Regina’s orders

Something was changing. She could feel it. The dark snow surrounded her as if it was slowly advancing on her, trying to lock her forever in a spiral of everlasting loneliness. Yes, Ruki was sure of it. Something was happening that would change the face of the continent forever. And it was not the first time something like this had happened. But it would be changed… From this day on, it would change. No, she had no idea where this feeling came from. But it was there… and it was strong.

As she stood on the balcony of her small room in the tavern, high up in the mountains. She looked out over the lands that stretched out before her covered in white snow that seemed as if it had been drenched in dark oil. The black clouds above her were not even natural, she was sure of that. Someone had made them. Dark clouds like this… Nature did not create them. They were only there because somewhere out there someone was controlling the weather. But Ruki had her own problems to think of. There was nothing she could do about the flow of events that had created those clouds, no matter what kind of eerie feeling they gave her.

But later, when she walked back to the tavern from her simple job, she could not help but think about it. As she fastened another button of her coat her thoughts hovered back to her father and her little sister, and once again she wondered if she should go back to them. No, she couldn’t. She had disobeyed the one thing her father had begged her not to do. She was alone in this world now, and she had to take care of herself. And she had to keep focused on the task she gave herself… to find out more about the pony with wings she had met near the dying river’s bank. Because if she did not hold on to at least something, the darkness would definitely enter the depths of her soul. 

“She is losing her baby?” Ivy gasped.
“Yes… She is losing blood quite heavily. I can get her through this, but I do need some help. Do you think Stelline can help me? She has given birth; she knows how to support her.”
Ivy was about to answer when she realized Stelline wasn’t able to help out now. She had to keep the shield up and with those attacks that was probably going to be a problem.

“Stelline can’t help now. She has to keep up the shield.”
“But then who? I can’t help her on my own!” cried Tsuyo.
“I’ll… I will help. If you’ll tell me what to do.” Tsuyo stared at Ivy for a few moments, and then decided that the princess was capable.
“Okay. First, we need to get towels and some hot water, but we have to be quick because we can’t leave her alone.”
“How about I go fetch the towels and the water and you go back to her?” Ivy proposed, and Tsuyo quickly nodded as she already ran out of the throne room.

Losing her baby… It simply didn’t enter Ivy’s mind fully yet, because she refused to believe it. It couldn’t be true. Poor Aline… She simply couldn’t lose every single pony that was important to her in one day. But it wasn’t unheard of, that a shock like this would make someone lose a baby. But she had no time to let her thoughts linger. She had to help Aline now.

“Fleur!” She yelled as she too ran out of the throne room. A moment later Fleurs face appeared out of the kitchen.
“What is it, sis?” She asked.
“Go find a bucket with water and heat it until it is boiling, and then bring it to Aline’s room.” Said Ivy.
“What’s wrong?” Fleur asked while Ivy ran on.
“Just do it!” She yelled back at her sister while she climbed the stairs.

She fetched some clean towels from the laundry room and then hurried towards Aline’s bedroom, while noticing the attacks on the shield still hadn’t ceased. But the shield was still firmly in place, so she did not feel she really had to worry about it breaking any time soon. Stelline was strong; she would be able to keep it up.

She could hear Aline moan before she opened the door of her room already. “The water will be here soon.” Ivy said to Tsuyo when she saw her questioning look. Aline was lying on her bed, with her eyes closed. A small puddle of blood had formed on the white sheets. Tsuyo was holding a wet little towel against Aline’s head. She looked so pale and miserable… Her long pink mane was wet with tears and sweat, flowing on her pillow like waves of despair. She was breathing heavily and Ivy was sure she was in a lot of pain right now. She did a quick math and realized her baby had to be a little over two months old now. It should still be really small… which made her wonder if Aline should be in this much pain now.

Aline moaned louder when another wave of pain hit her. 
“There, there…” Tsuyo said softly, petting Aline’s head. “You are going to be all right.”
No, she wasn’t, Ivy realized. Of course she wasn’t going to be okay. In a few hours Aline had lost the love of her life and her unborn child. How could she be okay? Yet she had to drag Aline through this.

A moment later someone knocked on the door and Ivy went out to open it. Fleur was standing there with a bucket full with steaming water.
 “Is everything okay here?” She whispered.
“No… Aline is losing her baby.” Ivy whispered as she closed the door.
“What? Oh, no… the poor girl…” Fleur said softly.
“I have to get this to Tsuyo… Fleur, could you please find mother and tell her? I think she needs to know.” Ivy asked, and Fleur agreed to do so.

As Fleur departed Ivy took the bucket and brought it inside. Tsuyo immediately began to clean up the blood with a clean, wet towel. Ivy was a bit surprised to see how much blood Aline had lost already. A loud bang close by their window made both Tsuyo and Ivy jump. The attacks were still going strong.
“Don’t worry. Stelline will hold it in place for sure.” Ivy reassured both Aline and Tsuyo.

Tsuyo asked Ivy to keep Aline’s head cool with the small towel she had used for the same purpose earlier, so Ivy moved to Aline’s head. She began to stroke her hair when Aline suddenly began to moan.
“Junai… where is he… Why… isn’t he… here…”
“Oh, Ivy, Junai is…” Ivy saw Tsuyo was furiously shaking her head. Well, maybe it was better that Aline wasn’t reminded of her second loss now. “He is not here now, Aline. But we are here for you.”

When Ivy touched Aline’s forehead she was shocked to find it so hot. She was definitely having a fever.
 “Is she doing okay?” Tsuyo asked.
“Yeah… I think so.” Ivy replied. Another bang hit the room but this time it didn’t come from outside. Her mother was running into the room.
“Aline, dear, how are you?” She asked as she sat down next to Aline. “It hurts…” Aline whispered when she recognized the queen.

“I know it does, my dear. I lost a child once… shortly after Crystal was born. So I know…” Regina turned to Ivy.
“Honey, I will take over from here. Could you please go down and stay with your sister? If she needs anything you can’t take care off do come upstairs and let me know.”

Ivy obeyed her mother and left the room, not without noticing Aline was still losing blood. Yet, there was still no little baby. She had no idea how long this would take. She was actually surprised her mother had lost a child once. Regina had never talked about it and neither had her older sisters. Well, it explained why the age difference between Ivy and her older sister was so much more than between all of her other sisters.

Ivy walked downstairs and went to the kitchen, guessing at least Fleur was there, so she was surprised to find out that it was completely empty. When she stepped outside she heard voices coming from Stelline’s room. She entered the mostly white room where she found her older sister sitting on her bed and her younger sister sitting in a chair next to her. The babies were sleeping in their little beds, unaware of everything that was going on.

“Hey, Ivy.” Stelline smiled.
“Hey there, sis. How is everything over here?”
 “Okay. The attacks are ceasing. I guess they can’t break my shield after all.” Stelline replied.
“How is Aline doing?” Fleur asked when Ivy sat down next to the sleeping children.
“Not so good I’m afraid. She’s in a lot of pain and she’s losing blood. Mother is with her, now. Did you know mother had lost a child between Crystal and me?”
“Yes… I know. I remember. She was devastated, but after the little body was buried she refused to talk about it any more. I guess it was just too painful…”

Stelline glanced at her own two sleeping children, obviously thankful that she did not have to endure such a thing, even though their birth had been anything but easy. But at least her children were alive and healthy.
“Poor Aline…” whispered Stelline. Another bang hit the field but Stelline didn’t even move. They were definitely getting weaker, Ivy could tell. They were hardly as loud as before and Stelline could endure them easily.

Being in Stelline’s room, seeing the twins sleep, made Ivy feel strangely comfortable. If those little ones trusted their mother to protect them… it made Ivy finally realize how tired she actually was. She hadn’t slept at all and it had to be way past midnight now. Maybe it was even getting close to morning… As she watched the children sleep she wasn’t able to stop herself from drowsing off as well.

She didn’t know how much time had gone by when her mother woke her up. Fleur and Stelline were still in the room, and Fleur looked like she had just woken up as well.
 “Hello, mother.” She whispered. She felt a little dizzy and her back hurt when she got out of the chair. Stelline was still sitting on her bed, holding her baby girl Joyeux, who had also woken up. Her little brother Eclat was still asleep.

“Ivy, Fleur… Stelline. I have some important things I need to discuss with you.” Regina said while she sat down in a chair herself. Ivy was about to ask what it was when she remembered poor Aline.
How is Aline?” she asked.
 “She… has lost her baby. But she’s doing okay, even though she is still losing blood. But she will be fine.” Poor Aline… Ivy couldn’t even imagine what she had to be going through now.
“Now…” Regina continued, “The attacks on the force field make me worry.”

“Well, they worry all of us mother, but so far there has been nothing that I haven’t been able to resist. If this is all they can do…” said Stelline, but her mother interrupted her.
“Yes, Stelline. I know you can resist them. But somehow… I get the feeling they’re not trying to get in at all. I get the feeling they want to lure us out.”
By attacking the force field?” Fleur asked.
 “Yes… I think so. So… I want you all to stay inside the force field, not matter what happens.”
“But we can’t stay here forever, right? Besides, I can’t hold up this force field forever, either. You know that, mother. I have already told you so when I put it up.” Stelline said.
Regina took a deep breath. “I know, dear. I know. And I do not ask you to keep it up forever, only until I have figured out a resolution.”

“What do you think will happen if we will go out?” asked Ivy.
“I don’t know, Ivy, but looking at what happened to poor Junai… and he already ordered the yellow pony to kill you both. I don’t want to risk any of you. So stay inside until I have figured out what to do. It is not a request… it is an order. I will make sure Tsuyo knows, too.”