The Masks She Wears

Everything was a blur.

I had been placed upon something large and warm, with velvet-like fur rubbing against my brittle carapace. Whatever it was jerked up and down, bouncing me about, and the sound of pounding hooves filled the air.

Cracking open an eye, I watched blearily as the corridors of my hive flashed by at alarming speeds. It took me a moment to realize that I was draped over Celestia’s back, her white feathered wings keeping me in place as she ran. Green blood stained her coat, darkening the white fur to a deep emerald.

I opened my mouth, only for a weak, gurgling wheeze to escape my lips.

This caused Celestia to almost misstep. She shouted something, but it was as if she was speaking from a great distance—her words were muffled and muted. Even her emotions were lost to me, as I could no longer sense them through the fog that gripped at my consciousness.

We rounded a bend in the tunnel and suddenly emerged from the cramped space into a large hall. Tall pillars filled the room, tattered remains of flags and banners hanging from them like cobwebs. At the far end of the great hall, sunlight streamed in from the entrance of the hive, and through the gates, the badland was just barely visible.

Upon seeing the light, Celestia put on an extra burst of speed, and the bouncing grew even worse. My head lolled to the side, thumping softly against her neck. I could feel her muscles tense and flex as she ran, and without thinking, I pressed my nose into her coat, snuffling weakly. The scent of vanilla filled my nose, as did the faint musk of sweat. Unable to help myself, I took another sniff, only to dissolve into a coughing fit, my lungs protesting the sudden activity.

Splotches of fresh green appeared on her already-stained white coat.

As I hacked and coughed weakly, choking on phlegm and blood, Celestia cried out again. The pressure in my chest was too much, and as pain racked my body, I slipped back into the darkness and it claimed me once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

A burst of light ripped me from the dark, and with it came a feeling of vertigo. Loud shouts suddenly filled the air along with the jarring clatter of metal. My vision shimmered, flashes of gold and white dancing around before me.

Through all the noise Celestia’s voice rang out loud and clear, calling out orders. Voices tried to argue something back, but were silenced by a bark from Celestia. She turned and cantered off, and I swayed about on her back, bobbing in time with her motions. Blood still dripped from my muzzle, leaving behind large green blots upon the white marble floor below in almost hypnotic patterns.

P-pretty...

More shouts sounded, followed by the pounding of hooves. A masculine voice yelled something, and I suddenly felt myself being forcibly lifted off of Celestia’s back in a cloud of rosy magic. Just as quickly, a cloud of golden light overtook me, and I found myself once more upon Celestia’s back as she said something sharply to somepony. There was a startled squawk, but we were already on the move again.

I drifted in and out of consciousness as she hurried along. We were somewhere familiar, but I was unable to name the location in my current state. Large windows—some stained glass—lined the walls, as did a plethora of tapestries and paintings. Potted plants here, doorways there, a large, winding staircase that Celestia raced up three steps at a time. It was all so familiar, and I tried to remember, but I just couldn’t.

So… tired...

As she ran, Celestia repeated the same mantra over and over again. The sound of her whispers were oddly soothing, and I found myself slipping into unconsciousness once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

This time it was pain that jolted me back into the world of the living. I cried out in agony as something dug deep into my shoulder, twisting and turning none too gently. There was a weight on my chest, restricting my breathing, and upon opening my eyes, I saw that it was a pony.

The mare was dressed in a light blue smock which was already splattered with green ichor. A medical mask covered her muzzle, and her mane was tucked up into a hairnet. Straddling my chest, she dug into my shoulder with a pair of forceps.

I writhed in pain as she twisted the instrument about.

“Hold her steady!” she shouted. “Darn it! Hold her steady! I almost have this out!” Hooves grabbed at me from both sides, attempting to hold me down as I continued to struggle. Even in my weakened state, I proved too strong for the four medical ponies, and horns lit up as magic joined the fray.

The mare on my chest placed a hoof firmly against my shoulder blade before heaving back. Blinding pain erupted through me as a low sucking noise sounded. There was some resistance before, with a startled yelp, the mare fell backwards. A white chunk of something was clamped in the forceps, and as the mare held it up to the light, she swore loudly. “It’s a bucking fang!”

“Look at the size of it,” came a voice from my left. “What in the name of Celestia is that from!? A dragon?”

Probably the basilisk that had tried to take a chunk out of me— “G-GAAAH!”

Another pony had started digging about the wound, no doubt trying to make sure there weren’t any fragments of the fang remaining. As pain raced up me, I cried out and began writhing about again.

“The anesthesia isn’t working!”

“We gave her enough to knock out one of the Princesses!”

“Just get the IV ready!”

“Where the buck is our specialist!? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!” As if in response to the shouted question, there came a loud bang followed by the sound of clattering hoofs and a low buzzing noise. Exclamations of relief filled the room.

“Oh, thank Celestia, you’re here!”

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” came a new voice—one that instantly made my chitin crawl. “I would have been here sooner, but we were out of the castle when Spike got the letter. What’s going on?” The medical team shifted as somepony moved to stand beside me.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I turned my head only to catch sight of him. A light blue smock covered his lime green chitin, and a blue hairnet dangled uselessly from one of his bright orange horns. Pure rose-colored eyes gazed down at me with equal parts concern and weariness… but fear quickly took over as I glared up at him.

“You!” I hissed, my pupils constricting. In a burst of rage, I lunged for him, yanking myself free of the hooves holding me down. The mare on my chest toppled to the ground, the forceps and fang fragment skidding across the floor. Pain lanced up my spine as I half dangled off the operating table, yet I ignored it, instead snarling as I tried to get at the abomination before me. “You! I’ll fucking kill you! You and your pony bitch!”

He scampered back, trying to put as much distance between us as possible. Hooves scrabbled to hold me, and shouts echoed around the room. The doors burst open again, a pair of golden-clad ponies rushing in with spears at the ready.

“We need an IV point! Now!” a doctor shouted as he struggled to hold me back. “Where is a point of access?”

“W-what?” the thing stammered, pressed up against the wall.

“A vein, darn it! We need a vein!”

“Oh, uh—”

I lunged again, my teeth gnashing together loudly.

He let out a shrill scream. “On her neck! On her neck, at the base of her jaw!”

Something pricked the side of my neck and a moment later a cold sensation began to spread through my body. My eyelids were suddenly heavy, and darkness encroached upon my vision again. I struggled to keep myself conscious but it was a losing battle.

With one last weak hiss, I closed my eyes and was lost to the world.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Voices.

Angry voices.

“—but we have to ask. What in the name of Equestria were you thinking, sister, bringing her here!? Have you taken leave of your senses?”

“I haven’t, Luna, though I think you might have taken leave of yours.”

“Really, and pray tell, how is that?”

The world was fuzzy, and I was lying on something soft. It was hard to concentrate for whatever reason, and upon cracking an eye open, I found that the world itself was now blurry. It was like I was looking out at it from underwater.

Why… why was it blurry? Did something happen to the world?

What if…

No, wait… it’s just my eyes. They didn’t seem to want to work at the moment.

Lazy pricks...

I blinked, and with some effort, the world began to come into focus a little. It was still distorted slightly, but I could make out more of my surroundings. Lethargically, I rolled my eyes about my head and slowly scanned the area.

Weird… there’s a curtain off to the side. Didn’t ponies only have curtains in their bathrooms, around their bathtubs? Is that where I was right now… in a bathtub?

Why was I in the bathtub?

Was I having a bath?

Actually, a bath sounded nice right now. This was okay then. Although, it didn’t feel like the tub was filled with water, but with blankets.

Who washes themselves with blankets? Seems like that wouldn’t work...

Wait…

…

N-no… that wasn’t right.

I wasn’t in a bathroom…

I’m…

I’m in a…

Hmmm, where am I?

Hive damnit, it would be so much easier to think without those loud voices shouting back and forth nearby. What are they even arguing about, anyways? I thought bathrooms were suppose to be quiet, private places to relax.

Wait… I’m not in a bathroom. Right.

…

Who’s shouting anyways?

Lifting my heavy head up, I peered weakly about, searching for the source of the loud voices. To my immediate right was a giant white mass, along with two smaller white and gold masses, with three more on my left. A rainbow seemed to waft off of the large blob.

On the other side of the room, standing in front of what could possibly be a door, was a large dark blue blob, along with five smaller lavender ones. A wave of darkness seemed to ripple behind the large, dark splotch, tiny points of light twinkling in the void.

As I watched, the massive white thing and the smaller dark blue thing argued back and forth, their voices raised and loud. There was a taste in the air that caused me to grimace, and I smacked my lips in annoyance. Bleh…

“Luna, please. I know what I’m doing,” the white blob said.

The dark blob took a step forward. “We don’t think you do. After everything she’s done, how could you possibly think this was a good idea?”

“I’m well aware of our past with her, but as I said before, I know what I’m doing,” the white blob said.

“Tia, she’s the most wanted criminal in the world, for mercy’s sake! Need we remind you of what she’s done?”

“That won't be necessar—”

“Sacking two cities, foalnapping and impersonating a member of the royal family, invading Canterlot and attacking its citizens, invading Ponyville, multiple counts of foalnapping and mind control, the horrible atrocities she committed against the denizens of—”

There was a pause, followed by a low grunt before the blob continued in a grumble. “The denizens of... Wuvy-Dovey Smoochy Land.” It paused again to mutter something under its breath before continuing in a stronger voice. “There’s also the siege upon the Crystal Empire. She’s not to be trusted, Celestia!”

“The cats recovered and hold no hostility towards her!” the white blob shot back.

“So that excuses her other crimes?”

“Look at her, Luna! She’s in no condition to try anything. Look at her! She has no changelings, no energy, no plan. The slightest breeze is enough to topple her at the moment! She’s on the verge of death, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“And yet, despite her condition, she still managed to injure three doctors and a nurse... and that was while she was under the effects of anesthesia! Face it, Tia, she’s dangerous!” The dark blue blob stomped its stubby little leg. “We don’t see why you brought her here, nor why you went looking for her in the first place! It would have been better to leave her to her fate!”

“Should I have left you to yours?"

The dark blob sputtered. “Y-you… you dare—”

“Luna,” the white blob said softly, “Please… I’m giving her the same chance I afforded you. Yes, I could have easily left her there in the dark of her hive to die alone, but I didn’t. Everypony deserves a chance at redemption… at a second chance. You got one, Discord got one, and if her subjects can change, why not her?”

Silence fell for a moment before the dark blob spoke. “You are risking our peace on a fool’s hope. You do realize this?”

“Then I will continue to hope, and you may call me a fool.” As it said this, part of the white blob unfurled. I blinked in surprise upon finding an extraordinarily large wing suddenly hanging in front of my face. For some reason, unlike the rest of the world, I could see the wing with perfect clarity—each individual feather was visible in excruciating detail.

Compared to the blurred objects around it, the wing was breathtakingly beautiful.

It flexed and trembled in front of my face, the feathers shifting due to the muscles beneath them. I was mesmerized by the sight, so much so that I stopped paying attention to the arguing match going on before me. Instead, I focused upon the beautiful sight right in front of my muzzle.

…

I…

I had to touch it.

Before I could move, the wing began to retract, closing once more. No! W-Wait! Jerking my head forward, I grabbed at the appendage with my mouth. This earned a startled gasp from the white blob, as well as a loud shout from the dark blue one. The tinier colored blobs sprang into action as well, immediately pointing long, pointed lines at me.

The white blob waved them down.

“No, wait! Stand down!” it said, even as the dark blue blob barked orders.

Ignoring the commotion around me, I concentrated on the wing in my grasp. It really was big—big enough to cover most of my upper body if it wanted to. I could feel the powerful muscles rippling against my lips as I held the appendage open, mindful not to nick it with my fangs. Reaching up with my left leg, I stroked the wing, running my hoof through the feathers as to not break any of them. The action caused the wing to shiver and twitch, but still I continued. The feathers were incredibly soft… and warm… and just so… soft.

...

I…

I had to have one!

Holding the wing steady with my only foreleg, I leaned forward and grabbed at one of the larger feathers with my lips. A quick twist of my head pulled it free, earning a pained yelped from the white blob. Again, shouts filled the room along with the clank of armor, and the white and dark blue masses began shouting at one another again.

So noisy…

I grumbled as I reached up with my hoof and took the feather from my mouth. A faint hint of vanilla lingered on my lips—a somewhat pleasant taste. Holding up the feather, I admired it, watching as it sparkled faintly in the light.

As I waved the feather back and forth, an old song came to my fog-laden mind, one that the nurse drones used to sing to the nymphs in order to get them to sleep. It was a silly little ditty, but if I recalled correctly, the little grubs used to love it.

I grinned, giggling to myself before singing softly:

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in a tree!
Oh little black buggie, what do you see?
I see the sun and I see the rain,
I see the starlight out upon the plain.
Blue is the sky and white are the clouds,
And green is the grass that grows all around.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting on the ground!
Oh little black buggie, what have you found?
I’ve found the river and I’ve found the sea.
I’ve found the desert as dry as can be.
I’ve found the mountains, with snow upon their peaks.
And the caves down below where the icy water leaks.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in the snow!
Oh little black buggie, what do you know?
I know the forest and I know the dell.
I know the badlands oh so well.
I know the world from bay to bright blue sea,
Yet nopony that lives there really knows me.

There’s a little black buggie, sitting in a cave!
Oh little black buggie, what do you crave?
I crave compassion and I crave sweet love.
I crave the sight of the world up above.
I crave the joy of finding all new friends.
But nopony loves me, for my race offends.

There’s a little white pony, sitting in a tree!
Oh little white pony, what might you be?
I’m just a pony, nothing much to show.
No fangs have I that glisten like the snow.
Green fire, black chitin, these are not me.
White fur, feathered wings, now I am free!

Finishing with the song, I giggled and sniffed the feather again before slipping it behind my ear. With that, I released the wing and settled back down upon my pillow.

A silence had fallen over the room, and I was dimly aware of many eyes upon me. It didn’t really bother me though; one did not live in a changeling hive for years without getting used to being stared at occasionally. Instead, I nestled myself deeper into the pillow and hummed the song again, a goofy smile on my face.

The dark blue blob shifted slightly before sighing. “Fine, Tia. She can stay… but while she’s here, she’s your responsibility and yours alone.”

“Naturally,” the white blob said, though it sounded slightly choked up.

“And we will be keeping an eye on her ourselves,” the dark blob added. “Should she show any signs of being a threat, we will not hesitate to do what must be done.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll do it myself.”

The dark blob hummed softly before turning and leaving the room. The smaller lavender splotches followed after it, leaving me alone with the white blob and it’s golden-white splotches. For a moment, all was quiet, but then one of the smaller specks moved forward. “Princess…?”

“Take up position outside the door,” the white blob said softly. “Allow only the medical staff inside until instructed otherwise.” The smaller blob nodded before it and the other four left the room as well.

I was then alone with the white blob. Its wing was still suspended above me where it trembled. Gradually, something soft settled down upon me. I glanced down only to notice that the wing was now lying atop my chest like a large, feathery blanket. Lifting my left foreleg up, I placed it over the wing. It twitched, yet remained where it was. A low hum reverberated in my chest as I absentmindedly stroked the feathery appendage. It radiated heat, and I found my eyelids starting to droop once more.

Snuggled beneath the wing, I slipped back into the comfortable embrace of unconsciousness.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

To my great surprise, I woke from the darkness.

As the world returned, so too did the aches and pains—my oh so familiar companions. Surprisingly though, they weren’t as strong as they used to be. They felt muted… almost as if something was dulling both them and my senses. My head was fuzzy and concentrating was somewhat difficult.

What…. what happened…?

Cracking open my eyes, I winced as they were assaulted by light which blinded me. I had to blink back tears as I glanced around at my surroundings. The room was small and had a sterile feel to it, with a hint of disinfectant in the air. Various cabinets were located along the far wall, and were filled with multiple bandages, salves, and potions of various types. Beside the cabinets was a door that appeared to lead into a bathroom.

A medical facility of some kind, then. What was I doing here? My memory was hazy, large chunks of it missing or twisted in such a way that they almost felt like a dream. Placing a hoof to my head, I tried to push through the fog that smothered my mind. My last memory… was back at the hive? I… I had been in my old throne room, waiting for Death to find me, yet instead…

Oh…

My eyes widened as memories slowly began to trickle back in. I had been waiting for Death… but something else had found me instead.

Celestia.

She had found me, and clearly took me from the hive. But… where did she take me?

Glancing around again, I then gingerly pushed myself up so that I was propped against the headboard. As I moved, something tugged at my neck. Upon lifting a hoof, I discovered that an IV had been taped just below my jaw, on the right side of my face. It ran up to an IV bag that was half-filled with a pink, swirling liquid that glowed softly.

I stared up at the bag in awe and confusion. W-what? Liquid love? Where… where did they…? The only creature that was able to produce that substance was a changeling, and even then, the amount in the bag was far more than one changeling alone could produce. How… how did they have so much!?

For a long time I just stared up at the bag, my mouth hanging open. It wasn’t until I felt something drip down upon my chest that I realized I was drooling. Giving my head a good shake—which resulted in the room spinning slightly—I finally pulled my gaze away from the bag of love. Instead, I took to looking around the room again, trying to piece together where I possibly was.

There was no real information to be gleaned from my surroundings. No windows adorned the walls, so I not only could I not see where I was, but I had no clue what time of day it was either. Was it morning? Afternoon? Evening? I did not know, for my internal clock had been thrown off long ago. Strangely, there wasn’t even a clock present. I would think that ponies—who were so obsessed with time that they had a special time for saving daylight—would at least have a clock within every room of their dwellings.

...maybe I wasn’t in a pony dwelling though.

…

It didn’t look like any griffon-made structure, nor diamond dog or minotaur. Hippogriff was out, as they liked to build their homes in the treetops. It was possible I was in a horse city… but the bland design of the room quickly squashed that possibility; the horses of Saddle Arabia positively loved their windows and open spaces.

It also wasn’t zebra: not enough wood, decorative masks, or incense.

As distracted as I was, I was oblivious to the muffled sound of approaching hoofsteps until the door to the room suddenly swung open. Shocked, I started as a pony entered, and I stared at her with wide eyes. What the fuck!? I… I didn’t even sense her coming! Even know I couldn’t sense her emotions, even though she was barely a few meters away from me. Whatever painkillers were mixed in with the love appeared to be blocking my empathetic senses. Fan-fucking-tastic…

The mare—a light blue unicorn with darker blue mane—had on a nurse’s cap, and was currently eyeing a medical clipboard that was suspended in her blue magic as she entered. It was probably safe to assume that she was part of some medical team, which just reinforced the possibility that this was, indeed, a medical facility. Now the only question was… where was it located? It had to be somewhere in Equestria; the presence of a pony all but confirmed it.

The nurse was completely oblivious to my alertness until she was practically right next to me. Glancing up, her eyes widened when her gaze met mine. She flinched back, a startled yelp escaping her. Almost instantly, two guards in golden armor were in the room, spears at the ready.

“What happened?” one of them asked. “What’s going on?”

“I-it’s fine,” the mare said, waving them down. “I just… wasn’t expecting her to be awake yet.” The guards nodded and backed out of the door, their eyes never leaving me until the door closed again.

Picking up the clipboard from where it had fallen upon the floor, the mare muttered under her breath, “‘She’ll be out for twenty-four hours. You won’t have to deal with her’ my left flank.” My ear twitched, and she gave me a nervous smile.

“Awake already, huh?” she asked in a faux chipper tone. “Certainly faster than we were expecting. You seem to have a resistance to our normal anesthesia.” She gave me a strained smile, which I returned with a blank stare. This seemed to make her even more nervous, and her eyes flicked about rapidly before she glanced down at her clipboard again. “So, um... how are you feeling?”

“S-sore.”

The mare winced at the croak that escaped my cracked lips. My voice was ragged and hoarse, sounding more like a dry wheeze than anything else. She took a deep, shaking breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Some of her composure returned, and she stepped closer. “Well, that’s to be expected. You were in a pretty horrible state when you arrived.”

Licking my lips, I swallowed thickly. “W-where… where am I?” My jaw was stiff, and I had difficulty moving it.

“Oh, um… you’re in Canterlot Castle,” the nurse said awkwardly. “The, uh… Princess brought you in. You’re currently in the Royal Wing of the medical ward, to be specific.”

I stared at the mare blankly for a moment before letting my head fall back against the headboard with a ‘clunk’. By my fucking teats…

Canterlot. Of course Celestia brought me back to Canterlot—Pony Capital of the World. What in the name of the Hive was she thinking!? Canterlot was probably the worst place for me to be at the moment… well, no. That’s not true. That’d be the Crystal Empire, but with how much snow and ice surrounded that place, they didn’t have to worry about me going up there again.

Still, why Canterlot? Surely there were easier ways to kill me...

…

No… it would appear that was no longer the case. I might not know why she was attempting to keep me alive, but she was. My wounds had been treated, and it was clear that I was no longer on Death’s door.

D-did she want revenge so much that she was willing to wait until I was in better condition?

…

No, at this point it would be safe to say Celestia had something else in mind for me… but what? A trial? Some form of imprisonment? Maybe she didn’t learn anything from her student’s failed attempts. I could still escape from here with my life!

No sooner had I thought that, then a frown crossed my muzzle. Escape and do… what, exactly? Where would I go? What would I do? Most of the world was already hunting me down. I had no hive, no children, no allies. Celestia had already found me once, and I was sure she could find me again. I had barely enough energy to remain conscious at the moment.

Despite how much I didn’t want to admit it… I was stuck here for the time being, at the mercy of my captors. I… I wonder what they’ll do with me—

Sudden movement off to my side caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts. I turned my head, only to blink in surprise upon finding that the mare had moved around the bed. She was now checking an array of machines that I had failed to notice earlier. Displays flashed and beeped softly. They appeared to be monitoring my vitals.

As I watched, the mare eyed the monitors for a moment before nodding to herself. Her horn lit up and, unclasping a pair of saddlebags upon her back, she levitated out a full bag of liquid love. Lifting it up, she hung it next to the empty bag before beginning to get it ready for insertion.

“W-what… are you doing?” I asked in a rasping whisper.

“Hmmm?” the mare hummed, glancing over at me. “Oh… my job. Princess Celestia has instructed us to care for you until further notice. As such, we are to tend to your injuries as well as your dietary needs.” She tapped the love bag with the edge of a hoof. “Luckily, Thorax was able to provide some gel for us to use.”

At the mention of that… thing, my vision redded, but I lacked the energy to get properly worked up. Instead, I laid there and watched the nurse as she puttered about, checking my vitals, the IV setup, making sure that I was comfortable. After confirming that I was all set, she turned and exited the room, all the while trying to appear like she wasn’t in a hurry to get away from me.

With that, I was alone once more. Too tired to really think any more, I took to staring up at the ceiling and just… existing. I wasn’t sure what the future held, but that was a problem for another day. Right now it just felt good to not be on the run anymore, and even though I was within the walls of Canterlot Castle, I still felt myself relaxing.

Wait…

…

...the nurse put something in the love.

Clever girl.

I guess we’ll find out when I wake up—or don't—whether or not it was poison.

My eyelids gradually began to once again grow heavy and, with a weary sigh, I slipped back into a deep, dreamless sleep.