Celestia smiled to herself as she slowly woke from her dream. She could feel a distant tug in her magic, but had woken somewhat earlier than normal, and had a good ten minutes before she had to raise the sun. Her dream last night had been a pleasant one, of her first meeting with Yinfâng. The princess rolled over, luxuriating in a few precious moments in bed. The dream still lingered, bringing other memories drifting through her sleep-fogged mind...

~ : --- : ~

They had just exited a very long summit meeting, and Celestia was tired, a tad sore, and famished. Why couldn't they pad those chairs a bit better? After an hour or five, they got a little uncomfortable. Yin sidled up next to her, offering a thinly veiled look of sympathy.

"Oh Yin, there you are," the princess smiled. "How are you feeling? You sat there like a statue for the whole thing." Celestia had shot her subtle glances throughout, hoping her quick eye rolls and other minor antics might elicit a reaction. All she got was stony silence, and a tiny ear-twitch or two. Though she could have sworn the stoic feline had smirked at a particularly acerbic retort Celestia had muttered under her breath. The Noble talking at the time had been particularly full of himself, and had one of the dullest voices she'd ever heard.

"Quite fine, your Highness. I'm used to it. Is there anything I can get for you? I know those chairs can be rather uncomfortable after a few hours." Celestia hummed to herself.

“How about a bite to eat, for starters?" She suggested, grinning when the feline's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. "I insist you dine with me." Yin spluttered, shaking her head in denial, offering weak excuses until Celestia interrupted her. "Come now, I promise I don't bite. And this way, you can ensure my food is untouched, yes?" The leopard hesitated, but when her stomach rumbled again, she bowed her head in defeat.

"Shall we head to the Dining Hall then, your Highness?" She asked, pausing on her way there when Celestia shook her head.

"I'd like to eat someplace a bit more...private, if possible," she asked, voice hesitant. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries as a visiting dignitary, but she'd had plenty of loud talking today and wanted a bit of quiet. Yin gave her an appraising look.

"I think I know a place. Right this way, we'll stop by the kitchens on the way there." Yin suggested, gesturing politely for Celestia to follow her. “I know it may not be what you’re used to, but…”
Celestia managed to eke out a bit of small talk as Yin led them to the kitchens, where she motioned for Celestia to wait for a moment while she slinked through the double doors hidden inconspicuously down an adjacent hallway. Reappearing a few moments later grasping a parcel wrapped in a brightly colored cloth, she furtively looked down the hallway and motioned for Celestia to follow her. Stepping quickly, Celestia followed the leopard enthusiastically, feeling like a filly again as they snuck off to eat potentially ill-gotten foodstuffs. Rounding a corner sharply, Yin snuck through a tiny hidden doorway that Celestia would never have noticed if Yin hadn’t shown her where it was. Glancing about the hallway to make sure no one saw her, Celestia quickly slipped through the door to find herself in a tiny courtyard. It was very serene, with well-trimmed flora abound and a small burbling brook feeding into an equally small pond in one shaded corner occupied by a very large weeping willow. Seeing Yin sitting on a small patch of grass, she made her way through the winding pathway to join her on a rectangle of cloth she recognized as the parcel’s wrapping. Spread out before her were several square dishes filled with rows of small white cylinders of rice, each filled in the middle with an assortment of vegetables.

“What a lovely garden,” Celestia commented, glancing around her at the well-kept grounds. “I never would have known this was here, if you hadn’t taken me here.” She smiled, meeting Yin’s expression evenly with gratitude as she smiled back.

“Most don’t know it even exists,” Yin admitted as she pulled out a small dish and filled it with a dark liquid. “When viewed from above it just seems to be one big tree, and others prefer the grander gardens over this rather humble one. I find it very tranquil here though, and often come here to meditate.” She explained, scooping out a tiny portion of a green paste and mixing it into the dark liquid with a pair of sticks. “Here, have you ever used chopsticks before?” she asked, proffering a matching pair of sticks to the princess.

“I must confess, I have not,” Celestia stated, taking hold of them in her magic and watching with interest as Yin grasped them delicately in her paw like a pair of pincers. Watching her for a moment, Celestia quickly got the idea and only slightly clumsily clasped one of the rolls and brought it to her mouth. “Oh!” She exclaimed as she chewed on her morsel. “This is quite good! What is it, exactly?” She asked, taking another roll.

“They’re commonly called Kappa maki. They’re a mix of vegetables, usually including cucumbers rolled in sushi nori and jasmine rice. They’re also commonly made with crab, but I wasn’t sure if you partook of shellfish, so…” Yin trailed off sheepishly, making Celestia grin reassuringly.

“That’s alright; I can’t say I’ve ever had any. Shellfish are not a common food in Equestria, as I’m sure you know. However, I’m not opposed to trying it sometime,” she offered, eyeing the sauce. “So what’s in that?” she asked, nodding to the dark sauce.

“Oh, this is soy sauce with a bit of wasabi mixed in…” Yin began explaining cheerfully, as the two slowly whiled away the remaining hours with talk and laughter. Ending the day with the setting of the sun, Yin once again escorted Princess Celestia to her room and bade her goodnight.

~ : --- : ~

As she finally dragged herself out of bed and stepped out onto her balcony, she saw the edge of Selene slip beneath the horizon cradled in her sister's magic. She waited until Luna had properly settled the stars, leaving the land bathed in an absolute darkness as her horn glowed golden. Raising her beloved Sol from its slumber, she watched as the land was slowly bathed in shining rays of warmth. She ambled back inside to her desk, where she found a scroll tied with an orange ribbon: the color code for 'important, read as soon as possible'. Opening the scroll, she noted it was from the head scientist at the castle labs. Apparently they hadn't gotten very far in the autopsy before the corpse began to deteriorate, slowly collapsing into ashes. They were running the remains through some tests, but had nothing conclusive to offer on either the species or its magical signature. Disappointed, Celestia tossed the scroll back on her desk with a frustrated sigh. Yin was not going to be happy about the news. Speaking of Yin, she perked with a grin; it was time for breakfast, and she wanted to surprise her beloved with breakfast herself this morning. Perhaps even join her! As she ran a brush through her mane and exited her chambers, her thoughts drifted back to the attack of the mysterious beast. How the tips of its feathers seemed to trail a thin smoke, and its eyes glowed like malevolent embers... She shuddered, reminded of another enemy with similarities, though ten times worse...

~ : --- : ~

Yin had received news her family had arrived at the palace, and her sisters had requested they meet up in the main gardens. Unable to leave Celestia, the leopard turned to Celestia with hopeful eyes.

“Would you like to meet my sisters?” Yin asked, melting Celestia's heart with the kitten-ish look she was being assaulted with. What else could she do, but nod happily and hum in response. As she followed Yin down the hallway from the palace dojo to the main gardens, she couldn’t help but watch as Yin sauntered down the hallway. There was just something hypnotizing about the way she walked… As they entered the garden, Celestia was shaken out of her stupor when Yin called out for her sisters.

“Lien-Hua! Bao-Yu, where are you?” She shouted joyfully as she glanced around the garden. Celestia quested around herself as well, trying to catch a glimpse of a dragon or two. She never even noticed the tension in the atmosphere until Yin abruptly appeared next to her, hackles up. “Princess, please get back inside,” she growled, startling the princess with her deep tone. “Something feels wrong-” A terrible cacophony suddenly split the air, making Celestia jump and Yin crouch in a protective stance in front of her. Even though Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards and the Imperial Guards were never too far away, they were unable to breach the ring of daemons that had unexpectedly appeared in the gardens. Celestia froze in horror, her mind violently trying to deny the existence of the creatures in front of her.

They all seemed comprised of burning ash and shadow, strange mixtures of creatures that were grotesque and misshapen. Their eyes were only empty pits of a malignant flame, freezing her with dread. The next few moments seemed to happen in a blur. The three creatures poised to strike her from the right collapsed with torn throats, as the ones to her left were smashed into the stonework of the pathway, their skulls crunching audibly. Yin appeared before her again, splattered with a lightly smoking dark ichor that stank slightly of sulfur and iron. Before she could regroup, several more emerged from shadowy tears that materialized in the air. Growling menacingly at their attackers, Yin struck down the one or two that rushed them, yet they were slowly but surely being pressed back toward the low wall of the garden hanging over a steep cliff.

Screaming abruptly, Celestia flared her wings and reared in an attempt to throw off the creature that was suddenly knawing on her left wing joint as sharp razors dug into her withers. Roaring, Yin spun around and took the creature by the throat, snapping its neck in one fluid motion. They were beginning to swarm in the air behind them. Eyes not leaving the hoard in front of them, Yin growled quietly back to her.

“They are weak to any form of Light Magic. One solid hit should destroy them, but whatever you do, don’t let them touch your horn. Something in their skin deadens the horn and disrupts casting.” Nodding resolutely, Celestia’s horn began glowing with a golden energy as she started blasting daemons left and right, while Yin kept any from getting too close to touch her. Just as the Princess was beginning to believe they were making headway, Yin yelped in pain. Celestia spun to see a daemon that had Yin pinned on her back by the throat suddenly get his belly torn out by her hind claws. Looking to Yin to make sure she was alright, Celestia was about to sigh in relief when she saw Yin’s eyes widen in alarm. She whirled to attack, but was too slow as she felt icy-cold talons grip her horn like a vice. Screaming in rage, she kicked the thing off her viciously with her fore-hooves, shattering the thing’s ribs like porcelain. She tried to blast another one hurtling itself at her, but her horn felt numb and only sputtered a few sparks. Alarmed, she reared and lashed at it with her hooves, but it ducked underneath and threw her onto her back. Uninjured wing flaring, she whinnied in fear as the thing lowered its jaws to rip her throat out, when suddenly it wasn’t there anymore. With the weight pinning her down gone she struggled to her hooves, Yin appearing before her once again, scratched but otherwise unharmed.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Yin solicited tightly, as she struck down yet another attacker.

“I’m fine Yin, nothing a good night’s rest won’t fix up,” Celestia assured her. Even now the small scratches she’s received were sealing over. Her wing wouldn’t bear any weight in flight, but she could open and close it, at least. “How is it that you’re not even breathing hard?” Celestia complained with a teasing manner, trying to brighten the dire situation a little. Yin grinned sardonically as she spared a brief glance backwards to her charge.

“You think this is bad, you should hav—watch out!” She yelled, tackling Celestia so powerfully she knocked the wind out of the solar princess. The next thing she knew, there was a giant fireball screaming above her head, striking the pathway where she had just been standing. The concussive blast from the impact destroyed the ledge in which the edge of the garden stood, and suddenly she was falling. Instinctively, she tried to brace herself with her wings, but her injured wing simply folded in on itself. Casting about her wildly, she caught a glimpse of Yin flailing just to her right and about sixty hooves above her.

“Yin!!” She screamed desperately, trying vainly once again to fly. She might survive the impact, but Yin surely wouldn’t! She caught sight of Yin once again, and this time their gazes locked. She watched, amazed, as Yin turned herself around in mid-air and, bracing herself off a large piece of debris, launched herself downward toward Celestia. Suddenly finding herself nearly nose-to-nose with the leopard, Celestia reeled her head back in surprise as Yin grinned at her teasingly.

“Do you think you can maneuver yourself onto my back?” She yelled over the sound of rushing wind. Quickly, Celestia edged herself over with her one good wing, clinging tightly to Yin’s muscular neck with her forelegs. “Alright, now tuck your legs and wings in and don’t let go!!” Clinging tightly to her friend, Celestia clenched her eyes shut as Yin precariously leapt from one large chunk of rock to another, until she found one consisting mostly of a large paving stone. Digging her claws into the stone as best as she could, Yin carefully balanced herself until they were mostly level with the approaching mountain-side. “Brace yourself!” She screamed, as Celestia’s world jolted and shuddered with impact. Careening down the mountain, Celestia clutched Yin tighter with every lurch and scrape as Yin rode the rock they stood on down the cliff to a grinding halt. When Celestia dared crack her eyes open again, she found herself clinging desperately to Yinfâng, who stood solidly atop the paving stone, the rock beneath it worn away by the mountainside during their ride down. Stepping nimbly, Yin jumped down from the rock onto more solid ground, Celestia still tightly hugging her as if afraid to let go.

“You can let go now, Princess,” Yin advised, rather amused despite the circumstances. She and the Princess may have been the same length in the torso, but the alicorn had much longer legs than hers. She looked a little silly clinging to someone whose shoulders barely reached above the tip of her barrel.

“Can’t I just stay right here?” Celestia joked thinly, half from nerves and half because the leopard felt sinfully delicious beneath her. Despite her luxuriously plush fur, the mare shuddered in delight at the feel of liquid-steel muscles underneath.

“Don’t be foalish, the ground won’t bite you and you stand taller than me,” Yin reprimanded her, Celestia struck momentarily speechless by the novelty of someone actually lecturing her. Chastised, Celestia gingerly left the silvery cushion of Yin’s back for the earth below.

“How…did you do that?” Celestia asked her in amazement, as she looked back up the cliff side they had just surfed down. It must have been at least 500 paces high!

“Cats always land on their paws,” Yin smugly returned, even as she scanned their surroundings. Celestia took a moment to look around her, finding herself on a rather wide partial plateau that remained level for maybe thirty paces in a rough semi-circle before dropping off again. Trying her horn again, she still felt only numbness where there should have been a gentle pulsing, like her heartbeat. It was very disconcerting.

“I still can’t use my magic, and I will have to set the sun soon,” she fretted as Yin turned to examine her horn. Sitting so Yin could have better access, Celestia flushed profusely at the close proximity of Yin’s face, marveling at the tiny flecks of pale gold visible in those jade orbs. Suddenly she was looking straight into those eyes, and she felt as though she were drowning in a sea of vibrant green. Yin looked stricken as a hint of red slowly seeped over her cheeks, clearing her throat awkwardly. The spell broken, Celestia smiled thinly and broke eye contact, glancing somewhere off to her upper right while Yin stared shyly to her lower right.

“I think…if you give it an hour or so, you might manage one spell,” she mumbled bashfully, tail twitching in agitation. “However, that will aggravate your horn, so you’ll have to let it rest for the rest of the night.” Celestia hummed noncommittally in response, still reeling from the shock of her emotions. ‘What is this I’m feeling?’ she speculated nervously to herself. ‘She makes me feel so…different.’ She glanced reticently over at the leopard again, marveling in the play of muscles beneath that beautiful coat as she quickly scaled a scraggly but tall tree to get a better view of their surroundings. “Looks like we got lucky,” she yelled down from her precarious perch. “Most of the rest of the debris fell down the other side of the mountain!” hopping adroitly down the thicker branches, she landed lightly in front of the Princess. “There looks to be a shallow hollow in the cliff face a little ways in that way,” she gestured toward the far left corner of their little shelf. “It’s probably no more than maybe ten to fourteen hooves deep, but it should do in a pinch,” She described, hopping over the few boulders that had tumbled with them as Celestia tried to keep up. The second she put too much weight on her left hock though, she knew she wouldn’t be able to climb over them.

“What is the matter, Princess?” Yin asked as she bounded back to her, concern in her eyes.

“Oh it’s nothing serious,” Celestia feigned lightly, wincing. “I just…may have sprained it a tad, is all,” she smiled tightly, waving her injured hock gently for emphasis. Sympathy and exasperation shone equally in Yin’s eyes as she rolled them lightly before turning around with a sigh.

“Alright, get on,” she grumbled as she flicked her tail to her back, Celestia grinning happily as she clambered onto the shorter leopard’s back. Tucking her hind legs in, she cheerfully hugged Yin around the neck again, ignoring the leopardess’ complaints.

“I hope you know we look ridiculous like this,” she grumbled while deftly hopping boulders. “And your mane is getting in my face.” Celestia giggled when Yin blew at her multi-hued mane in irritation, only hugging her tighter as she began descending the other side of the rubble. When they reached the small cavity in the rock face, Celestia reluctantly got off Yin’s back without any prompting this time, Yin ducking inside quickly to make sure there weren’t any animals denning in it. Given the all clear, Celestia limped carefully inside, finding a good portion of it covered in a thick blanket of moss. The two working quickly, Yin gathered a descent pile of dead branches while Celestia swept out the worst of the dirt from the cave with broken pine branches. Carefully stockpiling their firewood in a crevasse near the back of the cave, Yin started a fire with a few pieces of sparkstone she found amongst the rubble, blowing gently on the tinder while Celestia carefully tested her horn. Finding enough sensation in her horn for one spell, she quickly lowered the sun and raised the moon, fighting to maintain the spell through a sudden haze of pain, like pins and needles in a limb that had long gone numb. Resting lightly while the headache subsided, she glanced over at Yin and smiled reassuringly at the pensive frown on the feline’s face.
“I’m alright,” she assured as she rubbed her horn with a wince. “But you were right; I’m tapped out at the moment. We’ll have to wait for a few hours while I rest and recover.” Nodding in affirmation, Yin excused herself for a moment and stepped out of the cave, Celestia’s gaze trailing her wistfully as she silently padded into the night.

~ : --- : ~

After that fateful night, she and Yin had grown closer as friends, and a year later had seen a nerve-wrecked sun princess confess her burgeoning feelings to a shocked snow leopard.

A faint smile tweaked Celestia's lips as she ambled down the hall toward the kitchens, still lost in reverie. Incapable of avoiding her, Yin had grown stiff and painfully professional around the alicorn. Unable to stomach the loneliness, Celestia had broken down and escaped to the city at the foot of the palace. They had shared a rather emotional night after a panicked Yin had found her and admitted to returning the mare's affections...and the fears holding her back. The next few weeks were rocky, but unwilling to deny their feelings any longer they quietly agreed to clandestine meetings away from prying eyes. Celestia would sneak out of her chambers at night, and meet Yin in their garden disguised as the pegasus Solar Flair.

Walking back to Yin's room with a tray in her magical grip, she bumped into her daughters and their friends in the hallway.

"Why, good morning, girls," she smiled at them cheerfully. "What are you doing up so early?"

"We thought we'd visit Yin, and see if you were able to talk to Lady Hazuki." Twilight explained, the others nodding along and cracking yawns.

"I did, as a matter of fact." Celetia's face positively beamed. "However, her terms were such that I cannot share her knowledge with you. I will have to take it from here." At the disappointment on Twilight's face, she chuckled lightly and gave her a nuzzle. "I know you wanted to finish what you started, Twilight. But it is thanks to your and Dawn's efforts that I have something to even work with. I couldn't have done it without you two." Twilight perked up at the praise, a satisfied smile growing on her face.
As the group reached Yin's door, Celestia politely tapped to announce her presence.

"Good morning, Yin! I brought...you..." the cheer in the Princess' voice died as she took in the scene before her. The sheets on the bed were a crumpled, blood speckled mess, trailing off the bed to a collapsed heap of fur on the floor. The sudden sound of shattering plates interrupted the shocked silence.
"YIN!" Celestia scrambled toward the fallen chimera, gently turning her over to check for a pulse. Her efforts were met with a weak groan, her love trying to remain curled in on herself. "Yin, love, please tell me what's wrong," Celestia plead, ignoring the sudden gawking from the other mares in the room.

"Tia? Hurts..." came a hoarse whisper, jade eyes still screwed shut in pain.

"Where?" Celestia struggled to keep calm, though panicking sounded really attractive right now it would not help Yin.

"Ev'rwhere..." the thin, reedy mewl whistling between whiskered lips almost tipping Celestia over the edge. The princess whirled toward the others with thinly veiled anxiety.

"Twilight, go get Dr. Mortar! Applejack, Rarity, clear the bed! Rainbow, fetch some warm water! Pinkie, Fluttershy, get me wash towels and blankets, she's starting to shiver!" The urgency in her voice finally broke the Element Bearers out of their paralysis, as Rainbow, pink and violet streaked out of the room. Applejack ripped the soiled sheets from the bed, clean ones floating over in a pale blue aura as Rarity quickly stretched them over the mattress. Celestia gently floated the silver-furred chimera over and set her down, Dawn rushing over to check her pulse.

"She keeps fluctuating, I can't get a good read." She muttered, eyes tight with worry as she placed a hoof in front of Yin's mouth. "Her breathing is way too shallow." Rainbow streaked in with a bowl in her grip, somehow having managed to avoid sloshing it all over the place. Pinkie was right behind her with hoof towels, tossing one to the princess who caught it and dunked it in the water. Carefully wringing it out, she began to gently clean the blood specked around Yin's mouth. Twilight suddenly appeared in a flash of magenta light, a dizzy-looking Mortar gripping his bag in his jaws as if afraid to let go of it.

"I brought him, I brought him!" She panted, her wings flaring with agitation. After a moment to shake his head clear, the doctor leaped over to the bed and began examining his patient.

"How long has she been like this?" He asked in a clipped tone, peeling back one eyelid to show an unfocused, bloodshot jade orb.

"I-I don't know, I just found her like this a few minutes ago...!" Celestia was having difficulty staying calm for her little ponies, Dawn and Twilight's presence the only net for her sanity as they pressed against her in comfort. He pulled out a stethoscope, his gaze intense as he listened to the staccato in Yin's chest.

"Pulse, 112 resting...Not good..." The stallion muttered, abandoning his stethoscope to dig in his bag. "Princess, call in Nurse Lily for me, tell her to bring an oxygen tank and mask." He ordered absently as he pulled a needle and syringe out of a case. Shaken out of her worried stupor, Celestia whirled toward the door only to find Dawn had already done as he asked. He pulled out a bottle of clear liquid, Celestia watching anxiously as he pushed whatever it was into a prostrate Yin's neck.

"I just gave her a shot of oxymorphone," He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, distracted apology on his face. "It is the strongest, longest lasting painkiller I have at the moment. It should help alleviate some of the pain, however because it's an opioid I dare not give her too many shots of it." Unable to articulate any words at the moment, Celestia merely nodded her understanding.

"What is...Is she...?" Celestia choked on the tears clogging her throat. The doctor nodded with a grim frown.

"She is entering acute withdrawal syndrome. Usually it fluctuates, with the waves bouncing from one extreme to the next and growing in intensity." Celestia was vaguely aware she was trembling, a sound like roaring waves growing in her ears. "Judging by her BPMs from earlier, she has been experiencing this for at least a couple of hours." Celestia was unable to completely muffle the sob that escaped her lips. "When I find out who was supposed to be monitoring her, I'm gonna have me a nice new pastel rug for the wife," he muttered darkly. If Celestia were in the mood, she'd have snorted.

"I don' mean to be rude Doc, but can ya explain jus' what that means to th' rest of us?" Applejack asked, her ears drooping under the tense atmosphere. Dawn went over to place a comforting hoof on the farm pony's shoulder.

"It means her heart races too fast, then slows way down. Same with her breathing," the pale pink mare explained. "Usually it would fade before it got anywhere too high or low but..." Dawn left the rest unsaid, not wanting to voice the source of her mother's anguish. The rest of the gang's ears dropped, eyes widening and tearing up as they reached their own conclusions.

"But, but it'll stop eventually, right? She just has to ride it out, right?" Pinkie squeaked, her eyes desperately jumping from the doctor to the Princess to Dawn, looking for some sign of hope to cling to. Twilight sighed with a grimace.

"If her heart-rate starts to level out, then yes." Though her words were assuring, her voice betrayed her opinion on the matter. Pinkie's mane went flat at the hopelessness in her lavender friend's eyes. Nurse Lily finally arrived, puffing as she hurtled into the room burdened with a tank of compressed oxygen and a mask looped over one ear. Dr. Mortar quickly set the tank next to Yin's bed, the orange glow of his magic gently but securely tying the life-giving mask over Yin's muzzle. Celestia focused on that mask, and the tiny puffs of fog misting the inside. She counted each puff, far too small and quick to be of any real assurance. Finally she staggered over to the bed and almost fell beside it, draping one wing over a shivering silver frame and tucking her nose just under Yin's chin. She stayed there, immobile as she tried to center herself around each shallow gasp and the hiss of the tank.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, Celestia finally rousted herself enough to lift her head from its rest, idly noting it had been almost an hour. Blinking bleary magenta eyes at the doctor, she glanced around her in a daze, all Twilight's friends clustered about the room. She let Dr. Mortar check on her beloved for a moment, but with his subtle yet grim shake felt her heart cracking like glass exposed to terrible heat. She turned to address the others in the room with a worn voice, the effort of lifting her head almost too much.

"I appreciate all of you being here for Yinfâng in her time of need. However, I would like some time alone with her, if you please." As they moved to protest, she pinned them with a look of barely restrained grief, her eyes flashing a warning.

"Please." They all filed out of the room with meek silence, only Twilight and Dawn pausing for a moment to offer her comforting nuzzles. As the door clicked shut behind them, she turned to face the doctor with a deep, bracing breath. "Doctor." Her voice broke, mirroring the spreading crack she felt in her soul. He cleared his throat.

"Her pulse evened out for a minute, but... I'm sorry, your Highness, it then started to slow down." He looked tired, the bags under his eyes attesting to the emotional stress of fighting a losing battle. "Barring a miracle, at this rate she has only about an hour left. Maybe less." At the Princess' hitched sob, he bowed hastily and gathered his gear. "I gave her another shot, to ease the pain of the cramping. I will leave you now, Highness." Celestia didn't even hear the door click behind him, her whole world was filled with each wheezing gasp and subtle hiss of the breathing tank.

She leaned in to bury her nose in soft silver fur, caught by surprise when the gentle nuzzle was returned.

"Yin, you're awake!" Soft jade eyes regarded her with warmth, a weak grin somewhat obscured by the mask. The chimera wrestled the mask off her face, Celestia's protests dying on her lips as Yin shook her head.

"Whatever the doc gave me...helps manage the pain...center my breathing." She panted, taking a deep breath. "Getting speared...in the chest...didn't hurt...this much." she tried to chuckle, but the effort proved too much as she started coughing. Celestia's eyes widened in shock.

"Getting what?! When did that happen?" Green eyes laughed at her.

"Long time ago...doesn't matter." She gave a resigned sigh. "Don't think...I'll pull through...again this time." Celestia brushed a tender hoof down Yin's cheek, crooning denial.

"No no no, Yin, you can't talk like that. Don't give up yet." Tears pricked at the corners of Celestia's eyes, her mind whirling at light speeds as she tried to create a cure out of what little data she had to work with. "Please, Yin, promise me. Promise. You'll fight this as long as you can, please. I can fix this, if you just promise me you won't give up. Please, please don't give up on me." Yin met her eyes as Celestia stared her down with a determined, borderline desperate tearful glare. Verdant eyes shied from violet with a pained sigh.

"You ask...too much of me." There was a beat of silence as the words filtered through Celestia's brain, but her dismay never made it past her lips as they were captured by Yin's in a sudden burst of strength. "But for you...I promise." Exhausted by her effort, Yin dropped her head back on her pillow as her breaths evened out in a pattern of sleep. Golden light enveloped the oxygen mask, easing it back over the sleeping figure's muzzle. Pure white hooves, divested of their heavy adornments, paced in front of the bed as their owner muttered to themselves in a frenzy. For a nigh-immortal being many considered divine, and despite the millennia plus she'd existed, Celestia had never felt the press of time more keenly than this moment.

Precious minutes ticked relentlessly on, spurred by each weakening rasp. She'd had almost no time to fully analyze the information Hazuki had shared with her, and without it she had no way to adapt a spell that required contact with the horn in order to be properly utilized. Purifying water was one thing, but blood was full of other very necessary cells which could easily be destroyed if she used too much power. This meant use of a dalasis would not cycle the blood quickly enough to keep her alive. Only slow and steady would win this deadly race. If only there were some way to purify the blood without having to remove it from her body... A feeble groan jarred her from her train of thought, as she whipped worried eyes toward her friend. The chimera was curled in on herself again, an unconscious grimace of pain on her face. Realizing the medicine must have worn off, a brief check of her sun told Celestia more time had passed than she'd realized. Yin's breathing was starting to slow, the seconds between each breath growing longer while Celestia's tenuous grip on her composure unraveled. Placing one twitching ear against a silver-furred chest, magenta eyes widened in alarm at the erratic rhythm within.

"Yin?" Celestia tried nudging the prone form for some sign of reassurance, but the chimera remained unconscious. Even her breathing had grown sporadic, the sun princess' own breath racing as she tried to quell the panic bubbling up from within her chest. Her heart felt as though it had turned to lead and was trying to crawl it's way up her throat when Yin let out a rattling exhale--and failed to draw in another breath.

"Yin...? Yin, breath for me, come on..." Her voice cracked, all her shaking and tapping and pleading utterly failing to wake the object of their attention. "No! YIN!" She screamed, a burning pain erupted in her chest, as though somepony had impaled her heart...her breath hitched. Impaled. Her heart. That was IT!

"Princess? Is everything alright?" a worried voice filtered through the door, as the door handle rattled. A golden glow latched the deadbolt, preventing any interference. She could not afford distractions. Agile mind whirring, the princess erected a barrier around the door and placed her horn against Yin's chest, a thin glow enveloping the dying form as Celestia began an intricate spell matrix that, once started, could not be interrupted without perilous consequence. She registered banging and shouting from the other side of the wooden portal, but the sounds filtered to her like sunlight through deep water, her mind utterly focused on the task at hoof.

She eyed her partner with reservation tempered by determination, she was wading in mostly unexplored territory right now. This particular spell was very dangerous if miscast to both the caster and the recipient, and the next spell she needed was completely untested-- or even attempted. Violet eyes once again fell on the still figure and hardened into resolve. She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on unresponsive lips, sparing a glance behind her at the sound of splintering wood and shattered magical force. She erected a golden dome over herself and the bed as Twilight and her friends stormed into the room, accompanied by Hazuki and Jia Li. She looked down at the prone silver form curled on the bed, eyes shining with fierce, desperate love. No room for trial and error. She took careful aim, reared back, and struck.

Sinking the tip of her glowing alabaster horn deep in Yin's heart, she closed her eyes and focused past the screaming and pounding on the barrier as she began her second spell.

Hours later, the glow around her horn guttered and stopped. Celestia was dimly aware that the pounding on her barrier must have stopped at some point, because she had long run out of the energy needed to maintain it against magic as powerful as that of a semi-divine dragon and her kirin counterpart. Sustaining both the barrier, which she'd had to sink massive amounts of magic into to prevent it from breaking, and the purification spell, which needed a slow but steady supply had been exhausting. Though the latter had required little in the amount of power, it needed careful attention and precision to avoid killing of vital cells. Performing both at once, while still running the spell linking their life forces together to keep Yin alive through the process had been like painting fine china with a brush the width of a hair while hauling a two-ton boulder uphill and reciting pi.

She pulled her horn out of Yin's chest with a wince at the wet sucking sound. Just as she was recouping to heal the wound, however, she was caught aback when the gaping hole began stitching itself shut. She removed the oxygen mask as previously labored breathing grew strong and even, hope bursting in Celestia's chest as eyelids fluttered open.

"Ow. Tia?" Came a hoarse whisper, glimmering jade orbs locking with violet. Celestia threw herself on the chimera with a joyful shout, echoed by the other occupants of the room.

"You're alright..." She choked, tears finally spilling over to drip on silver fur. "Thank the Maker. You're alive! Oh Faust, you're okay." A chuckle sounded in her ear while a gentle pair of talons ran through her prismatic mane.

"I promised, didn't I?" Something between a laugh and a sob erupted from Celestia's lips as she gripped Yin in a vise of relieved wonder and unadulterated joy.

"Yes, you certainly did." Her barrier long forgotten, the others finally crowded around the two with whoops and gasps of happiness. Celestia was almost bowled over as Jia Li rushed to her child, but managed to catch her balance when she was crushed into a hug from Hazuki.

"You did it, you did it!" the kirin whimpered, the joy in her voice smothered by the relieved tears streaming down Hazuki's face. "When I saw you plunge your horn into her chest I th-thought that was it, you'd lost all hope and w-wanted to end her pain--but you did it!" Celestia returned the fierce hug with one of her own.

"No, thank you. I couldn't have done it without your help, Hazu-chan. Thank you, so, so much for bringing my precious Yinfâng back to me." The two parted with huge, albeit watery smiles. Celestia turned to address the queen just as the dragoness launched herself at the alicorn, and found herself in another bone-crushing hug.

" You have returned my daughter to me. Words cannot express--" Celestia felt droplets splash onto her fur as her old friend released her and regarded her with a fierce expression. "Where I feared had lost my daughter, you pulled her from the brink at great risk to yourself. Above my sovereignty, and above that of my nation, you have my undying gratitude as a mother. Though she is not of my flesh, she is mine in spirit." Celestia smiled with a tiny shake of her head.

"Save your thanks. She was worth nothing less, and deserves much more." Celestia looked over at her beloved, surrounded by her daughters and their friends. "If she had died, half my heart would have died with her." Jia Li nodded.

"I can see your devotion, it is written in your soul. I warms my heart, to know Yin has you by her side." The sun princess grinned.

"I would prefer no other place." With that, she moved to join the center of their conversation, and her world.

"How are you feeling, Yin?" The former leopardess matched the sun Princess' brilliant smile with one of her own, looking none the worse for wear, considering.

"I feel amazing, Celestia. I haven't felt this good in decades. Whatever you did worked miracles." Rarity let out an admonishing gasp.

"You have no idea, darling. Why, when we saw the Princess stab you with her horn, we all thought--"

"Wait, she did what?" Yin interrupted, wide eyes flicking to the cloth Princess Celestia was discreetly scrubbing her horn with.

"Oh yeah, we all thought she'd gone bonkers." Rainbow scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Er, no offense, your Highness."

"None taken," Celestia smiled, a bit of a sheepish smile on her face. "It was down to the wire, and I had to do something. I, ehem, may have been a little panicked." Applejack snorted.

" 'Panicked', huh? Tha's puttin' it mildly, Highness. You sure yer alright, Yin? Looked mighty painful." Yin rubbed at her chest absently, and for a minute Celestia worried that she still felt pain from the injury when she noticed Yin was rubbing far to the right of the entry point.

"No, I feel perfectly fine. I can even take deep breaths again." Yin's eyes were slightly unfocused, as if lost in a memory. "Celestia patched me up pretty quickly." At that, Celestia glanced at her oddly.

"Actually, I didn't do anything." Nine pairs of eyes looked at her with quizzical expressions.

"You didn't?" Twilight tilted her head, Celestia laughing to herself as she was mirrored almost perfectly by Dawn.

"No, before I could cast the spell the wound started sealing itself shut." Yin glanced at herself with curiosity.

"Hm." Yin sat on her haunches and lifted one forearm to her scrutiny. She casually flicked out one claw and brought it slashing across before anyone even realized what she was doing. Celestia yelped, grabbing one of the discarded towels in her aura and pressing it to the bleeding limb.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Yin at least had the grace to look chagrined at the admonishment in the diarch's voice, meekly taking the soiled cloth in her other claw as she began wiping the blood from her fur.

"Sorry Tia. I had a theory and wanted to test it. I wasn't really thinking it through." The timid grin quickly morphed into one of pain and indignation when her mother whacked her in the back of the head with her tail. "" The queen pinned her errant child with a glare.

"" Yin quailed under the fierce expression on the Lóngrén's face, though Celestia could still see the vestiges of a pout on her felinoid face. Grinning, she gave Yin an affectionate nuzzle, drawing a few curious glances from the ponies present.

"Let me see that now," the alicorn murmured as she removed the towel from the wound. Or rather, from where a wound used to be.

"Would you look at that," Dawn muttered as she squinched her eyes in thought. A smug grin flashed across Yin's face, but was slowly replaced by an apprehensive one.

"You know, I used to heal pretty quick, after... the change. But nothing quite like this." A thoughtful hum came from Hazuki, who stood there with a look of contemplation.

"That looks an awful lot like kirin healing abilities, but even we cannot heal quite that fast." Jia Li wore a similar expression.

"Ryujin can, but only with the aid of chi. It takes a certain amount of fine control not many chi masters have accomplished, though. " The queen quirked one eye ridge.

"Perhaps it is some strange melding of both?" Yin mused aloud, flexing her claws in absent-mindedness. Celestia found herself oddly ensnared by the little tic-- the claws seemed to grow larger then shrink for no apparent reason. "I seem to have strange meldings of bits, instead of this part here or that ability there copied and sewn on, as it were. I wasn't born with magic, but since all my chakra points had been unlocked I now have vastly improved and expanded chi abilities; my feline flexibility has been enhanced by that of a Ryujin...heck, I even still have retractable claws, sort of." Holding up her claw, she gave a careless demonstration to emphasize her point. Celestia realized what she thought were well-trimmed claws were merely the tips of larger, retractable talons. They even clicked in place until another flex released them to glide back like an assassin's blades. Now that she knew they were there, she recognised the faint bulge around the first joint, so slight you had to know what you were looking for...

"Ahem." the polite cough drew her out of her reverie, as the alabaster princess realized she must have been staring off into space for a few minutes now. She gave an apologetic smile, nodding at the speaker to continue now with her undivided attention.

"As I was saying, the changes wrought by whatever this taint is seem to enhance certain aspects as well," Hazuki continued, tapping a hoof with veiled frustration. "But what I cannot fathom is why the changes are so different between my sisters compared to the tainted Karasu-Tengu that attacked us."

"Um, I may have a theory, Hazu-chan, if I may?" Yinfâng murmured, having settled back down in her bed. The kirin nodded for her to continue as Celestia perked with genuine interest, now that it was her beloved speaking.

"One thing I noticed about Himegami's...change, was not just aesthetic but physical. Her scales are much harder now, almost on par with diamonds." This drew a few startled murmurs from those around her, but her raised claw returned the quiet. "I think the little bit of carbon that is mixed in with a Lóngrén's scales and mane was brought more to the surface, which not only gave her a drastically darker color but enhanced the renowned hardness as well. Tell me, can you describe the changes in the-the High Empress?" Celestia gave an almost inaudible nicker of sympathy, knowing Yin's views on her mentor's potential taint. Queen Jia Li hummed.

"Well, her horns and scales are a solid black, lacking their usual healthy sheen. Her hooves are black too, and...sharper looking, I suppose? Her eyes are rather reptilian now, and her teeth... I believe she has actual canines, now I think of it. No wonder her smile disconcerted me so much." She tapped a claw in thought. "Rather similar to those generals. The pattern on her fur looked strange, too, though I cannot place exactly why." Yin nodded, Celestia piping her confusion.

"I remember how twisted that karasu-tengu looked though. It was nothing so subtle as that." Celestia repressed as shudder at the memory: huge hooked talons thrice the normal size, the unnatural serrated growths that resembled teeth lining the thing's beak, and pupil-less eyes like burning coals...

"Precisely. All the changes are things that enhance the victim's ability to kill things-- their 'darkness' if you will." Yin suggested. "The changes were so subtle on the Empress, her sister, and the generals because ponies, kirin and Lóngrén have a Light chi alignment. karasu-tengu, however, do not. The natural resistance found in those with Light chi would not be there to prevent more involved changes." Jia Li nodded along, unmistakable pride in her countenance.

"A very sound theory, my daughter. The real question I have now is this: where is this taint coming from?" Her expression darkened. "The only likely source I can think of is the ànyǐng èmó - the shadow daemons." The other rulers hummed in agreement, while Twilight and her friends looked a little lost despite the intimidating name of the things. Princess Celestia caught Dawn's gaze and leaned down a little.

"What you might know as S'kabás," she murmured, Dawn paling as the others crowded around her for a whispered explanation.

"I spent seven decades sealing the breach at the Heaven's Gates, and I can assure that it cannot be broken from the other side," Hoshimi declared, coppery eyes smoldering like coals. "That can only mean someone has tampered with it from our side. Someone versed in the ancient binding rituals."
A tense silence stretched between the occupants as they digested this tidbit and its ramifications.

"Who else has this level of knowledge?" Princess Celestia inquired, voice reflecting the tension in the room.

"The knowledge itself, my sisters and I suppose a few dedicated scholars." A heavy sigh escaped the kirin's lips. "But of those with the power...? I think...I think the only other one who powerful enough would be...Hoshimi." Yin inhaled sharply; anger, indignation, and betrayal dancing across her face.

"Why would she do this?" she growled, voice full of hurt. "She knows what those monsters are capable of. They are senseless beasts with no drive other than to kill any living thing they can. Hells, they have no discernible soul to even speak of!" The chimera ranted, lips peeled back to reveal frighteningly long canines. "They devour the souls of mortals and corrupt the River of Life with their very presence! How could the Empress risk another war like the last one? We almost lost!" Celestia placed a comforting wing over Yin's shoulders, who huffed in anger but leaned into the alicorn's warm fur nonetheless.

"Though you bring up a valuable concern daughter, I think we must focus now on how we're going to deal with it," Jia Li proposed, a warm smile curling her lips as she noted the closeness between the former leopard and the Regent of the Sun. She supposed the deep feelings Celestia had for her adopted daughter were not unfounded, after all.
"I propose we meet up later tomorrow evening, so that we might have Princess Luna's input as well." Lady Hazuki suggested as she stood from her seat on a floor cushion. "Also, I imagine you would rather like a bit of rest after your ordeal, yes?" She gave Yinfâng a pointed glance, who responded with a sheepish grin.

"I suppose I did just nearly die, didn't I?" She gave a dry chuckle. "I swear I'm not trying to make a habit of it." Jia Li gifted her with a glare and a tail-smack to the back of her head, which earned her a yelp of indignation. "Okay, okay, too soon. Sorry mom." The Lóngrén-kōgō humphed.

"You'd better be, or there will be more of those in your future. I am going to go inform your brother of your recovery, you'd best prepare for the ensuing hoard to descend upon you." Yin groaned as her mother and Hazuki exited the room, Celestia chuckling at her consternation.

"Being smothered in sibling affection can't be that horrible," she grinned, while Yin just grumbled.

"The key word there being 'smothered'. I've been through this before, and there is nothing quite as disconcerting as being buried under a mass of writhing Lóngrén all trying to give you congratulatory noogies."
Twilight and company, having been rather quiet during the whole exchange, finally piped up.

"So, Ah take it ya been badly injured before, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, ever the spokespony for the group. Celestia gave her companion a appraising look as well.

"I believe you'd mentioned a, ah, grievous injury earlier you conveniently dodged when I asked about it?" One crooked eyebrow implied she would not evade it again so easily.

"Care to share, or shall we forever wallow in mystery?" Dawn drawled, pulling up the cushion Lady Hazuki had vacated earlier.

"You needn't feel pressured, darling," Rarity offered gently. "It's just that you seem to have quite the history, and we are rather curious about our new friend." Yinfâng hummed in contemplation, furtively glancing at Celestia wo gave her an encouraging smile.

"I suppose it can't hurt," she acquiesced, though her voice was tinted with hesitation. The others grinned and subconsciously leaned in. "It's no long, riveting tale by any means," she began, "but it did play an important role in the war, so..." She shifted to get more comfortable, closing her eyes and breathing to center herself. The memory was painful. Not just the injury she'd sustained, but the emotions behind it, as well.

"As you may have figured out, over a century ago Lóngzhùzhái was involved in a was against the ànyǐng èmó. The portal to their cursed realm rests under Kūnlún shān, the great Mountain of the Gods. They seep out from great bottomless crevasses at the base of the mountain, at the mouths of which we've erected great Torii to seal them in. Though we'd suffered great losses, we'd finally managed to push them back to the Gates." Yin paused to sip at the glass of water still sitting beside her bed, her mouth dry with nerves.

"The final battle, which was later named the Battle of Death Valley-"

"Cool!" Rainbow interrupted, while the others shushed and elbowed her. Yin gave her a sharp look.

"It may seem so, Rainbow, but it was named as such because that was the battle we suffered the heaviest casualties in. We lost over five thousand of our bravest that day." A heavy silence fell over the room as the ponies tried to wrap their heads around such devastation. After the Guardian's attack they were no longer strangers to loss, but to have suffered so many...

"As I was saying, we'd pushed their forces to the Gates, where they had the advantage of the Mountain to their backs. The battle was hard though, and we'd managed to draw out their...generals." Yin scrunched her face. "I hesitate to use a word that implies a tactical mind, but they were larger and far more cunning, and seemed to direct the hoards. Anyway, the largest of them was cutting a devastating swathe through our ranks, and the small fry were rallying behind him. If he broke our ranks, it would have quite possibly cost us the battle and allowed them to scatter, so I rushed him in desperation. He was just under a small knoll, and I was able to get much closer since it hid my advance. I leapt to take his head, but he must have caught me in his peripherals, because he suddenly swung around with his spear up. I couldn't avoid it entirely, but I managed to twist just enough that is struck me in the left side of my chest, rather than my heart."
The others gasped in horror, while Celestia just tightened her winged grip in barely repressed distress. She had known her love had been involved in the war. She had known, but hearing it described like this...

"I'm not entirely sure what their spears are made of, but they're these long, wicked, barbed things that tear as much as they cut, and it ripped right through my enchanted armor. Still, if I was going down, I was taking Hulking Ugly with me. I'd managed to retain my grip on my naginata, and somehow got it caught in the thick muscle between it's neck and shoulder. So I gripped it and heaved with everything I had...and managed to part his head from his shoulders." Rainbow let out a whoop and hoof pump, while the others grinned with relief. Fluttershy just 'meep'ed behind her mane.

"How simply awful, darling!" Rarity wailed with a dramatic hoof swoon. Yin grimaced.

"It wasn't easy. My brother recovered me from the field, and got me to a healer in record time. This is all hearsay, by the way. I was passed out by then, blood loss and shock and all that," one black tipped ear twitched, and she pinned Celestia with a look.

"Speak of devils, you may want to get out of the way. I do believe I hear a stampede approaching." Celestia chucked as the climbed off the bed and ushered the others toward the furthest corner of the room.

"I still think you're exaggerating a bit," the Princess grinned as she turned to address the group. "Yinfâng's older adoptive brother and his entourage are coming to congratulate her on her recovery. They are a group of Lóngrén-- air dragons-- but they are all perfectly friendly so please treat them all with respect." The others gave nervous nods, none of them having officially been introduced to the noble creatures. They had seen Jia Li earlier, but with all the hullabaloo names had not been properly exchanged.
"You'd better hope I'm exaggerating, Tia, because I will be siccing them on you as my savior." Jade eyes narrowed as she jabbed one claw at the white alicorn. "And you can bet since they know you they will show their gratitude, mark my words." Celestia was rather glad her white fur kept her sudden paleness hidden. There was only so much the 'Princess Face' could cover.

Author's Note

Hey, sorry it's been a while. Did an extra long chapter to make up for it. Quick reference for ya, one 'hoof' of measurement is about six inches, a pace is the average distance between hoof-steps.

On an unrelated note, hope you all are looking forward to the blood moon tomorrow! Those on the east coast (USA, to be precise) will be able to see it the best, so I'm afraid I'm going to miss out. However, NASA's doing a live stream, so there's that. Til next time!