Page massaged his head as he came back to his room. Winter glanced at him, concerned. Something felt… off about him. They both trotted to the bed, lying down. Winter kissed him lightly, though tiredly. Page smiles softly, his eyes sparkling green as they always had. Still, to Winter, his eyes seemed a bit dazed. “Promise me you’ll never end up like her.”

“I already was her,” she replied. She cuddled up to him softly, feeling cold despite how close they were. Of course, Winter was often cold.

“And then you met me.” Winter laid her head on Page’s shoulder, nodding as softly as she cuddled. Page put his hoof around her, yet Winter felt no comfort. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on what was wrong. She hadn’t felt like this since before she had met Page…

In her room, Radiant grinned as her spell continued. She had her eyes closed, yet could see through the blackness. She saw through Page’s eyes, heard through his ears. “I swear, Winter,” she said, smiling, “I will always-“

“Love you,” Page said, his glazed eyes shining with love.

“I hope so,” Winter said, still feeling strange. Softly, Page kissed her. Winter kissed back, and as they kissed, she realized what was wrong. Kisses are full of love and hope, as she had learned from this very man. As she drew back, his face grew concerned. But Winter knew better than that face. She could read the worry lines on his face, and she could see the turmoil in his heart through his glazed eyes. Finally, she could see what was wrong – or, in this case, who was wrong.

Page looked at her. “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” He gently laid his hoof on her stomach, his face worried.

“Radiant…”

Page looked at her. “I know she shook us both up…”

“You know I can read minds.”

Still he looked at her, but now a small smile was on his face. She could see the pony behind that face now. She knew what was wrong. “You can’t read a timelord’s mind, Winter.”

She glared at him, pushing his hoof off of her. “That’s just it, Page. You’re not a timelord anymore. You changed for me. You changed for love, and now that love has left your eyes, and even your looks. That’s why you’re suddenly so emotionless.”

Page opened his mouth softly, but stopped, as though analyzing the situation. He closed his mouth, eyes calm, yet intrigued. Without warning, Page grabbed Winter and pushed her down, his hoof putting pressure against her neck.

Winter gasped as she began to lose air. Not breathing was such a strange sensation. She gagged, trying to find breathe. “I should have known that foal would do something like this for love,” Page said above her. His voice barely reached Winter’s ears as she ignored him, knowing what he said was no longer him, but the mare he had once loved. She felt tears stinging her eyes and her throat began to burn.

Suddenly, Page winced in pain, his grip lessening. In the darkness that surrounded her eyesight, the very darkness that had nearly claimed her, Winter heard a voice. A voice she had not truly heard since she had left Radiant’s room. Win… ter… Page groaned, holding his head with his spare hoof. He..r… me…

Winter felt something click in her mind. With a powerful buck, Page was thrown across the room. He landed on his hooves by the bed, holding his head in pain. Winter quickly stood, taking deep breaths. Her love was somewhere in there, and she wasn’t about to let him go. In her room, Radiant also held her head, groaning. –ter, said the real Page, his voice like static through old speakers. S-say… -ame… hel-..s.. “S-shut the hell up,” Radiant said, both in her room and in Page.

Winter grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes. “Page,” she whispered, worried. In her hooves, he thrashed around, tears rolling down his face. He was obviously in pain, his eyes scrunched up tight as he tried to both silence himself and scream aloud. He snarled at her and tried to kick himself away from her. Winter pinned him to the ground angrily. “Page, come on!”

Page opened his purely black eyes, the same eyes as Radiant. He screamed out loud, his voice a combination of both ponies in his mind at once, both in extreme pain. “L-LET ME GO,” they both cried, their voices blending together into a mangled scream, tears falling from his eyes to the floor.

Winter held her ears with her hooves, keeping him pinned with magic. “P-PAGE, I CAN’T HOLD ONTO THIS BITCH!”

Winter, B-Back away! Winter’s eyes widened as his voice came through much clearer, though very strained. She backed up instantly. In her room, Radiant sobbed, still maintaining the spell for as long as she could, her horn sparking as it struggled against the might of a half timelord.

Page panted and gasped in pain, his body beginning to glow with a strange light. He dimly recognized it as regeneration energy, but of a different type. This energy was black, and surrounded his body like a veil. As the energy touched his body, it seemed to seep into his very being, tugging at the corners of his mind and soul, setting his insides on fire. Soon, the flame reached his heart. Or, as Page soon realized, his hearts.

Page screamed with Radiant, his eyes wide with pain. The darkness around him was no longer energy, but a lack of it. He could not see life – he only saw pain now. Agony, sheering, ripping pain that tugged at his body, inside and out. Weight crashed down upon his lungs, cutting the sound off. He shuddered, his mouth open in a silent scream, and suddenly, all was still. He breathed out softly, black energy curling from his lips. In her room, Radiant fell to the floor, knocked out as tears rolled down her face.

“P-Page?!” Winter ran over to him, the energy around him fading. She cradled him in her hooves, as she would her own child.

Page smiled softly to her, coughing. Winter saw blood on his lips. “I-I’m alive,” he managed to croak out from his throat. “D-don’t worry…” Winter held him closer, scared for him. He was panting badly, looking pale but for the dark red blood staining his lips. His smile faded as he licked his lips, tasting the blood. He coughed again, worse this time, more blood appearing in place of the blood he had just swallowed. “M-maybe… get Pin..k…” He shut his eyes, unable to finish the sentence, and Winter could feel his breath shudder.

With panicked hurriedness, Winter’s horn sparked while she laid him back on the ground, feeling tears of worry spring to her eyes. In a flash, Pinkie stood in their bedroom, eyes wide from the unexpected teleport and a mug of tea in hoof. “W-wint- ?!” She dropped her glass, seeing Page on the ground, blood staining his mouth. “SHIT!” She ran to him, her hoof instantly glowing with magic, ignoring the shattered remains of the mug behind her.

“I-Is he okay,” Winter asked quickly, sensing the urgency with which Pinkie moved.

Pinkie sighed in relief, doing a quick scan of his body with magic. “He’ll be fine, it seems… This is bizarre… See, when a Timelord turns into a Pony, they still retain some of the same inner anatomy. He’s torn up his second heart to near shreds. He’ll be in quite a bit of pain, but it can heal.”

“I swear, I will end that bitch,” Winter muttered, eyes dark. She knew Radiant was somehow behind this.

Pinkie gently placed her hoof on Page’s head. “But,” she said, her eyes widening, “this… This makes no sense…” She shook her head slowly, bewildered. “I put a spell on her that makes it impossible for direct violence within the inn. Whatever her spell was, it didn’t harm him directly. He… did all of this to himself.”

Below them, they heard a weak chuckle. Page opened his eyes halfway, a cheeky smile on his face. “Did… myself,” he managed to croak out, wincing in slight pain.

Pinkie glared at him. “You’re not supposed to be awake.”

Page ignored her, turning his head very softly to gaze at Winter. “Radiant… spell took over… not hurting me… trying to hurt you…” He was obviously struggling, yet a smile remained on his face. “Couldn’t let her… baby…” Weakly, he reached his hoof out and laid it on Winter’s swollen stomach. “Brought enough pain… she let go… not enough… kill myself…” Winter watched him, stunned. “You… safe?”

Winter nodded, realizing everything he had just done to himself for her. He had literally nearly killed himself to save her life. “I’m safe, Page…”

Page continued to smile. “Here, Page,” Pinkie said, drawing his attention back to her. She poofed up some medicine, pouring it into a glass of tea. “This stuff is packed with herbs and painkillers.” As Page began to sit up, he groaned, feeling pain shoot through his chest. Winter softly lifted him up, using her wings as support. He smiled his thanks to her. “Drink this tea,” Pinkie continued, “and you should be all healed up in an hour.”

Gingerly, Page reached out and took the tea. “T-thank you…” Slowly, he drank from the cup, feeling a small wave of relaxation come over him sooner than he thought.

“Until the hour’s up, make sure he stays in bed and doesn’t use magic. It could have some… adverse effects.” Winder nodded.

Page smiled softly as he finished the drink. He felt as though he had cotton in his ears. Everything felt a bit fuzzy. “T-thank you, Pinkie…” He reached out his hoof that had the cup in it. He dimly realized Pinkie took the cup from his grasp and let his hoof fall once more. “Winter?... Would you mind taking me to my bed? F-feeling a  tad tired…” Winter smiled and helped him up. Gently she lead him to bed and he collapsed on it, wincing in pain. “Thank you, love…”

“No problem,” Winter said softly, smiling at her husband. Page shut his eyes and fell asleep quickly, peaceful due to the sleep inducing medicine.

Pinkie smiled at Winter as she waved her hoof, the shattered glass and tea that had spilled cleaning. “I suggest you get some rest too. Sleep well.” She trotted out.

Winter curled up on her bed, nuzzling her sleeping husband. He didn’t respond in the slightest, fast asleep. Winter smiled and shut her eyes, hugging him in her sleep.

Next Chapter: Healing, Birth And A Cracked Wall Estimated time remaining: 54 Minutes