Black

The sun slipped lower into the sky the higher the train crawled. By the time the tracks leveled out again and the tunnels stopped coming, it was past six in the evening. Fuyu's traveling party was huddled together on four seats in the first passenger car.

"What did I tell you about the view?" Twilight said with a grin. "Wasn't it beautiful?"

"Yes, it was," Fuyu replied, reviewing the spiraling vistas in her mind for a moment. She blew on the window glass and gazed at the resulting fog. "I wonder how cold it is."

"Too damn cold," Rainbow muttered. Her face was barely visible from the tiny opening of her drawn-up hood. Applejack, seated to her left, had put on a jacket several miles ago.

Twilight's brow furrowed at the complaint. "It's not that bad." Despite her words, she was wearing a sweater. "I might be regretting the skirt a little, though."

Fuyu smiled as she followed the conversation. She was still in short sleeves and capri pants. "You were right about flying. I don't think Applejack and Rainbow Dash would have survived the trip.

"No kiddin'," the blonde grumbled. "Figures we get the train with the outta order heat."

"It'll only be a few more minutes." Twilight used her magic to open the window, then stuck her head out and looked in their direction of travel. "I can almost see the ci-"

"Shut the window!" Rainbow growled, swiping her arms at the librarian. "Are you insane?!"

"Geez, you're grumpy." She withdrew and closed it, grinning wryly.

"So...y'all two nervous?" Applejack asked, crossing her legs and looking at Fuyu and Twilight.

Fuyu shrugged. "A little."

Twilight was somewhat less willing to speak. She fidgeted for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah. I don't know what to expect."

Rainbow loosened her hood to flash a grin. "It's cool. We've got your back."

"Thanks. We may need all the help we can get."

Ten minutes passed in relative silence, save for Rainbow muttering about the cold. The rails were now laid on a widening plateau, and in short order the low buildings and houses of the outer reaches of Canterlot were passing them by. In five more minutes more tracks appeared as they approached the station. The sunlight flickered as the metal and glass arch over the platforms swallowed the train, which finally lurched to a stop.

"Here we go, girls," Twilight said. She and Fuyu used their power to grab all the luggage from the overhead rack. The station was far emptier than the last time the librarian had seen it, so their trip from the train to the sidewalk took little time. Once there, Applejack, being the tallest and most easily seen, took up hailing a cab.

"I hope this hotel is decent," Rainbow said. She rubbed her arms furiously to fight the bitter chill.

Fuyu hardly heard her speak, nor Twilight's response. The city scene, braced by towering hulks of glass and steel and hundreds of people wandering about, left her dumbfounded.

"I think we've lost Fu," Applejack chuckled, still waving for a cab.

Twilight smiled over at her. "Let her take it in."

The blonde finally managed to attract the attention of a yellow van. Once it came to a stop they all piled in – although Rainbow needed to snap Fuyu out of her reverie – and Twilight gave the driver the address for their hotel. She was familiar with it; the building was near the castle road, and used by dignitaries from other countries when visiting.

"We won't get in the castle until tomorrow morning. Fuyu, do you want to wander around the city and see if you can remember anything?" she asked while peering at the itinerary.

"Yes." The pale woman was truly overwhelmed by the sight of everything outside the windows. She had never seen this many people in one place at one time, nor buildings this tall. All but a small blotch of the evening sky was consumed by their hulk. It felt like every other person had some sort of magical spark; her internal radar displayed innumerable blips moving every which way. The van was only able to enter the flow of cars after a couple of moments. Traffic was heavy and slow at best, forcing a series of short bursts of actual travel sandwiched in long pauses.

"We'da gotten there faster walkin'," Applejack complained, staring out the window at the cars that were trapped with them.

Twilight was also looking at the snarl. Her face said she was beginning to get annoyed. "This is what you get when you stick a quarter of a million people on the side of a mountain."

"Kinda figured we'd get to, you know, stay in the castle," Rainbow added. She looked to her right, where Fuyu was still gawking at her surroundings. "Never been in a city this big, huh? Trust me, it's all glitter and snobs. Twilight might be the only good thing to come outta here."

"It's not snobby! Well...some of it isn't." She used her phone to check the time. "You might be right about walking, Applejack. We've gone a block and a half in about eight minutes."

Rainbow cackled briefly, but her face dropped when she remembered what exiting the van would mean. "Hey, this thing has heat. You'll have to drag me to get me back out there."

"It's really not that cold!" Twilight surveyed the group and found that Fuyu was the only one not shivering. "...it's freaking cold, isn't it?" Applejack and Rainbow nodded furiously.

It took nearly half an hour for them to cover the distance from the station to the hotel. When they arrived, Fuyu stared at it as she had almost everything else in the city. Even amongst those buildings, however, this one stood out – twenty stories of rectangular tower that jabbed at the sky, it seemed to be cut from one solid piece of glass reflecting everything and everyone that passed it by. Its exterior had no seams save the gleaming stainless steel frames on the corners and the revolving door through which people came and went.

"Here we are!" The librarian hopped out and pulled her luggage along through the air. "It just got renovated. These are the largest single-piece plate glass windows on the entire planet." Her emphasis was unnecessary – Rainbow and Applejack were staring so hard at the building it seemed their eyes might fall out. "Girls, please. You look ridiculous." She tried to swallow the final word when she noticed Fuyu was equally gobsmacked. "Uh...right. Come on, let's check in."

They wandered inside at last, greeted by a pleasant heat and more shiny surfaces. The floors were some sort of marble, freshly polished with glittering veins of some yellow metal streaking through them. This material was also carved into the steps of the large, centrally placed stairway, which lead up to a balcony that hung over the entire back half of the lobby. The walls were paneled wood, equally polished, and the ceiling – several stories above them – was a white, rough stone. Twilight lead them to the granite reception desk.

"Holy hell, is this gold?" Rainbow whispered, staring at the floor under her footsteps.

"Yep!" Twilight rang the bell and assumed a professional demeanor. A receptionist appeared seemingly out of nowhere, patting at her brown hair and adjusting her red glasses as she walked up. "Party of four under the name Twilight Sparkle."

"Just a moment." She tapped on her keyboard until her eyes suddenly widened. "Princess Twilight?" After skimming the instructions, she leaned across the counter and spoke very lowly. "May I see your..."

"Mhm." Twilight nudged Fuyu in the side. Almost simultaneously they displayed their medals of the Order of the Morning Sun.

"Very good." She smiled as Applejack and Rainbow finally came to stand beside their friends. "Too bad you didn't get one of the summer ceremonies, Dame," she joked, looking at Fuyu.

The pale woman smiled back faintly as she put her medal away. Although her thoughts were fading from amazement into anxiety at tomorrow, she still tried to make small talk. "Oh, I don't mind the cold."

At Twilight's insistence, everyone carried their own luggage up the grand staircase, moving to a set of elevators and piling into one. "Our rooms are on the fifteenth floor. Fuyu and I are sharing one, and you two have the other."

"Great. We're gonna freeze ta death if we can't stockpile body heat." Applejack smirked as her girlfriend snorted and laughed.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Oh, you two." The doors opened and they entered a carpeted hallway. "1506 and 1507...here we go. As soon as everyone gets settled, want to go out for dinner?"

"Sure. Let me unpack my double-thick fleece and get it ready." Rainbow bade Twilight and Fuyu farewell with a wave, which transformed into pushing Applejack through door once she'd opened it.

"They're quite a couple," Fuyu said. Once Twilight had secured the card key and opened the door, she peered through it to find a spacious room that had a sitting area, two beds, and an open door that lead into a white-tile bathroom. The biggest thing about the room was the window beyond the couch – though it was more a glass wall with curtains than a standard window – which framed the castle over the gaping maw of the river valley below it and the city. "Nice view."

Twilight walked over to stare at it with her. "Yeah, wow. I didn't think we'd get to see the castle from this floor." She rubbed the back of her neck while trying to frame her next words. "There are some places I want to go with you after dinner. If you lived here they might jog your memory."

Fuyu crossed her arms but didn't look over. "All right. I suppose it can't hurt to look around."

The sun had long faded when the four of them came out of the restaurant. Rainbow, despite being hilariously bundled up, made chattering noises was they proceeded down the sidewalk.

Twilight frowned at her shivering, even though she was beginning to do the same. "You two head on back, Fuyu and I are going for a walk."

Applejack peered at her for a moment. "Y'all gonna go see if Fu remembers anything, ain't ya?" When Twilight nodded, she poked at Rainbow to get her attention. "Lead the way, then."

"But it's freezing! Rainbow might keel over." She watched them both shake their heads. "Are you sure?"

Fuyu stared up at the stars while listening to the conversation. "Let them come if they want."

Rainbow flashed a smile while clinging to the blonde's side. "Of course we wanna come. What's our first stop?"

Twilight drew a blank and tilted her head at the pale woman. "Um, I'm not sure. Fuyu, did you have something in mind?"

"Is there an orphanage around here?'

Stunned, all three of them stopped walking to stare at her. "Wh-what did you say?" Twilight asked, hugging herself for reasons that were no longer related to the weather.

Fuyu knew she'd let too much slip, but her proximity to the Princesses, both in time and distance, dulled her concern about keeping their secrets any longer. "An orphanage. Is there one nearby?"

Applejack loosed a noise that made everyone's attention turn to her. Rainbow looked up and shook her gently. "D-don't mind me," she finally stammered, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. "Just...unhappy memories is all."

It triggered a line of mental questions that Fuyu suddenly wanted answers to. "Is that why I didn't want to..." she trailed off, having to let the remainder of her question be silent so the people passing them by wouldn't get curious.

She shrugged weakly, hugging Rainbow to her side. "I dunno. Maybe. Maybe that's why I picked y'all up that day. I knew that look."

Fuyu didn't understand at first, but her eyes lit up with sadness once she did. "We were both left behind," she muttered, turning away and staring at the concrete. Another piece fell into place. "Perhaps I understood it at the time without being aware of why I felt so...conflicted."

"So you're both orphans?" Rainbow blurted out. She shrank back under Twilight's disapproving glare. "Sorry."

"I guess." Applejack's voice was weary. Fuyu moved over to hug the half of her not currently occupied by her girlfriend. "Thanks. Come on, let's get where we're goin'."

A tense, silent Twilight lead them through the city streets as fast as foot traffic would allow. They left the glitz and light of downtown behind, heading east toward the mountain neighborhoods. Past the Academy of Science, the city got lower and wider, which let in the sky.

Rainbow used this to try and break the silence. "Look at the stars!" It failed, leaving her to growl. "Damn it, say something! You guys are starting to freak me out!" That too failed; they all proceeded in varying levels of awkward silence.

"There." Twilight pointed at a squat, single-story complex clad in off-white stucco and consisting of three buildings. It was surrounded by a chain link fence and had a few open areas of grass with small trees. A large placard near the gate said everything: East Canterlot Refuge for the Orphaned. "It still looks the same after all this time." A questioning glance from Fuyu made her clarify. "When I was a student at the Academy, we did volunteer work. I've been here quite a few times. Believe it or not, this is the only orphanage in the entire city. Princess Celestia puts so much emphasis on finding foster homes for the children." Everyone stepped back as Fuyu approached the fence and grabbed on, staring through the links. "...anything?"

"I don't know yet." She leaned on the fence, pressing it in slightly. Her eyes consumed every detail of the scene before her brain went about seeing what rang familiar. Nothing did; the details faded into her mental dossier about the city and sat there like a lump. "No. I don't remember this place."

"You know what? I'm not really shocked that you don't." Rainbow and Applejack made a surprised noise at Twilight's assertion. "Hear me out. Fuyu isn't a regular person, why would she be a regular orphan? I bet she lived at the castle."

"I guess you have a point..." Rainbow poked idly at the blonde. "Hey, you all right up there?"

Applejack gave her a squeeze. "Yeah, I'm fine. Cold as hell."

Fuyu turned away from the fence and regarded them before waving her hand back toward the skyscrapers. "Let's go before you all freeze to death."

With the mood lightened – or perhaps stabilized – the walk back seemed to take less time. Twilight abruptly took up Rainbow's outburst from ten minutes prior and explained that the stars up here looked clearer since the air was thinner, and that she'd learned this in her year of astronomy classes at the Academy of Science – which was just coming up on their right as she spoke. Like a bored tourist, Fuyu looked as she pointed, but the sight almost passed her by without notice.

Wait.

She did, coming to a halt and staring at the building's ionic colums. Her friends were still talking and walking. Their noise faded as Fuyu began to think.

Wait...

"Shoot, I shoulda paid more attention in school," Applejack joked. "I wonder if Big Mac still has our telescope packed up in the att-" She closed her mouth, sensing that something was wrong. "Uh, we're missin' Fu." They all stopped and looked over their shoulder to find her staring off into space, or so it appeared. "Fu? What're ya doin'?"

She barely heard them walk back over. Her mind was on fire with a feeling incomprehensible, like anxiety and relief mixed together in a swirl. Moving like a robot, she left the sidewalk and approached the Academy through the parking lot.

"Fuyu! Wait!" Twilight tried to step in front of her, but was gently set aside with magic. "What's wrong?" she asked, settling for walking along with her. Rainbow and Applejack took up a similar position on the opposite side.

"I've been here," she breathed, stopping at the base of the wide stairs. "Why have I been here?"

"At the Academy?" Dumbfounded, Twilight stared up at the building and scratched her head. "I have no idea. Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Fuyu wrangled with the realization; being told was one thing, but experiencing a recollection first-hand was overwhelming. It was like seeing the picture of the castle garden, but a thousand times more vivid.

"I thought this was just some fancy scientist place or something?" Applejack looked down at the librarian for confirmation.

She nodded, mostly looking at the shock on Fuyu's face. "Mostly, but there are classes here too for advanced students."

Rainbow cackled briefly. "Figures you'd have studied here. But what does it have to do with Fu?"

"I don't know, I just know I've been here before."

Twilight's mind raced as she tried to form a story to fit with the information. "What if you were a student? I mean, it's hard to forget the smell of those classrooms..."

Fuyu was slowly ascending the steps. "Chalk and musty books." She stopped and almost glared at the door. "I must have been well off to be enrolled, right?"

"Not necessarily. Getting in is based on talent. If you and I took classes here...maybe you were right about us being similar." Twilight stared at her shoes until Rainbow jabbed her in the side. "Ow! What was that for?"

The athlete chided her gently. "I know that look. You're gonna lose it again."

"I am not! I'm just...thinking. If Fuyu were powerful enough, the Princess would certainly take notice and try to take her in as a pupil. Like me. But...we seem to be about the same age." Twilight placed her chin on a fist and started to walk up and down a section of the steps. "If that's so, then why did I never see you?" She looked at Fuyu, who was still locked in a staring contest with the front doors. "Or hear of you? Fuyu...are you listening?"

"I don't know, and I don't know." She looked away and at her friends once again. They were all visibly shivering by now. "Let's go back. You don't need to freeze while I mull this over."

"You're not the only one with mulling to do, but I guess you're right about doing it somewhere warm." Twilight looked back up at the columns, brow furrowed. "I have a lot of questions for the Princess in the morning."

Sunrise never really came for Canterlot the next day. The light was strained through a flat gray sky, so faded it may as well have been white. Twilight sat on the couch with Fuyu, watching the morning news to get an idea of the weather. Neither were really paying attention to the broadcast. Instead they found themselves locked in a circular exchange that had lasted since they arrived in their room last night.

"It would explain why you knew my name. You heard of me while under Celestia's tutelage."

Is that what we're calling it now? Fuyu rubbed at the bangs covering her left eye and sighed. Her brain had been carrying on an alternating spiral of charade and genuine curiosity for over nine hours. It was giving her a headache.

"But how did I never see you?"

"She was hiding me." Fuyu's face became blank as she felt Twilight bristle. "If I may be honest, our night would have been better spent resting."

The librarian was looking cross – or perhaps terrified and just trying to mask it with vague anger. "...how much do you know that you can't tell me?"

"Enough to be afraid." She rose from the couch and wandered over to her unmolested bed, where her duffel bag lay, to grab a new outfit. "I'm going to go change," she added, drifting into the bathroom.

Unable to muster enough willpower to stop her, Twilight waved a hand and glared at the TV. "I can't believe it's going to snow. I can't believe I only got fifteen minutes of sleep. I can't believe she kept secrets from me, her faithf-" A knock at the door cut her short. "It's open!"

"Howdy!" Applejack greeted, tipping her hat. "Ready for the rehe—geez, Twi, y'all look like ya got hit by a truck."

Twilight moaned and placed her head into her hands. "I'm running on adrenaline and three cups of coffee."

"Nervous?"

She raised slightly and looked over. "Celestia's going to tell me that Fuyu was a victim of something. Something her parents did to her. Whatever it was, it made her powerful, so she needed mentoring."

Applejack leaned on the wall and shrugged. "Sounds like your story, except for the evil parents part."

"I know. And honestly, I'm not sure whether to be relieved or terrified." Fuyu stepped out, drawing their eyes. "I'd better go splash some water on my face and try to look decent."

As she disappeared into the bathroom, a yawning Rainbow stumbled in from the open door to the hallway. "I'm up," she droned. "Fuck, it's too early."

Fuyu approached to talk to the couple lowly. "Twilight isn't ready for the truth."

Applejack shrugged again, trying to seem less concerned than she was. "I think she'd handle it better if you'd just tell her, don't ya?"

"Not this. She needs to hear this from the Princess' mouth." The pale woman returned Rainbow's grumpy look. "Even then, I have no idea how she will handle it."

"That's why we're here, Fu. As moral support. At six-thirty in the morning." Rainbow grunted as Applejack jostled her with an elbow. "Can you snort coffee? I'm about to try."

"Let's get this over with," Twilight grumbled as she stalked out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Fuyu went out after her, leaving the couple behind to exchange unsettled looks.

"I wish I know what the hell we've really signed up for," Applejack lamented.

The four of them departed the hotel on foot and moved up the sidewalk toward the castle road. Twilight took charge of the party when dealing with the guard, although both she and Fuyu were asked to produce their medals as final proof to gain entry. Once through the gate, they began the winding climb up side by side. The spires of the castle were visible ahead of them, growing closer and taller with each step.

Twilight trembled against the frigid weather – she dressed relatively lightly in hopes the temperature would keep her alert, but was now regretting her decision. "All right, if the rehearsal is anything like mine, we'll be held outside the garden entrance for a while until they're ready for us. We'll probably end up chatting with the other Order entrants. Nobody has to say anything about what actions lead to them getting into the Order, so if you are asked just decline to answer. Once we're in, they'll show everyone where the throne room is."

"Right." Fuyu's eyes were locked on the castle as she nodded.

Rainbow waved her hand to get some attention. "What do we do?"

"We are allowed to wander about once we get into the castle – to an extent. Usual stuff applies about being discrete. When it starts we'll all be called into the throne room for Princess Celestia to receive us."

"Got it. I'll make sure Rainbow don't break nothin'." Applejack chuckled at her girlfriend's whispered 'fuck off'.

Fuyu smiled at Rainbow too, if only to let in some other thought than the business she was focused on. "When can we speak with the Princess?"

Twilight's eyes became hard. "That's where I'm going to deviate from the usual. I know where she is. You and I are going to find her."

Applejack didn't care for the tone of those words and tried to walk Twilight back from them. "Whoa! Are y'all gonna have it out with the Princess?!"

"Don't be silly. We're going to have a very reasonable conversation and she is going to tell me everything."

Fuyu nodded again. "If she doesn't, I will. At least what I know."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Rainbow whimpered, trying to hide in her hoodie.

They had entered the garden by now, and were moving down one of the stone paths lined with benches. Canterlot Castle was in full view, towering above them against the white sky. To Fuyu, the sight was vaguely familiar, but didn't strike her in the way the Academy had. The door in front of them opened as they scaled the steps; behind it was a small gathering of people clumped together on the red carpet.

"Hey!"

From a corridor to the left appeared Stormy, twice almost falling over her long red skirt as she walked over. Once stable enough, she flipped her white ponytail over her shoulder and waved. "Fancy seeing you guys here!"

"...Stormy?" Applejack blinked. "Uh...hey?"

She placed her hands on her hips and let loose an exaggerated sigh. "I know what you're thinking. 'Oh boy, Stormy must be here to steal something.' No, I'm here 'cause I've got this." Her hand slipped into her skirt pocket and came back out with the same sort of presentation box that Fuyu had received her medal in. Rainbow and Applejack's looks made her giggle, but Fuyu and Twilight were too focused to pay much mind. "Uh huh. That's what I thought."

"How the hell did you end up with one of these things?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't have to tell you. It's in the letter thingy I got." Stormy blew her off and walked over to Fuyu, giving her a hug. "I was totally gonna invite you but I couldn't get in touch. Sorry about leaving so suddenly after the...you know...thing."

The pale woman returned her embrace and smiled again, happy to think about something else for the moment. "It's all right. How is the library treating you?"

"Oh man, it's so boring. I keep falling asleep."

"How do you still have a job there?" Twilight grumbled, visibly cranky.

Stormy giggled and shrugged. "Normally I'd snap at you for being bitchy, but you know what? You're right. I ain't got a clue."

Fuyu pulled away and glared down the halls, looking for Luna. "Well, it is nice to see you again."

Before anyone could ask why she seemed so mad, the group was called to move after one of the courtesans. Moving down the same hallway from which Stormy had, it took fifteen minutes of walking and turning more corners than they could count to bring them to a set of double doors with a massive sun symbol laid in gold across the center. The courtesan explained that there would be a delay before the Princess would be able to see them and then released everyone to kill time before disappearing.

"Come on." Twilight grabbed the pale woman's hand and began to lead her as the gaggle broke up.

"Say hi to the other Fuyu for me!" Stormy called, waving.

Stunned, she went to autopilot as the librarian tugged her along. "Other Fuyu?"

"I don't know, I don't care, I have enough to deal with, and I'm sorry if that seems harsh but I am about to lose it." Despite her insistence, it was harsh enough to make her care after a moment. "Sorry. I just...I'm kind of scared." By now they were looking up a long staircase. "These are the offices. Every morning she comes up here to read paperwork from Parliament." A huge breath served to steady her nerves, but only for a moment. "I'm going up."

Fuyu started up the steps too, but stopped when Twilight blocked her with an arm. "Shouldn't I come?"

"I think I might get farther alone, but thank you. If I need you I'll call."

"All right." She stepped back onto the floor and watched the librarian ascend, then walk out of view. Alone, she allowed herself to look at the décor to see if anything was familiar. "Let's hope she doesn't go insane and I have to do the thing I was meant for."

With nothing else to do, she looked at the paintings hanging on the walls. Most were of cities or places around the country, but a few were people. These attracted her. "Prince Blueblood," she read out loud. "So that's who Rarity was talking about." Another one was of an aged man wearing an odd hat who had a tremendous beard. "Starswirl?" The texture of his facial hair was fascinating enough to make her reach out toward it.

"Please don't touch the paintings."

Surprised, she looked to her left and found a middle-aged woman with brown hair and olive skin tone, wearing the same uniform the courtesans did. A small basket full of cleaning supplies was at her right foot. On further inspection, Fuyu decided she looked a lot like Twilight, although the librarian lacked the almond-shaped eyes. She polished the small metal title tab under a painting of a river as the pale woman walked over.

The woman kept on polishing, stopping only to examine her work. "You would be surprised how many people try to touch Starswirl. The technique really makes his beard look three dimensional." Finished, she looked over with a professional smile, only to freeze and startle badly after making eye contact. "It's...it's you!" she yelped, stumbling backwards.

"What?" Fuyu was so confused she peeked back over her shoulder to see if someone else was there, but saw nothing. "Me?"

"Yes, you! I haven't seen you since that..." Uncertain, she trailed off and became tense. "I thought you'd died. That's what they told me."

Attempts at recalling just who she was talking to left Fuyu with nothing. It annoyed her. "Who are you?"

She shrank away even farther until her back bumped into a column. "My name is Fuyu."

An eternity trundled by before Fuyu registered what she'd heard. Confused, she tilted her head and stared. "What did you say?"

She slipped from the column and into the hallway, facing the pale woman all the while. "My name is Fuyu. You probably don't even remember me, we only met once and...well, to be honest I don't think I should be talking about any of this..."

"No." Revulsion swamped her brain, a feeling she couldn't quite understand but knew she hated. "My name is Fuyu."

"Oh, wow, you took my name?"

"No, it's been my name since...forever. That's always been my name." Control was slipping away from her, and it showed in her wild blue eyes. "I'm Fuyu. I've always been Fuyu."

"Not when I saw you last, they hadn't given you a name yet."

Fuyu grabbed her would-be double by the collar and lifted her with one arm off the carpet. "Who would give me a name besides my parents? Why would I not have a name?! Why do you have my name?!" she growled, eyes full of an emotion that no one had seen before and lived.

"Winter!"

Both angered killing machine and terrified courtesan snapped their heads to the right, where Luna was coming down the long staircase. "Winter, put her down."

Like a bolt of lightning her focus shifted. She dropped the other Fuyu and began moving toward the Princess. "She stole my name. That's the first thing I ever knew! My name! She stole it!"

Luna stood her ground, but being stoic was almost beyond her ability. She wanted to weep with joy and try to be comforting – however, defusing the situation had to come first. "Leave us," she ordered, flicking a hand at the other woman.

"Why does she...?" Fuyu whispered sadly, now face-to-face with Luna. "Why..."

Luna clamped on in a hug. "I'm so sorry about this. About everything that has to do with you, if I'm being fair."

Fuyu did not return the gesture. "Is any of what your sister told me real?"

She squeezed the pale woman hard and tried not to cry. "Some of it, but not most. It's time I told you the whole truth."

Regaining her mental balance, Fuyu made Luna step back so she could pin her down with an absolutely hellish glare. "You're damn right it is."