well."

"And if it happens?"

"That is not up to the composer, is it? That is up to the conductor to decide how the symphony shall be played."

Selena's brows furrowed at that disconcerting thought, muttering a short 'thank you' before trotting back to her seat right next to Artemis, still sorting through her words of advice. A sigh escaped the princess's mouth; it was wiser to leave the pieces and let her figure out the puzzle. There is a thrill, in that the puzzle may end up becoming terribly wrong. Princess Crystallia couldn't help but smile at that dark thought.
The next of the caravan up was the one her subjects call the Hvid Jaeger, the White Hunter. To the rest of her friends, she was the headstrong, sometimes stubborn Dapple Deuce. To her, much to her own surprise, she saw something eerily similar. She thought nothing of it at first, yet whatever it was, something had just begun to come into the clear. Something terrifying, if not a little melancholic. Even as Dapple shuffled hesitantly towards her, she could see it all.

It has been awhile since she dwelled onto such feeble memories.

"My Lady Protector," Dapple said, giving a bow that she did not wish to give.
"I hear that you may have some advice for me."

"I hear you're not one that would usually heed advice."

"I try my best to listen," the mare replied with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess I can be stubborn like that."

"Even the stubborn have their share of worries," Princess Crystallia simply put forth.
"Now then, what troubles you?"

"Not much."

"So there is some trouble that you had, I presume?"

"Nothing major. Future plans, sibling rivalry, that kind of riff-raff."

"How about relationships of a more intimate kind?"
A large grin grew on Princess Crystallia's the moment Dapple looked away. No matter how one would look at it, she had definitely hit the jackpot. From the moment Dapple Deuce stepped in the cold embrace of her kingdom, the alicorn could feel her radiance. It shone even more when they arrived at the village, during the altercation between her and the priestesses. How queer, she thought to herself when she observed the scenario then. How the love of such lowly beings provoked memories of yore.
"You have a slight infatuation for the minotaur..." she began.
"Or rather, the minotaur had one for you."

"I guess he did."

"Guess? Please! Such situations do not just erupt from mere guessing games!"
Princess Crystallia's moment of appall quickly drew back into a cold smirk as she leaned forwards.
"So, where to begin, where to begin... do you fathom why he finds you attractive?"

"I... I don't know... I never thought about it..." the aquamarine unicorn mumbled.
"I mean, it's not like somepony... somepony will find me attractive anyway..."

"Oh, Dapple Deuce, Dapple Deuce! The tremendous catalogue of lessons that await you!"
A hearty chuckle burst forth from the alicorn's lungs, leaving Dapple Deuce sitting there, baffled. It amused her, to an extent that she had long thought would be far beyond her reach. Time and time again, she had been proven wrong. This was one of those times that she really relished the moment.
"I'm certain that you, as a novice of love itself," she continued amid a few giggles.
"You have a lot to learn."

"Are you here to give me advice or not?"
Frankly, Dapple was rather annoyed. In fact, if this play goes on any further, she was certain she would snap and raze the temple to the ground or something. Violence was always befitting of an answer to her; no harm done trying it out again. Of course, judging from the fading smile on Princess Crystallia's face, it would seem she would be skewered by icicles before she could start a rampage of any kind.
"Look, I know I suck at love," she stated bluntly.
"I probably have no experience with relationships or whatsoever. Heck, I even thought love was just an excuse for ponies to get together in bed or something. But now... now I'm just getting started. I mean, everypony has to start somewhere, right? You gotta go from zero to hero, right? If it means starting with you, then why not?"

Princess Crystallia just grinned. Of all the ponies Dapple Deuce would start with...
"Perhaps there is some experience worthy of sharing," she muttered after a while.
"Let's see how we could go about this... what do you see in him then?"

Dapple's eyes fell, cheeks reddening.
"W-Well... he helped me with a lot of things..."

"Like?"

"I don't know... he gave me a pendant for my birthday?"

"Innocuous," the princess blatantly remarked, much to the other's chagrin.
"You have to do better than that, Dapple Deuce."

"What do you mean better, Your Lady Protector?"

"Love does not simply stem from altruism, I'll have you know," she continued, turning away.
"Such love is false. Bland and arid. Nonexistent. If you think love is being selfless to another, it is not love at all. No, what you have is merely the seeking of attention. The desire to be noticed."

"But he..." Dapple's words halted, lost in a pinch of denial.
"He... loves me, doesn't he?"

"Then what do you see in him? Something remarkable, something exquisite to your eyes only!"

"I don't know, I n-never really thought he would feel this way to me... or I would to him..."

"Then we have your problem." Princess Crystallia let out a dark chuckle.
"You don't know why you love each other."

Dapple's ears folded back, head drooping down.
"I guess not..." she mumbled despondently.
"Heh... when you think about it, it's kinda pathetic, isn't it? Not knowing why you love someone."

"It is pathetic, but then again, I find love is pathetic of nature. Perhaps there is a way I may be of service."
Feeble memories conjured for her, enlightenment for another; the cerulean alicorn may not be fond of dredging out the past from the muck, but to Dapple, she may be panning for gold. One mare's meat is another mare's poison, after all. Or is that how the saying really went about then?
"I was once in your position, Dapple Deuce," she began, which earned a surprised look from the mare.
"Yes, you could say I had a suitor. A long, long time ago."

"Who was he?"

"One of us. A fellow prince."
Princess Crystallia still remembered his name, though it had long been considered taboo at this day and age. She could still remember his face, that arrogant, moronic face. She remembered the flamboyant way he talks, the proud struts he would take, the deceptive smirk he would wear every time he looked her way... she hated him. She hated him so much.
"He was loud, ruthlessly irritating and had an overly inflated ego," she rasped, throat clenching onto that very same hatred.
"Everything about him was disgusting. Mannerisms, sense of humor, even his voice. There were one too many times that I really wanted to just snap his neck, though I refrained myself from doing so. If anything, he deserves a praise for testing my tolerance."

"How did he start it?"

"Overtly," the princess answered, flourishing with spite.
"One day, he just came up to me and said he found me attractive. It would've been flattering if he didn't sound like such a dismal trout. Of course, I would have none of it. Really, the last thing I need around is a fool like him. Of course, that didn't mean he had given up so easily. Quite the opposite, actually: it motivated him to try harder. So he did. Every time he tried to get me closer to him, I denied his advances."

"He must be very determined to win you over, huh?"

"The word is stubborn, Dapple Deuce. He was stubborn to think that I shall return his affections. When I told my brother about it, he did everything in his power to make sure we wouldn't get together." Princess Crystallia coudn't help but chuckle. "Aquaros made sure he never got close to me in any way. Honestly, it did little to help."

"So do you actually like him?" Dapple had to ask.

"Perhaps I did. Perhaps I did not. I was never really sure. There were times where I was truly amused and also times where I absolutely abhor his stunts. Never had I felt towards him what my brother felt towards Terra... that was what I thought back then."
That was the moment when Princess Crystallia let out a dreamy sigh.
"It was on that day... the last day I had ever saw him, the last day he was our friend. The last day he held the title worthy of prince... was the first day I had really fell in love with him."

"What happened? What did he do?"

"There was a fight between two pony tribes, both of which had amassed a grand army to do battle. Naturally, as my fellow 'friends' would have it, we were on one side of the battle with the intention to aid. Back then, we always strove to help those in need, even if it meant waging a war. So there we were, myself, my brother, Terra, him, the rest of us... just fighting."

"Then he did something, right?"

"Certainly, albeit it was something that costed him dearly."
It was as if time froze up that exact moment and bestowed it upon her, forever etching it in the ethereal papyrus of her memory. Every time she closed her eyes and revisit that moment, everything plays out like it happened. She had watched it over and over throughout her long life and yet... it was a new experience. Each time, she finds something new. Something intriguing.
"He had once told me about it before," Princess Crystallia muttered.
"It was an idea. A nefarious idea, I can imagine. He knew it can only be tested on any day of battle. Dangerous, isn't it? To have an idea that could only be shown at the exact moment when it's most needed. You have no idea of the chances of success, the chances of failure, whether they even up or one outmatches the other. To him, however, it doesn't matter. He was that sort of a fool."

The moment played through her head again, a smile etched across her lips.
"That was the day he used it. He let out this... this immense whirlwind of fire from his horn, fire so dangerous, even we were singed by it. That very same whirlpool tore through our adversaries, consuming them, devouring them... I could hear them screaming... crying... a valley of pain and suffering beyond imagination... even I could not believe my eyes, until I saw him."

Dapple bit her lip at the sight of the princess, those royal eyes glazing off into space. Her smile seemed almost porcelain, ready to be broken up by a fit of hysterical laughter at any second. She swore the room felt a little colder then and yet... somehow, there was a strange feeling of warmth simmering around. A warmth that made her shiver from fear.
"He was consumed," Princess Crystallia's voice strained to come out.
"Lost in the inferno he created... no, he became the inferno. He became the uncontrollable blaze that swept through the valley. The look of rage he wore... he wasn't going to stop. Perhaps he would never if we didn't intervene. All of them went to stop his rampage... all of them, except me."

"Why? Didn't you help out or something?"

"I believe I would've, if I wasn't so mesmerized by what I was seeing. Oh, if you could see it..."
That smile of hers grew wider, this time resembling the nesting dolls of Stalliongrad. It was all playing out in her head. The blazing field, the scent of burnt flesh, the chorus of screams that tore through the skies... all that suffering, all that pain... her hoof was already jitterbugging with morbid excitement. She loved it! She loved every moment of it! It was as if he created a show just for her sole enjoyment. The perfect gift to win her heart had been bestowed to her by the most unlikely soul.
"If you could see how he did it... you would feel the same..." she crooned, the deranged grin fading away.
"But they had to stop him. So they did. By the time he was done, too many had perished, both from our side and the enemies. Too many bodies... it was criminal. Unbelievably so. Not once in my entire life to this day that I had never seen so much deaths in one day. Not once had anything shocked me to such a degree."

"W-What happened after that?"

"Whatever that must be done," Princess Crystallia somberly put it.
"He was banished to the Badlands. Fitting punishment, don't you think? Send one that destroys to a country that perpetually destroys itself in the many ways it could. I would've stopped them then, but the risks that come with it are far too great for me to handle. In the end, all I did was watch. Since that day, I never saw him again. I do had thoughts of him. Passing thoughts, those that don't stay too long. But sometimes... sometimes, I have that one moment of yearning. Sometimes, in the night, I could feel him. His flames thawing in my heart. That was when I realized why I loved him: his rage. His lovely, luminescent rage."

Dapple had to shake loose her tense hooves, already numb from standing there, both enthralled and aghast by the alicorn's confession. It was love, alright. The sickest, most twisted love she had ever heard of, she would say. She dare not, of course, for the sake of her own life. Her gaze wandered about the table, glancing between all her chatting friends. They had just missed probably the most sordid love story / history lesson they would've ever heard, not to mention one of royalty themselves!
"But enough of beating around the bush," the alicorn suddenly exclaimed.
"All I want to say is that it starts with you."

"Huh?"

"It starts with you, Dapple Deuce."

"I know. You said that, but--"

"Don't question it," Princess Crystallia cut in, raising a hoof to the other's mouth.
"The time will come when you understand. When it does, let your instincts guide you. Trust yourself."

Dapple just gave a blank stare at the alicorn's cryptic message.
"Um..." she finally mumbled.
"I'll try, I guess."

"And Dapple?"

"Y-Yes, My Lady Protector?"

"Don't fret. You are a mare that I would find myself trusting."

It look a slight moment of pondering, but when it hit her, all Dapple could do was flash one thankful smile. With a beckoning nod in return, she wandered back, heart aflutter when she settled right next to her brother. She snapped out of her daze when she noticed Ganger ogling at her with those ridiculous, googly carbon-copy of her own aquamarine eyes, head craned to the side.
"What?" she scowled bitterly.

"Well, what did she say?"

"Who? The Princess?"

"Uh, duh? Did she tell you anything useful?"

Perhaps it was a lie. Perhaps it was a means of escape. Despite it all, Dapple Deuce had been told to trust herself, so trust herself she did. The answer she gave was the absolute truth, because really, who can tell? With time and fate and all the shenanigans that nature made her put up with, plus a shrug as icing to the cake, it was to become the truest answer she could ever have given so far.

"Maybe."

"You won't die tonight."

Those words were like cymbals colliding in her head.

"Not yet, at least."

Twilight Sparkle strained her eyes open, awakened by a slight sting in her shoulder that made her hiss from the pain. With a disgruntled sigh, she heaved herself to the side of the bed, only for her half-opened eyes to meet the glaring sunlight. A few incessant blinks later, she was up, still comfortably tucked in her sheets, but up all the same. Rubbing her tired eyes and letting out a long, silent yawn, followed by a few clicks of her tongue, she began to stretch her hooves, only to yelp out loudly in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow..." she hissed, fearfully looking at her shoulder, only to discover it was bandaged.
"What... what did I..."

That was when everything came rushing back to her.

"Janus!!" she yelled aloud.
"I have to warn the princesses... I have to-!!"

The creak of a door made her whirl around. In a split second, Twilight whisked a glass of water with her magic, barely grazing past the mane of the intruder and shattering with a splash that stained the wall, along with a loud, ear-piercing screech that came from none other than Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo was holding the minstrel back -- perhaps just in time -- as she glanced around, wide-eyed at what's left of the projectile that shot towards them.
"For Celestia's sake, Twilight!" she censured, wiping a spot of water off her leather jacket.
"Don't just throw things like that!! You could've hit Sweetie Belle with that!"

"I think that's the highest note I've ever reached..."

"Omigosh, I'm really, really sorry, I..." came Twilight's flustered reply, the mare rushing to the doorway.
"Are you guys okay? D-Did you guys get hurt?"

"My heart stopped a little," Sweetie croaked, swallowing.
"And I... I probably cracked my voice..."

"That was a close shave..." Scootaloo huffed, looking at the broken remains on that damp carpet.
"Remind me not to give you another glass in the future."

"Wait, you... this is your room... I thought... I... but... my room was..."
Momentarily, the well-read mare was left speechless, her head trying to pick up the fragmented pieces of the puzzle. She was definitely in the teenagers' bedroom, judging from the many posters of modern Equestrian singers and stuntmares to the little boombox at the side to the blueprints of some abominable machination that looked like a cross between a motorcycle and a zeppelin. Either Rainbow Dash concocted some really elaborate prank to swap out all the research books she gathered from her room for this decor, or she really was in their room.

Probability check: zero to a hundred.

"I was sleeping in your room the whole time?" Twilight asked, to which came two nods.
"But who... who brought me here?"

"Apparently, Scootaloo found you," Sweetie Belle piped in, her friend just glancing away.
"She said you were just bleeding somewhere and... well, after some mumbo-jumbo, got Princess Luna to help you out! Then again, what do I know? Scootaloo's the one who found ya!"

Two pairs of eyes glanced at said filly, who quickly snapped out of a daze.
"Y-Yep! That's it! Nothing is definitely missed out!"

"What about Inkie Pie? Is she alright?"

"A little bruised, but she's okay," Scootaloo answered.
"She told us about what happened. Spike said she probably took down all the guards that were after you."

"Anyways, the princess said that they'll look into whoever that hurt you, just in case."
Sweetie Belle's eyes briefly landed onto the clock on the nightstand, though that brief landing immediately made her eyes go wide. Both Twilight and Scootaloo cringed a little as the teenage minstrel croaked out a high-pitched squeak, scurrying towards the door while snatching a roll of sheet music with her magic.
"I'm gonna be late for my rehearsals!" she cried, about to step through the doorway.
"Oh, and one last thing! Don't move about too much! Princess Luna said it might reopen the wound!"

"Have fun!" was Twilight's parting words before Sweetie Belle left the room, leaving only her and a disgruntled Scootaloo behind. With nothing else to do other than heeding the given advice, she settled back onto her bed, sighing at her predicament. She could be looking through all the books in the world as of now, or maybe even find out who Janus really is and what he might be searching for, but here she was, bedridden because of her shoulder. It wasn't long ago that she was shot in the very same shoulder; to revisit the pain would be terrifying. Janus knows that, she believed, for Janus knows fear unlike any other.
Bedridden perhaps, but apparently with some sullen company. Scootaloo was sinking into one of the nearby chairs by the time Twilight remembered she was still in the room, flipping through a magazine about skateboarding, rollerblading and other sports of the like. Come to think of it, it had been a while since she had a conversation with the mare. The last time they had conversed, she recalled, was before she visited the Masque's sanctuary of an abode. Perhaps even long before that. Speaking of the Masque...

"So, Sweetie Belle said you found me in the hallway..."

"Oh, heh... yeah..." Scootaloo began muttering, flipping to another page of her magazine.
"That's not really, well, a hundred percent true... but it's not like I can blurt it all out anyway. Not with Sweetie Belle around."

"The Masque did help you, didn't he?"
A meek nod from Scootaloo affirmed her suspicions. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. If the teenager inherited any resemblance to Rainbow Dash in any way, she figured it would be her pride.
"You know, it's okay to have somepony help you out once in a while," she said.
"There's nothing to be ashamed about that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." the teenager sighed.
"It's just... well... look at you guys! Battling all these ancient monsters and protecting Equestria from evil, all without any help from any of us, sometimes not even the princesses..."

"That doesn't mean we didn't help each other," Twilight told her.
"I wouldn't have stopped Nightmare Moon if it wasn't for the rest of my friends. All of us, even Rainbow Dash and especially Rainbow Dash, may need a helping hoof or two. Come on, who do you think set her up together with Soarin' last year?"

"You did it? Really?"

"Yep. Me and Pinkie Pie."
The older mare elicited a light chuckle at the thought of her lost friend, remembering the day they set up a surprise birthday party for Rainbow Dash back at the northern town of Fenderville.
"In fact, it was Pinkie who also suggested to Rainbow that she should name her first child Firefly," she continued, sighing.
"Honestly, I'm quite happy that Rainbow took that suggestion."

"Well, that's one way to remember somepony."

"Yeah... so... about the Masque--"

"So are you guys, like, together?"

Twilight blinked for a moment.
"What?" she asked.

"You know? Not just together, but as in together together?"

"Oh, heh... I, uh... I don't really know, actually..."
What she said may be true, though in all honesty Twilight wasn't sure. Sure, they had their fair share of intimate moments. Sure, they had their nightly dalliances. Even the Masque had mentioned about having feelings for her back when they had their first kiss, though she was certain there was something missing from the puzzle. Something that would've made their love... for lack of a better word, authentic.
"It's like I'm still dating a complete stranger..." she confessed to Scootaloo, who was perhaps not the best candidate of choice.
"I don't know, he's hiding so many things from me. Who he is, where he's from, how did he get here... I don't even know what he looks like! He could be one of Janus's minions, for all we know, or even Janus himself! It could be him, hiding in plain sight and pretending to be on our side when in reality..."

"I don't think a creep like Janus would go through what the Masque had to go through," Scootaloo argued.
"Think about it. Taking care of children and stealing every jewel and gem in Canterlot just to give them a happy life... don't you think that's pushing it a little too far for an evil pony pretending to be good?"

"Hmm... you have a point..."

"Maybe that's why you feel that way."
It was all a matter of assumption. Scootaloo knew neither of them, especially herself, is a veteran at love, though she personally knew one pony. A pony who once held love in her very hooves but lost them in a storm of despair. A pony whom she herself held dear to her heart, only to lose her to the twisted, strangling embrace of fate.
"Somepony once told me," she began, voice subtly trembling.
"Trust is what you need in love. Without trusting the other pony, how can you even love them? If you have secrets, why not share it with them? Show a side of you that you will never show to others, tell them about your quirks and pet peeves..."

"He or she seems to know a lot about love," Twilight remarked.
"Is she somepony close? Maybe I can have a chat with her and she can tell me what to do about it."

"Well... you can't," Scootaloo mumbled with a gulp, hoof awkwardly kicking against the floor.
"The pony... she's... my mother."

Immediately, Twilight's visage blanched, all traces of color spilling away. Not many had mentioned about Scootaloo's mother, not since the freak accident that took her life all those years ago. None of her friends had dared to speak about it, knowing how much it would hurt the poor filly. Though she had been a newcomer long after the incident, she was quickly told by Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash on never to bring up anything about her mother, though it would seem that the day of her foray into the dark throes of death would come sooner or later.
"I-I'm... I'm sorry, I... I didn't know it was her that... your mother--!"

"I-It's okay, Twilight." Scootaloo sighed before glancing away with a dark scowl, hissing to herself:
"Damn it, why does it hurt every time... every single time..."

"You need any help calming yourself down? Maybe I'll just go to the kitchen and--!"

"No, no, wait! Princess Luna said no moving!!"

"Okay, okay! Jeez..." Twilight sighed, plopping her hooves back onto the bed.
"Then how else can I help?"

"It's okay, Twilight. I'm fine on my own."

"Just a minute ago, we had a conversation about letting others helping you out."

"Hey, I don't know what to do, okay?" Scootaloo cried, groaning. For a moment, it almost sounded to Twilight like she was choking on her tears. One could only imagine how much effort it took just to put up that facade.
"It's... it's not like anyone would understand anyway..."

"You could talk to somepony about me. Like me, for instance."
True, the want of helping Scootaloo in her emotional bind was there, but Twilight had to admit, her morbid curiosity about the teenager's mother and the strange circumstances surrounding her death was too big of a temptation to resist. If anything, she felt guilty to venture into it, though surely there may be no other chance like this. Perhaps not even in a lifetime!
"I hear sometimes, it's better to have somepony listening to what you have to say," she explained.
"That way, you won't have to carry that burden alone."

"If you're doing what I think you're doing--"

"Hey, if it's too personal, you don't have to tell me," Twilight added defensively.
"I'm just saying that if you need somepony to talk to, I'm here for you, alright?"

Scootaloo said nothing, her wary stare instead falling back into the magazine in her hooves. Certainly, the silent treatment from her might last a while, Twilight figured. Especially after having mentioned something as sensitive as that. Plopping her head back onto the comfort of her pillow, she gazed up at the ceiling and beyond, contemplating the position she found herself in. To be stagnant, perhaps even stunted in progress at discovering their enemy's motives made her feel crippled, though Twilight knew there were others who've been through worse in this silent conflict. Others whose gravity of losses will never amount to any of her achievements combined.
"If only there was a way..." she thought to herself.
"Then maybe... just maybe..."

Twilight clenched her eyes shut, wrapping her blanket around her hoof.

"Maybe we will all make it in time..."

"Spike, you don't have to help me with everything."

"Hey, if it means paying you back for what I said to you," the dragon stopped, giving her a grin.
"Then yes, I do have to help you with everything."

Rarity couldn't help but let out a chuckle; Spike can be really romantic at times. Behind his scaly, fanged and fearsome exterior, she will always find the gentledrake that she came to know and love ever since he was a baby. Now, being several more stepping stones away from becoming a full-fledged dragon, he even had the look that could outmatch most of Canterlot's eligible bachelors that she had once found herself swooning over.
She shot another glance up from her latest designs, watching him stumble around their bedroom with four boxes of cloth in his paws. It's hard to imagine, how just a few days ago, they were hitting a major bump in their relationship, with Spike claiming that they've become much more distant lately. Now, after a short conversation and a few swapping of apologies later, Rarity can say they were even.

Some part of her would hardly agree.

"Alright," the dragon heaved, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow.
"That's the last one. Chiffon rolls are in the top drawer and silk's in the bottom."

"Thank you, Spikey dear. Now, all that's left is the glitter and--"

"I can help you organize them, if you want."

"I should be alright, Spike," Rarity asserted with a sigh. Sometimes, he can be a little too helpful. No big surprise there, what with the dragon's code of honor and all. On the contrary, she had everything under control long before they even came to Canterlot. If anything, Twilight would be the one that needs his help now, not her.
The poor mare's state sometimes worried her, though Rarity knew Twilight was much stronger than that. Having heard of last night's incident still astounded her. It was easier to break her by targeting Shining Armor and Princess Cadance instead of herself, she knew that. Perhaps Janus knew that too, especially after this incident. All the more reason they have to be aware of what else may come.

A knock on the door caught their attention, parting to make way for a maid who gave a small curtsy.
"The Princesses requests for your presence in the meeting room."

Ah, of course. That's what she missed out from her schedule, Rarity thought to herself. After last night's incident with Twilight, Inkie Pie and the guards, Princess Celestia had arranged an emergency meeting, mostly to discuss about quelling the threats, pushing back the invaders, and hopefully, an arrangement of plans to be made had they succumbed to all those countless attacks.
The white unicorn watched as the trembling maid lead them to their destination, a little worried that she may collapse from fright. The poor mare can't be blamed; she was performing the duties of a royal guard, after all. What irony, for those that serve and protect the country to come under scrutiny for treason. First, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance; now, Twilight Sparkle. It only served as a grim reminder to the time she and Spike were attacked, as well as a familiar warning.

Any of them could be next.

"... and if we mobilize our forces here, chances are Janus would have us surrounded if we-- ah..."
All eyes in the rotunda were turned to the couple in the center, some of them judgmental, others surprised. Rarity recognized some of these faces. The various ambassadors staring from their respective thrones were one batch, though their names never really stuck onto her. What stuck, however, was the feeling that she may seem them again, whether it be in the palace or somewhere beyond.
The ones she knew were mostly her fellow ponies. Princess Celestia and Luna were seated right before them, their smiles welcoming them inside just as the maid beckoned them up to the benches above surrounding the room. As she headed to her seat, she saw Princess Cadance and a crutch-wielding Shining Armor on the opposite end, as well as Fancypants, all three giving their meek waves. Her smile grew into a more spiteful frown when just inches away from the couple sat Prince Blueblood, who graciously returned it without hesitation. It wasn't long before she found their place: right next to Spitfire, Soarin' and Rainbow Dash, all of them who greeted them with grins of their own.
"Now that all of us are present," Princess Luna continued from where she left off.
"If we mobilize our forces, as planned, to these outposts, there will be a greater chance that..."

"What's happening?" Rarity whispered her question to Rainbow Dash.
"What are they discussing about?"

"Got here right before you guys did, so I'm not exactly a hundred percent sure, but I think all of them were talking about how they were planning to mobilize the army."

"You mean the princesses finally decided to fight back?" Spike asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not," the pegasus answered.
"They're still trying to talk it out. The commander and your eligible bachelor--"

"Zip it, Rainbow."

"Fine, your once-eligible bachelor, were telling them how important it should be. Blueblood mentioned how Camelroon was invaded from both sides and how much soldiers were lost because of how unprepared they were. Now, Princess Luna's talking about how impossible it would be to fight under any circumstances. Then... beats me after that."

"They would probably talk about the evacuation process," Soarin' continued in his wife's stead.
"Which was specifically why we are here."

Rarity and Spike grimly nodded. If anything, evacuating was the last thing they would think about right now. Should the measures proceed, it would mean that Janus would be overrunning Equestria as they know it. Such a bleak scenario would be a nightmare. All of them, leaving the life they knew behind for the sake of survival, for living on...
"... as such, I motion Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire to step forward," Princess Luna's words caught their attention.
"To elaborate further on our plans for evacuation and other such measures."

"Thank you."
Clearing her throat came the Princess of Love, stepping forward with all eyes fixated upon her. It's no surprise that Cadance was new to this: motioning her stance to all the other foreign dignitaries like her aunts did. Nevertheless, a time will come when she has to deal with such matters.
"We have discussed, along with our military forces and cabinet of ministers, under the supervision of Our Royal Highnesses, of our plans for evacuation if ever Janus's forces entered Equestrian borders. Already, plans have been made in my domain on the possibility of such matters. As my royal representatives back in the Crystal Empire has calculated, as of yesterday, we have gathered and prepared enough resources to shelter one third of the Equestrian population."

"One third..." Spike muttered alongside with the faint murmurs of the others present.
"They're really expecting him to invade, huh?"

"If we keep going on like this," Spitfire hissed.
"We're bound to be screwed over eventually."

"But of course, if ever Canterlot were to fall," Cadance continued, silencing the room.
"We were perfectly certain that Janus shall target the Crystal Empire next. In the case of it ever happening, we have planned a route for the refugees, my subjects included, that cuts across the mountains and into the eastern domains of the continent, which would mean heading into the lands of the joint empires of the Darkhat Valley. Do you, as discussed, follow through with this motion?"

"Yes, we shall see it through."

"So instead of fighting back, we're just gonna hop around every country?" Rainbow rasped in a low voice.
"What's up with that? I mean, look at the facts! We got much bigger armies, we got larger divisions, we got everything! Why won't the Princesses do anything?"

"Beats me," Spitfire sighed.
"We don't even know who exactly are we up against yet, so it makes sense. The problem now is that we don't know what his motives are, we don't know what he's after, just zilch. More importantly is what forms of weaponry his armies possess. Look at Manehattan, for example. That isn't just the result of some regular invasion."

"But staying here and doing nothing?" Spike cut in.
"I don't think that's gonna help out with anything."

"I object that motion!"
A pit of silence engulfed the room, every being stunned as Prince Blueblood stood up from his bench. Sparing only a grim frown for the crowd, he affixed his glare to Cadance, then to Princess Luna and finally, Princess Celestia, who narrowed her eyes down at her nephew. Whatever stunt he may be playing at was blind to them, though what he said next echoed some of their thoughts aloud.
"The moment we plan our evacuation before our war, we've already lost the battle," he cried.
"The armies we've amassed together only in the south would outmatch those that seized Camelroon from us. If only I was allowed to lead our armies to regain the empire once more--"

"Blueblood, we are uncertain as to what might await us as we enter--"

"Send in recon teams! Scout the region! Anything!" he rebutted.
"I am willing to risk each life of a soldier to save a hundred lives of our citizens. If we push back the forces from the south, perhaps even exterminating them, then we can bring the war into our favor. We would have the upper hoof."

"And if your 'plan' fails?" Luna countered.
"If we lose the lives of those soldiers and the lives of our very own citizens for not offering any protection, will you be held accountable for their deaths? Will you, Prince Blueblood, carry the burden of such a responsibility?"

Rarity could see him trembling in place, the prince caught tangled in his own words. With a huff, he settled back down and crossed his hooves, looking irritated and perhaps infuriated as well. In all his life, she did not expect the prince, the sniveling rat of a fiend whom she thought only cares about his own well-being, would stand up against the very rulers of their country for matters concerning all of them. He has changed, definitely, but whether it be for good or bad, it definitely isn't in the clear.
"Back to our evacuation strategy," Princess Cadance continued, a little stunned at her cousin's sudden outburst.
"The last refuge would be on the outskirts of the Draconic Federation, to which we are still undergoing discussions regarding food and shelter. If our negotiations go as proceeded, we shall head west immediately. If otherwise, the negotiations went wrong and our plan fails..."

A slight shudder went through all of those present in the room.

Be it fashion designer, teenage dragon or ruler of Equestria, all of them knew the dark truth.

"We expect none of us to survive."