Diprosopus

by WritingSpirit

The Lone Messiah

"There were no indications for us to prepare for the invasion of the camp--"

"The deaths of our kind was presided by your inexpedient orders, Your Highness!! YOUR orders! The Highlands Federation does not condone such treachery on our people, not when it pertains to the insolent demands of another nation!!"

Every ambassador in the room and their respective consorts, be it gryphon, minotaur, hircus, cervine, thestral and even dragon and changeling, had their gaze fixed upon Princess Celestia, all distraught and strung up in the tension grappling between the renowned ruler of Equestria and the northern Highlands Grand Unity Federation, to which the former three representatives belong to. The recent news of the carnage in Camp Éigríochtar had just reached the Ministry's ears and, in turn, the ambassadors as well. It was the last thing she wanted to hear, not of the breach of Janus's forces at the border, but of the slaughter of everyone she had sent. Leaving the armies in the unknown north like mere rag dolls dancing into the blades of their enemy... she was a fool.

"Our Lord Reitherígh is certainly... displeased at the turn of events," said the ambassador representing the hirci, Adharca Tosaigh, Duke of High Mossonach. Even as his gryphon and minotaur allies were raving and ranting in the corner, he remained ever the most sane and silent, as if offering condolences to those lost in Cirrus Deep, until now. Flawed was his left eye, yet his supremacy, made visible by his golden pelerine that glittered in the midsummer sun and his white tabard adorned with a giant, red spiral and a fleeting dove in its center, shunned all that dared speak up to him. There were rumors he lost his left eye in a lone fight against a dragon, though from his red bandanna of an eye patch, not much of it might be true as the declaration that followed.

"If what my confederates had said was true, the hirci would have no choice but to pull back our forces."

"Before the eve of battle?!" came Luna's enraged voice.

"Your allies have fought in this battle and you dare stand down before even a single one of your men had met those of our enemy?!"

"It's better to stand down than to fight another's war!" howled the representative of High Chief Táv̱ros of the minotaurs, Sunder Ghrrad of Red Marsibur, over the crowd of mumbles, with a single fist slamming on the table, his mossy-green pelerine swinging around his neck and over his marred ochre skin. His baritone, gruff voice lowered as he leaned forward, pointing an accusative finger at the Princess of the Night with a shrouding glower.

"Our High Chief sent his armies to fight for thy Princesses, not to their deaths!!"

"Thou DARE implicate we had betrayed the Federation?!!"

"Perhaps the Princesses might even betray Saddle Arabia as well!!"

"Spare your mouth, southern twit! Your kind only beseeches for the Federation to crumble!!"

"Blame us?!! What of the pegasi from Grande Aurora?! Their kind betrayed your Federation during the Talmeran War!!"

"How dare you!! Our kingdom of Grande Aurora NEVER resorts to such treachery!!"

Soon, every single ambassador, with the exception of a disgruntled Kane, the dragons mostly having no business or tolerance in foreign affairs, rose from their seats, turning their talks into an all-out verbal battle. Accusations were soon being shot from every corner, reviving the ferocity of their ancient rivalries believed to have been buried long ago. Princess Luna could only watch restlessly at the frenzy, stomping her hooves against the stone floor.

"Enough!!" Princess Luna cried, to no avail.

"Does thou not hear us?! I said ENOUGH!!"

"Stand down, sister."

The cerulean mare's voice turned shallow in volume as she turned to Celestia, finally speaking, her train of thought derailed from the disastrous shouts bursting from every other mouth in the room.

"But..." she protested.

"But our enemy grows stronger every time we idle in the palace--"

"What gave you the idea that you could resolve that, when it was you yourself sparked this chaos?"

Luna could only glance up at her in shock, almost as if mocked by her very own sister.

"There are some things only I myself seem to have the capability to abide to," the older alicorn said fiercely, frowning down at every single being in the room, more so at her sister -- the only one in the room paying any attention to her -- who could only nod quietly and ruefully settle back down into her podium. With a cough, Princess Celestia stood up suddenly over the rising cacophony of angered voices, firmly grasping her morale as she shouted in her feared, booming Canterlot voice:

"SILENCE!!!"

The verbal conflict died down suddenly, making way for her to continue:

"A WAR is brewing in the horizon, my friends, and here we are, squabbling like wretched drunkards around a table!! This war not only threatens the Equestrian population, but that of your kingdoms as well!! Even when I fall, he'll come for you!! ALL OF YOU!! And he would not spare a single soul until the world is his!! If any of you want to step down from this war, then you might as well massacre your own brethren and spare them at least from your pitiful rants, for the sake of a merciful death!!"

Never had such dark words, foul and wretched with such grim morbidity, spilled from the mouth of the Princess. Tartarus forbade her to use as such, yet she knew the time for nongermane altercations and foolish bickering was over. Sure enough, the dozens of her feuding allies that stood before her stopped in silence out of shock at her words and fear at her morose tone, foretelling the wrath that could be unleashed upon them had they continued their feud.

"The events of Camp Éigríochtar is now in the past," she clarified, finally regaining control of her temper.

"As of now, we must bolster all our defenses and prepare for a coming invasion. If Janus wants to attack, we have to be ready for him."

"But where would he strike next?"

That question (and a brilliant question it was) had been put forward by Countess Aurelia, the representative of the changelings and younger sister to Queen Chrysalis. She was like her sister, except with a pink mane, wing and eyes instead of green. Never did she seem to possess Chrysalis's ambition, having always been considered the friendlier of the two, as well as the more thoughtful, luckily for them.

"How would we know where to defend if we don't know where he would attack?"

"She 'as a point, Your 'ighness," the gryphon ambassador and representative of Lord Oceľová of the gryphons, Haulka Gorm, piped up with a flap of his graying wings. Even if he wasn't as old as the Princesses or the Badlands ambassador, Kane, he had aged enough to be considered the wisest among his kin; a fact that the Royal Sisters had respected, having seen the results of his enforced knowledge upon the plains of a battlefield a few times before.

"We are blind to the enemy's movements," he said grimly.

"Yet their leader can predict every step we take. A war like that is not easily won."

"I don't intend to fight Janus," Princess Celestia asserted.

"Not until we could find a permanent way to end this chaos. If we place our soldiers into war, all their lives are at stake here. All we could do now is act swiftly and silently."

"But your commoners," came the refined voice of Lady Miryoku, representative of the Eastern valleys, leaning in with the ruffling of her sleeves on her pink, floral kimono.

"They know of this war, do they not?"

"They do, only... they're too afraid to admit it to themselves," she answered, staring down at her hooves in slight chagrin. Even though the destruction of both Trottingham and Manehatten had reached the headlines, many still tried to move along with their daily lives, knowing they might perish sooner or later, to which she had reserved her pity. She couldn't blame her subjects for their fear and paranoia; no one wants to believe they're caught in a war, even though they knew they were already at the brink of one.

"For now, we could only quell their fears and hope for the best. Pray that he won't strike soon..."

The loud, booming groan of the parting stone doors caught all of their attention, especially those of the royal sisters when they spotted a stallion stepping it, the sand-covered helmet he was gripping in one hoof clattering loudly onto the ground. Weakly, he dragged himself forward with a spear gripped tight like a makeshift cane, clanking with every inch forward. The remaining ponies in the room stared with wide eyes at his bruised and battered visage, gasping almost in unison when his wobbling legs gave away, to which he would've fallen if not for the instinctive actions of the guards standing at opposite ends of the arched doorway.

Princess Celestia quickly strode from her podium, followed closely behind by her younger sister. The loud, croaking gasps the stallion were making as he was gently placed onto the ground called out to her, serving to quicken her pace. His golden mane was tattered, windswept with sand trapped as if in a sieve, trickling off bit by gritty bit and stinging every inch of the bloodied gashes his white coat. His barren, frazzled face had crumbled from the khamsin: the sandstorms of the south, his noble mien mangled by its dusty claws to the point where only Luna recognized with a gasp upon seeing him.

"Nephew... Guards! GUARDS!!"

"Aunt Celestia... Aunt Luna..." he weakly choked out.

"We... we couldn't hold them back..."

"Speak no more, Blueblood. It only serves to incite your pain rather than subdue it."

Blueblood could only nod at her aunt's advice, just as four of the palace sentinels arrive with a stretcher. Slowly, he was lifted onto it, he himself moaning in his misery; a heartache for both his aunts to watch as he was carted out of the room, fading off into the sun-lit hallways, the doors clamping shut. His return whence he came, however, inadvertently foretold of dark tidings enough to make Princess Celestia's frown turn darker. Pray that Janus wouldn't strike soon... how wrong she was.

"What is it, Princess?" Kane asked.

"Is the ambassador of Camelroon here?"

All eyes glanced to the uncertain representatives of Saddle Arabia, the Lord and Lady Nirṇaya, whom both shook their heads, their response only appalling her more, yet she kept her gathering turmoil in her head and heart, retaining her renowned placidity. She glanced at her sister with a expression that could only be described as grim, and that, by itself, had already told Luna what both sisters had deeply feared.

"Sister... Y-You couldn't possibly mean..." Luna began, cut off only by a single nod from her sister. With one last sigh of her wavering confidence, Princess Celestia informed the others of the truth; a truth so shocking that anxiety shook every heart in the room to its core, with the definite proof that their enemy, as inexorable as he was, will no doubt come after them. No matter the cost.

"Camelroon has fallen."

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"Is it alright to leave it like that?"

"As long as I don't use any magic, then I'm perfectly fine," Twilight answered Scootaloo's question with a smile. Then again, it isn't everyday that she has a cracked horn. She grimaced every time she saw it in the mirror: that jagged crack with a purplish glow running down her most prized appendage, making it of more use as a lackluster lantern instead of a horn. Even though she was advised not to, she had tried to use the simplest of magic, like levitating her quill, for instance, though that ended only in a hellish pain stinging every fraction of the nerves in her head. The pain was so intense that it sent her cussing away like an enraged minotaur, leaving her to seek for a distraction in the library.

It was there that she found Scootaloo mewling in the corner, as if she had relived her horrific discovery of the body in the alleyways again. Upon seeing the lavender mare, the teenager burst out with tears, hugging her tightly and blabbering out a few things too ridiculous for her to comprehend, yet she listened all the same. Even now, Scootaloo was occasionally sniffling, making her wonder whatever happened to the ignorant, empty-hearted filly from before.

"Did you talk to Rainbow Dash?" the librarian couldn't help but ask, curious of the things that happened in her absence. The teenager did promise to talk to her idol, mostly to patch up their crumbling relationship.

"Any progress on that?"

"We did have a little chat," Scootaloo said.

"But we didn't really talk much, with her being a mother and all. She says she's glad the both of us could talk again, however. Does that count as progress?"

"Uh... I guess?"

"I did congratulate her on having Firefly and Mayfly, though. Thought she needed it."

Twilight turned to raise an eyebrow at Scootaloo, the teenager creasing hers in bewilderment when she spotted the unicorn's expression. Of course, it wasn't long before Scootaloo sighed in defeat.

"Okay, maybe congratulating RD wasn't all my idea," she admitted.

"Fluttershy wanted me to do it."

"And~?"

Scootaloo sighed again. "The Masque too."

"Of course he did," Twilight said teasingly, making her humph in displeasure.

"Oh, come on, Scootaloo! At least you did what he and Fluttershy told you to do. That's all that matters, okay?"

"Actually, I didn't do everything he said. There's still the part where I have to apologize to Applejack for being... uh... what did it say, what did it say... rapscallion! Yes, that's it..."

"Well, from what I've learned in my friendship reports," the lavender mare began, chuckling softly and shaking her head at the now sheepish Scootaloo.

"You don't need to learn a new word to apologize to a friend."

Their conversation soon veered onto everyday topics, ranging from Scootaloo recounting the shenanigans she and her fellow Crusaders were up to when they were gone, to Twilight teaching her on a few logic-based principles about flight, to the ordeal the teenager went through to pierce her ears and how Apple Bloom modified her motorcycle to 'make it go as fast as Rainbow Dash', or so she put it. Being the stuntsmare and natural daredevil she was, it wouldn't surprise Twilight to see her in a stadium one day, parading on her motorcycle over a crowd of ramps, fire rings, a lake of hydras perhaps and all sorts of other unimaginable, horrific things; things that Scootaloo would brush them off as mere obstacles.

"The Masque did tell me not to do it too often," Twilight heard the orange pegasus say above the teenager's rifling through a bookcase.

"I think he's a little too worried though. I mean, It's not like I'm a five year old or something."

"He just cares about you a lot," she herself inferred as she absentmindedly leafed through another musty book, her attention more focused on the reasons behind the Masque's suburban fame.

"You could say that he might be one of the nicest ponies in Canterlot, even though he steals nearly everything in the city. I'm still wondering what he does with all the things he stole."

"He said he donated them to the poor."

"I doubt he would. Who would donate the largest garnet of Equestria to the poor?"

"You did say he was one of the nicest ponies around," Scootaloo argued, poking her head from behind a bookshelf, her stern gaze leaving Twilight to reconsider the facts. The Masque surely was no stranger to chivalry, yet the possibilities of him donating something priceless as... well, everything he stole, was beyond her. All those bits he supposedly could have earned from selling those items was enough to buy over half of Canterlot. That was what Janus would do, she figured, but for the Masque, she doesn't really know. Sometimes, she couldn't figure out who was the more perplexing of the two.

"If I were him," the teenager declared, almost dreamily.

"I would give all that money to the poorest ponies in the world."

"Rob the rich and give to the poor, huh?" Twilight inquired with a smile.

"You mean like Robin Hoof?"

"Yeah, except ten times more brave and..." Scootaloo stopped briefly to sigh tenderly, heading back to the tables with a bunch of books in her hoof. Slowly, she placed them down onto the oak table, the loud, echoing thud of the many novels she scavenged cuing her to finish her sentence:

"More charming."

"Only you would find him charming, Scootaloo," the librarian teased with a nudge that managed to make Scootaloo pout, before turning back to the various books she herself had finished picking ten minutes before.

"Who knows? He might be interested in you."

"Eww!!" cried the teenager, faking a retch.

"No way! J-Just because he's charming doesn't mean I'm all lovey-dovey on him! He's like, what, almost ten years older than me? I don't know!"

Twilight chuckled softly, turning her head back to the book she was scanning through, continuing her research on Janus's possible motives and the mysterious writing from the deceased professor's diary. All those words looked more tedious than ever, leaving her to grumble silently in her head at her deteriorating progress.

"The Masque did ask me where you went though," Scootaloo said suddenly, nearly making her stumble off her chair.

"Apparently, he's a little more concerned about you than I thought."

"R-Really?" she stammered, cheeks flaming from within.

Upon noticing Twilight's expression, the teenager couldn't help but widen her grin, her lips curling to the side of her cheeks, which only confused the other mare even more. A small laugh left Scootaloo's mouth, erupting into loud, hysterical guffaws that dragged her to the floor, rolling around maniacally with tears springing up in her eyes.

"N-No way! Is this really happening now?"

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me... are you digging for the Masque?"

Twilight's cheeks bulged a brighter red, the unicorn immediately glancing to the side just as Scootaloo burst out with laughter again. She, however, didn't know why she was blushing for no apparent reason, at least not to her. Her heart was feeling funny, almost as if it was running a circuit in her chest. Never in her life had she felt this way, with the closest word to describe it being 'embarassment', yet this was on an entirely new level.

"I-It's not that I l-like him or anything..." she protested despite the filly's hysterical laughter.

"I... admire what he does. Yeah... admiration... that..."

"Come on, Twilight." Scootaloo scoffed with a nudge once she finally stopped.

"Admiring a thief? Really? There must be more than that, right?"

"E-Even if I do, it's not like he n-notices me or anything..."

"Uh, hello? Did that dude zap your horn a little too much or what?"

Scootaloo stopped when Twilight shot her a look, leaving her to chuckle sheepishly and apologizing silently with two raised hooves in a mock act of surrender. Of course, the lavender mare could only sigh at all these foreign feelings tingling in every single part of her body. Questions she never thought she would raise popped up in her mind: does the Masque actually notice her? Was she just another scarlet rose, dumped yet again at another scene of the crime?

"He did ask me where you went when you're gone, remember?" Scootaloo reminded.

"Maybe he does have a little something for you as well."

"Maybe... maybe not..."

"Try talking to him about it," the teenager said.

"I gotta say, it'll be cool for him to stick around. Maybe he'll take us out on some of his secret missions or something, like Robin Hoof and his Merry Ponies!"

Both chuckled once more at Scootaloo's statement, though Twilight felt there was something that ticked in what she said. She was new to talking about such feelings to ponies, and her first try on doing so was going to be on the Masque, a stranger to which she doesn't know the actual name of or even saw an inch of his face. All she knew about his identity was those pale, purple eyes she saw nights before, when the Masque actually removed his Venetian accessory. Sure, she was going to rehearse her lines at the mirror while imagining a pair of eyes. As if she would do that.

"Not now..." the more inquisitive side of her head grumbled, trying to reciprocate her attention towards the words laid out before her. Even then, the troubles with her emotions clouded her thoughts, leaving her only to pretend to scroll through the text when in her head, she was matchmaking the lines she wanted to say.

"You can do this, Twilight," she assured.

"You can do this."

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Seven times it rang.

Rarity couldn't help but shudder in her chair as the brass bells of Canterlot's clock tower tolled in the distance, crinkling her brows at the events of the past. She had escaped Janus's menacing, deceptive plots countless times already, the most recent of which she just barely escaped with a large gash across her now-bandaged hoof. The possibility of another one about to happen maybe in the next few minutes disconcerted her even more, and all she could wonder was if she would be fortunate again to survive. Such dreadful memories...

She was in one of the rooms of the hospital block of the palace, silently watching over the still-unconscious Spike and had been so ever since lunch. Celestia's sun was already halfway in its descent, painting the sky in a vibrant array of hues, yet somehow it glorified the melancholy of her position. The single bruise on his forehead was the only thing that he suffered from the explosion, much to her relief, yet the fear of him not waking up still gripped her.

Her gaze ran down towards his left arm, griping at the old scar from not too long ago. The dead scales peeling from it looked like a ruptured piece of plastic, revealing a pale, purple layer of healthy skin underneath. Even when the dragon brushed it off and assured her, the gunshot still rang in her ears every time she laid her eyes on it, the echoing shouts from their attempted assassination screeching back into her head. Immediately, she glanced away, clenching her eyes shut and trying to focus onto more... light-hearted thoughts.

With only a soft sigh of nostalgia, Rarity opened her eyes, unable to contain the sliver of her smile when she spotted the snoozing dragon turning towards her in his sleep. He looked as if in peace; a bliss that the whole of Equestria wished they shared as well. Seeing the five dark blots on Equestria's map -- Pendant Lakes, Canterlot, Trottingham, Manehatten and of course, Cirrus Deep -- it wouldn't come anytime soon.

"If only..."

Rarity stopped briefly to let out a soft, silent yawn, having spent more time mulling over recent incidents and the dragon's condition than sleeping last night not for their safety, but for their relationship. After all, it has already been two years since she had officially called Spike her mate, yet she felt as if they were stuck in one place. She didn't know what stopped them there: the disgust shown by many of the ponies around them, or the fear of getting it wrong.

She remembered Octavia's hesitation when Crimson proposed to her, which only made her wonder if Spike was heading through that same stage of uncertainty. Perhaps there'll be a time to gather courage for love, she told herself; now their courage is needed at the helm of a brewing conflict. When all of that is over and the Princesses usher in a new reign of peace, that will be the time for their love to flourish. Yes, she told herself, laying her head down onto the bed sheets with another yawn to spare, closing her eyes slowly.

That will be a good time.

Silence.

It watched over them. Guided them through its uncharted waters. Protected them like a seraphic sentinel keeping them safe in its feathery embrace. There was never a snore -- a surprise to behold for those who spot the dragon -- nor a whimper in the chimera of their sleep; there was only the ballet of serenity, circling over them in its pirouette and ensuring a calmness in the bout of raging tides. Even when their eyes could only see a bountiful darkness, it neither suppressed nor excited them.

No, it gave them nothing.

Such power, the void provides.

And with it, the warmth of two lovers. asleep within each other's hooves and arms and rapturing in the state of naught. They wouldn't call it a dominion of tyranny, no; they would call it a sanctuary; a solitude, from the horrors of the real world. Shame that many were too trapped in the abyss of reality to rediscover them...

The wonders of nothing.

"Ugh... my head..."

One arm reached upwards to rub his aching scalp, his blurry vision simmering into the benign claws, slowly but gently flattening the rumples of obscurity off his eyes. Soon enough, Spike found himself staring at the furnished ceiling of the palace, leaving him to gather the shards of his memory. He couldn't quite remember how he got here: one minute, he was charging down the hills, up a set of spiral stairs and frantically tolling a few bells, the next, he was tackling and shooting down a renegade minotaur, running into a large tent and standing on a machine while cradling an unconscious mare, then it was all a blur... damn his aching head.

Everything felt strangely silent around him... almost too silent. The dragon was slightly surprised, considering he's (probably) in one of the most busiest cities in Equestria, not to mention the capital itself. At least there wasn't any noise to impede him from his retrospection, yet he couldn't help but feel strange, as if he was in a new place.

Then everything suddenly came crashing back to him. The explosion! His eyes widened immediately, glancing around the room yet too frozen in fear to move, lest he does something wrong. His claws gripped tighter onto the blanket, every nerve shaking subtly in a grand unison as he asked himself:

"Am... Am I in heaven...?"

Spike's withering, wandering gaze came to a pause when he heard a small whimper from below before spotting the now sleeping Rarity, her head resting just right beside his left arm. All his worries were alleviated into a smile across his face as he reached down to gently caress her soft, supple cheeks, to which she murmured softly yet sweetly.

"Yep," his thoughts chimed, his grin stretching.

"I'm in heaven alright."

"S-Spike...?"

"Hey, Rarity," Spike whispered, watching as the said mare opened her eyes.

"Lemme guess... you had a rough time last night?"

"Mm-hmm..." Rarity muttered sleepily, lifting herself onto the bed and curling up underneath his arm.

"No thanks to you, Spikey."

"Is it that bad?"

"Exceptionally so," was the disgruntled answer, making the dragon chuckle.

"I would've been yelling at you if my mind wasn't more somnolent than furious at the present."

"Somno-what? Uh... that word means... sleepy, right?" Spike asked, to which she simply nodded.

"Sheesh. You and your elaborate vocabulary..."

"What are you implying?" Rarity griped with a cross of her hooves, much to his amusement.

"Nothing. Just that you don't need words from Twilight's dictionary to woo me."

"Nor did you have to have an extended nap to make me worry! Staying up all night worrying over and over about you is simply famishing, if you hadn't realize it yet."

"Okay, okay!" the dragon exclaimed sheepishly, raising his two claws.

"At least I'm not actually hurt or anything. Aside from that, is it just me, or am I not the only one who needs some special shut-eye treatment now? An... erh... extended nap, you call it?

Rarity just groaned as he laughed aloud, the white mare resting her head back onto the bed.

"Well, you can actually leave the room now, if you wish," she stated. She knew Spike was a tease when it comes to her; seems it's time the dragon gets to have a taste of his medicine.

"You can perhaps have a chat with the colts, help Sweetie Belle with her vocal practice, or even probably help Twilight out again on organize those books, if you wish," she paused for a giggle once she saw the dragon's paled expression, "Or you can stay here, next to me and watch me as I waste my hours away in a healthy slumber."

Spike just clench his jaws, the mare of his life turning away and closing his eyes and beginning to surrender to her fatigue. She could hear him mumbling and contemplating his thoughts aloud, her head pondering over the choice that he would make, but all thoughts of that were whisked away once Rarity felt his strong arms wrapped around him, leaving her to stifle a quiet gasp when she was lifted up, finding herself lying on the top of his chest with the tip of her muzzle touching that of the dragon's scaly snout. All she could do, in the warmth of his embrace, was grin triumphantly when he said cheekily:

"I think this dragon wants to sleep just a little longer."

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"And once the supply wagon gets to Saddle Arabia, they'll be ready for an invasion in no time."

"If the wagon isn't attacked first, of course," Shining Armor added, grimacing at the sandy trail snaking across the southern fields and valleys of Equestria and into the desert on the rumpled map spread out on the wooden table.

"The fact that the wagon could be stumbled upon is too risky of a chance to take. Then there's the chances of a sandstorm. Who knows what kind of ploy Janus had set up in the south?"

Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but agree at his conjecture. Both unicorns have holed up in the darkness of the library, relying only on the flames of two lit torches, a few streams of light from Luna's moon, and the unimpressive glow from the mare's fractured horn as they pondered over their next move. The sudden appearance of Prince Blueblood had caused a frenzied hysteria when he stumbled upon the Princesses' meeting with the ambassadors, and she soon realized why when she found out the prince being assigned as head of the division of the Royal Guards in Camelroon, the famished, fatigued and injured state he was in to the point of hospitalization telling only the worst.

She couldn't believe it herself: the breach of the northern border at Camp Éigríochtar and the fall of the desert camelid city-state of Camelroon; two successive attacks on two consecutive days at two locations being literally polar opposites of each other. Despite the immense distance they were from Canterlot, she knew a simultaneous attack from both sides would prove fatal to the stability of Equestria.

"We'll have to recruit a few guards for the wagon," her brother said.

"After that, we'll have to organize a platoon to defend the major cities in the northern stretch. I'm not risking a chance for Janus to execute a pincer attack on Canterlot. Not on my watch."

"He seems to know our every move," Twilight inquired grimly.

"Maybe that's what he wanted us to do, even when we think one step ahead."

Shining Armor just sighed. "You might be right," he admitted.

"He knows what we're planning, yet don't even know what he wants. First, he gets some dream, time-travelling thing from destroying Pendant Lakes and then killed the professor for a sort of relic from the ancient ruins in Saddle Arabia. Sometimes, I don't know if he's destroying the whole of Equestria to bring Canterlot down, or doing all this just for the sake of a treasure hunt."

"Me neither."

Twilight suddenly let out a yawn, pouting when her brother ruffled her mane like he did so when they were young, chuckling amiably. He glanced towards the clock ticking, a little surprised to see its twin hands pointed upwards like a compass, telling him of the long hours they've spent on such. Both of them stepped at the corridor, the mare giving his brother a parting wave when the paths split.

"Take a long rest, Twiley," he reminded.

"You're going to need it, especially with your horn in that state."

With a nod, she dragged herself lazily down the corridors and, soon enough, found herself in the sheets of the bed, having tossed herself there with little concern. All she could do was sigh, waiting perhaps for a miracle to happen. Even as she glanced out of the window, watching over the familiar scenery of prestigious buildings underneath the grand, moonlit sky, she couldn't help but feel a little insecure. Whether it was from the chaos of the bombings and invasions, she wasn't sure; what she knew was that single sensation of her heart being clawed fervently from within was growing, as if warning her of her coming doom.

"Mademoiselle..."

A loud gasp erupted from her, whirling towards the darker end of the room to see a figure stepping out of the shadows, shielding his face with a different mask; it covered only the upper half of his face, with something long and thin protruding from where his snout was, almost as if it portrayed a hummingbird, which only intensified how creepy he was. Even as Twilight nervously shifted herself to the back of her bed, it only coaxed the Masque to creep closer, stopping only to settle himself down onto a parlor chair.

"I am pleased z'at you have returned," he said calmly.

"I was beginning to wonder where you've went? Êtes-vous bien? Are you okay?"

"A little better," she said, still panting from his surprise visit.

"And I think it I would be better if you can stop coming out of nowhere like that!"

"Ah..." he spoke, smirking underneath his mask.

"Apologies for z'at. It haz become but a habit of mine."

Twilight couldn't agree more. At least he knows he has the habit and not being some ignorant moron about it. Her horn worked up an ache suddenly, to which she grunted, clasping her forehead with one hoof and prompting the Masque to glide towards her in a bout of vexation.

"Lemme see z'at," he spoke softly, surprising her. With only a whimper, the mare moved her hoof away, glancing away with eyes clenched shut as he examined it, the tingle of his hoof running down the crack somewhat assuring her yet discomforting her at the same time. Twilight knew she was being tended to by a stranger, yet her heart went against her reasonable mind, advising her to let him do as such.

"T'is not very deep," he assured with a grin after a few minutes.

"You are a lucky mare, Twilight Z'parkle. Any deeper, and it would cut off your magic forever."

The lavender mare shuddered at that. She was to her horn like how Rainbow Dash was to her wings: she couldn't imagine herself without her precious horn, having used and study all forms of magic throughout her life to the point where it became her counterpart. What was surprising to her, however, was the Masque, obviously a pegasus judging from his wings, knew about such things.

"Y-You study magic?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Non, Twilight. Just the anatomy of it," he admitted.

"It iz, after all, necessary, for treating the children living with me."

"The what?"

Twilight couldn't believe what she just heard. There were children living with the Masque? Were they his own children in the first place, or were they orphans, brought back to wherever his abode was due to his popularity in downtown Canterlot? She knew the Masque was influential, but she never knew he was that influential.

"You... y-you have children living with you?" she asked to clarify, to which he nodded.

"How... how did you find them?"

"A little annoying, z'ome of them, but otherwise it lightens up the mood."

"No! I mean, how did you find them?"

"Ah, of courze! Cup o' tea?"

The Masque suddenly leaped out of the window once she nodded at his sudden suggestion, making Twilight gasp. Before she could even get off her bed, however, he suddenly zipped back from his exit, now gripping a tray with a tea set in his hooves. Stifling a chuckle at the mare's awed expression, he settled the silver tray onto the nightstand, pouring a cup for her and another for himself. It seemed strange to the mare, to be served a cup of tea by somepony who could probably swipe everything she has in a matter of mere seconds.

"The children are mostly orphans," he explained, handing her the cup.

"Some were tramps living on the streets and stole food from ze marketplace. Some worked in ze nearby factories to earn a living. Some ran away from the desolate state of the suburbs, wanting to just be free from everything else in the world. In truth, all of z'em just vanted a place to call home. A place to feel protected."

"And you let them stay with you?" she asked, to which he nodded.

"That's... that's pretty sweet of you."

"T'is no big deal. Every child needs a home."

Twilight couldn't help but smile at his modesty. Maybe Scootaloo was right; maybe he has the chivalry to donate that immense amount of money to the orphans after all, in a way. Again, she felt her cheeks tingle with a blush, mostly from her growing infatuation with the Masque, she presumed, yet she knew she couldn't do much to repress them.

A brief silence soon captivated the room, with the Masque staring out of the window and the mare staring at him. Even underneath the horrendous mask, she couldn't help but feel secure underneath his watch, and although he doesn't seem to possess a bulky, stoic stature, he has a certain... charm... that she couldn't put her hoof on. The cape he was wearing only amplified that, billowing gracefully in the nocturnal breeze.

"Hey..."

"Hmm?"

"You..." she began, though every consecutive word lurched in her throat, rendering her speechless.

"Y-You... uh... do you... do you..."

"Vat is it?"

"Do you need any company?" she blurted out the only, if not, the most ridiculous idea in her head.

"Maybe... if you don't mind, I could... uh... accompany you for a moment. Watching over the kids and such. Perhaps I might even bring Scootaloo along, if uh... if you don't mind...?"

The Masque just stared at her, leaving her to wonder nervously if he was interested or intimidated. Suddenly, he let out a loud laugh, his accented voice echoing throughout the corners of the room with such fervor it felt more fitting in the rowdiest bars than in a quiet room such as this. Twilight didn't know if it was something she said, though that didn't matter as he leaned closer towards her, whispering with a smirk:

"Now why would I let you do that?"

Twilight just stared at him, slightly taken aback by his reply.

"I... I mean... you seemed like you needed company," she stammered.

"Plus, you might need a little help! It probably isn't easy to get food for all those children in your house, right? Maybe I can come over and cook something up for them!"

"I'm afraid I might have to disagree," he solemnly said.

"Maybe you are not who you are from before, but you're still Twilight Z'parkle. Don't think I do not know of your brother, mademoiselle."

Of course, she told himself. Shining had always mentioned he wanted to capture the Masque if he was ever given the chance. With him being Captain of the Royal Guard, there was no doubt for the air of distrust the Masque has over her, yet she felt this was unfair; he knew where she resides in the night, yet she couldn't?

"I promise, I will never, ever bring him into this," she said in a manner of protest.

"I never told him that I met you at all, right? If I could keep that a secret, why would you think I would tell everypony where you live?"

"I don't take chances, Twilight," he sharply stated.

"Especially not in thiz dark time. The children need a home, and to reveal my place only ruins that privilege."

"But... but..."

"All I want you to do is protect Scootaloo. Nothing more, nothing less," the Masque affirmed, which surprised her, since he never really got Scootaloo's name fluently thanks to his accent.

"It is a simple task, but do it not for me, but for her sake. Now, if you must excuse me, I must go. The rewards of this majestic place awaits me, mademoiselle."

"Don't! Please!" Twilight exclaimed, pulling him back with a free hoof.

"Just... just stay a little while longer..."

"I can't."

His deadpanned, short reply was enough to make her stop in disbelief, watching with widened eyes as he yanked his cape off her grip and headed towards the ledge, stopping only to let out a brief sigh before glancing back at her. Immediately, she could feel her heart start to crack, her instincts wanting to just drag him back towards her.

"Your job on taking care of Scootaloo requires no help from me now, mademoiselle," he said.

"From now on, we shall never meet again."

Twilight couldn't believe her ears, her jaw dropping immediately in shock.

"But--"

"We had z'pent enough time together. It iz the time I must move on. You too, should do the same."

"But I don't want you to go!!"

Twilight was already standing on her bed, glaring with watery eyes at the now-surprised Masque. She suddenly let out a loud yelp of pain, having tried to tug him back with her horn, to no avail thanks to her injured state, falling back down onto the sheets just as the stallion rushed to her side.

"J-Just... just go away..." she whimpered, burying her face in a pillow.

"You want to g-go, then fine. I c-can't st-stop you anyway..."

"Twilight..."

"Just GO ALREADY!!" she yelled, yet he still stood there.

"Oh, who am I kidding, right?! Falling in love with a thief! A thief, of all ponies! Hear that, Equestria?! I fell in love with a thief, and now he's there, standing and probably even laughing his flank out. I'm just an idiot, aren't I?! Say it!"

"T-Twilight..." he mumbled, letting the words sink in.

"I... I didn't know..."

"SAY IT!!"

"I don't dezerve you."

Twilight's expression turned from one of pure wrath into another of complete bewilderment at the Masque's words, trying to process whatever he said. The caper of the night just turned away, somewhat looking rueful, for once, with only a small sigh to break the growing silence between them.

"I don't dezerve you, Twilight," he repeated.

"You should know that by now."

"B-But..." she stammered.

"But w-why...?"

"I could be there for you, yet I wazn't."

He stopped again to glance towards her, looking dead straight into her eye as he continued:

"For starters, I knew you were heading to the camp in the north," he paused to nod sheepishly once Twilight's jaw fell. "I vanted to follow you and aid you in your quest, and perhaps that will probably make z'ings between me and the Princesses even. But then, I was afraid... that... if we go and I... ask you out... you would... you would not want me. I was afraid..."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, yet the stallion's raised hoof silenced her.

"The truth is... I'll become but a burden to you," he stated.

"I'm a degenerate, only focused on robbing and taking everything from the city. I'm a nuisance... a pest, to perhaps you and your brother. I had wooed many mares before in my life, though I've not missed a single one of them. The love for another does not exist to me, and before I met you, I thought it never would. If ponies know of your acquaintance with me, your image... your reputation as Celestia's most faithful student, Twilight Z'parkle, would be tarnished, and I don't want z'at to happen. I don't want to place the lives of the children on your hooves, Twilight. I don't want to take any chances."

The Masque reached into the back of his cape, with the mare watching in undiluted silence as he pulled out a silvery bell, complete with a red ribbon and a small, Venetian mask pinned next to it. With a subtle, gentle jiggle, the bell twinkled gently, yet that didn't surprise Twilight as much as when he handed it to her.

"But if you still s'ink I'm worthy of a chance," he muttered, almost as if regretting it already.

"My house... lies at the end of the suburbs, in the alleyway overcast by the shadow of the leaning chimney. Enter the gate into the sewers, head down the tunnel until you see a rattan basket hanging in front of a pair of wooden doors. Place the bell in the basket and wait for the doors to part. Then just head in."

Before Twilight could ask any questions, the Masque suddenly turned back to the window, this time trotting towards it. Again, he let out a sigh, turning back to the unicorn.

"Don't make me regret this, Twilight Z'parkle," he warned, before zipping out through the window and into the open. All Twilight could do was just stare into the darkness and beauty of the night, before staring down at the bell in her hoof, its curvatures shining in utmost brilliance from the moonlight. She soon clenched her hoof tight as well as her eyes, saying aloud with fierce determination. Even though her intended, solitary audience wasn't present anymore.

"I won't."

Comments

[Fury of the Tempest]

I took far too long to read this...

I wonder why Blueblood survived and made it back... then again, knowing Janus, he probably planned that to happen.

... And honestly, this is getting frustrating. The way he is one step ahead of everyone, never revealing what he is going to do next, or why. Able to amass a massive army able to destroy countries in a day THEN get away scot free...

He's almost coming across a a Villain sue...

[WritingSpirit]

3204021
Guess you can say that.

Hint-hint. Just remember what Janus has. It would basically explain why he was one step ahead

[Fury of the Tempest]

3213524
So, he did manage to secure it...

[WritingSpirit]

3322660
Glad you like it!

There is the prequel to this, however. I'm assuming you read it already?