My body sat in an over sized tub, resting in a steady stream of water. Dust and my head sat on a large counter, Dust dabbing my cuts and bruises with an alcohol soaked swab. "...Poor baby...." Dust cooed, pressing the stinging cleaner to my face. "...Not exactly what you were expecting...was it?"

"Ow...no...not really." I groaned, rubbing my neck. "...I can't believe she peed on me." I patted my chest, Dust continuing to tend my cuts. "Somehow it's worse than the assault...."

Dust giggled softly. "In all fairness, you did banish her to a mouthless oblivion.... Speaking from-" she stopped herself, lowering her head and closing her eyes, "Oh my...speaking, I'm speaking, this is wonderful.... Um, speaking from experience, living without a mouth or without eyes is rather...horrid." Dust pressed the cold swab against my forehead, sending jolt of pain into my skull as she tended a large cut on my head. "I think perhaps the peeing was a bit much...considering--"

"Ow!" I yelped, my hand shooting to where my head was supposed to be and pressing against the back of the tub. "Jesus, Dust, take it easy!"

"Exactly...." She stated, dabbing my bloodied head. "...I must admit, I thought she was going to use you...but, I suppose her rage is...maybe not- no...no it's justified...." Dust leaned herself over, pecking me on the cheek, "That said...I do appreciate you saving me."

I cringed hard, "She did use me...like a fucking football-- hoof ball, whatever! She fucking kicked my ass!"

Dust giggled softly, "Are you implying you have an ass for a face?"

I glared at the blushing blue eye'd head. "Dust...don't...be nice to me...you've always been nicer to me than her."

"I am being nice!" She cried, pressing the swab against another cut and cleaning off some blood. "And don't be too hard on her.... She's gone fifty years longer than I have, like this I mean." She levitated the swab back, circling her head with it. "She's...adjusting...slowly." Dust looked uneasy. "...She is a...was, and continues to be, a lewd pervert, and a wroth soldier, but she is still just a mare, as I am just...unsure, I suppose I'm a mare...a mind in a body."

"Dust...don't question yourself...ever...." I tried to reach out and touch her, making contact with the shower wall instead. "...God damn...this is just, so disorientating."

Dust nodded. "Indeed, but I must say I'm enjoying finally using the part I was always missing." Dust went back to cleaning off my face, planting pink patterned plasters over my cuts.

"Speaking of- uh...speaking, why don't you sound like her?" I asked, sitting upright and turning off the shower. "I mean, she sounds like a drunk farmer...and you sound like...." I stopped myself, "Uh...an.... Uh...angel...."

Dust's magic flubbed, dropping the swab and a bandage on the counter top. "I- ...We have the same voice...but I- when I was, for lack of a better word, born, we were living in Iron Hoof. It's a very small city, or...it was when we lived there. Needless to say the voices I heard the most were the ponies I was being cared for by. They were kind...but I suppose they're the ones I think of when I try to speak." Dust looked around nervously, her eyes dainty and her glances fleeting. "I'm sorry if you don't like it...."

I stared at her with righteous indignation. "Dust, you sound like...the most beautiful girl on Holland, who...I sadly never dated." I turned towards the mirror, finding myself covered in bandages and lumpy from the bruises Cosmic had given me. "Bitch broke my heart, but...I guess it doesn't--"

"Shh," Dust levitated a towel over to me, cleaning off my face as I felt my way out of the tub. "Maybe don't talk about other mares...."

I found my body upright and slowly dried off. "Dust, what's up with that? You did it to Molly, back at the hospital--"

"As I said...I'd rather not talk about other mares." Dust stated, "...Cosmic may be a pervert and a bandit, but I am...different. We are- it's complicated...."

I finished drying off and picked up Cosmic and myself. "Obviously. But you know her well enough. So, how long is she going to be mad at me?"

Dust locked up, "Uh...there's really not a good answer to that."

"So...a long time?"

"...You have me...."

I walked off towards the room Cosmic had beaten me in. "I know, and I can live without the sex, without the contact, but I really don't want her to be mad at me. I just wish she trusted me enough to not go and, well, murder you."

Dust flicked her right ear. "Well I did agree to try, granted I didn't know what would happen, and I'd much rather not be dead than the alternative." She flicked her left ear against my wrist. "Again, my thanks for saving me. And she will get over it...and we will find a way."

"I know, but how did she do it!? And why did she not tell me!?"

Dust leaned against my forearm, "An incantation. Something used to fuse magical elements, so I suppose that would make Cosmic and I more magical than most." Dust giggled softly, "She always was rather good with magic, before the malnutrition took it from her. But, past is past, we can only look forward now."

"...So, magic glue?"

Dust wiggled her ears as I pushed into the bedroom. "Jason...I could tell you the entire magical affair, but would you understand any of it? Do you know the inner workings of a magical fusing--"

"Dust...I get it, could you just--"

Dust blew her mane out of her face. "Yes...magical glue, or...I suppose welding would be--"

"I get it." I stated, setting our heads down on the edge of the bed and tearing through a few boxes of my clothes. "...Nice of her to pack up my stuff while I was out."

Dust nodded. "She does love you...we both do." Dust leaned her head over, pecking me on the cheek, "You saved us from the woods, it's only fair we repay the kindness."

I found a pair of shorts and pulled them on. "I guess."

Dust closed her eyes. "And she does love you...but she's.... There have been two times her head was removed, both times weren't under her control, and if she had the ability, you would be dead right now."

I sat on the bed, scooching our heads together and laying back, keeping my hand on Dust's head. "I know...but I don't think it would be the same without you. We have a nice little three person dynamic, and I really didn't like the idea of you just...what would have happened to you?"

Dust leaned her head up, schmoozing my hand. "I'm not sure. I'd imagine it would be a bit like dying. Maybe I'd melt away, maybe I'd go to sleep...never to wake."

I felt my stomach drop. "...That's why I did what I did, I mean--"

"Jason, I don't blame you, I've thanked you, and I'm looking forward to spending this night with you." Dust grew a bit pink and refused to make eye contact. "...I mean, maybe I can't give you what I did before...but I think--"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I pulled my hand off her head. "I- ...Dust I can't...."

Dust shot her head back. "Wait...what?"

I shook my head as much as I could, my neck starting to chafe. "I can't...you, with the voice.... Just...shameful...."

Dust cocked an eyebrow. "I don't understand...you've been with Cosmic, and I...without--"

"I can't.... Hearing you...and, what we could do, I mean I can't. I would feel so shameful for ruining you...." I explained. "I mean, you're like...way out of my league."

Dust cocked her head. "...I- I don't understand--"

"Cosmic is a vulgar perverted little shit. You...you've always been very affectionate, very kind, calm...and your voice, I'd feel like trash violating you...."

Dust looked off to the side. "You keep saying violate or ruin, I'm offering--"

"Yeah...but I'm not worth it."

"Jason, have some self-confidence." Dust flicked her ears, summoning my hand back to her head. I gently ran my hands over her ears as she settled in. "Cosmic and I are the same person, remember that. We're raised different ways and think different things, but in the end we're the same being." She wiggled away from my hand and kissed my palm. "And you should go talk to her. She's mad, she's furious even, but she will calm down, and she will need somepony. Granted you're not a pony...but the idea is the same."

I took a deep breath. "Can't she hear us?"

"She can...but you should apologize to her, not through me." She flicked her ears, staring at me with her icy blue gaze. "It'd have more impact."

I laid back, turning over the kicking myself in the back of the head. "She's stuck like that, isn't she? Like...can you even--"

"If it came to that, I could fuse us. I'm unsure about you...perhaps tomorrow we can try."

I let out a long sigh. "I guess I should go talk to her. She's not going to--"

Dust flicked her ears. "Jason, she's vented her anger, she's masturbated, she's at a very delicate stage, and you being there right now couldn't hurt."

I rolled onto my back, gathering up our heads and standing up. "Yeah...and it's Hearts and Hooves...."

Dust leaned into my arm as I started down the hall. "Ja, and if we're not going to fool around...due to your insecurities I might add, then the least you could do is comfort a broken heart."

I frowned hard. "It's not like I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to save you, not hurt her!" I shouted, pausing at a door plagued by constant tapping. "When this is all over, when everyone is safe, then we can celebrate!"

Dust mumbled to herself. "When all this is over we're going to have the world...I mean, we don't age."

I nearly dropped my head, my lip itching and causing my arm to try and shoot up to scratch it. "Je- fuck- okay.... Uh, wait, does that still--"

"To my knowledge we don't age anymore. More of a side effect of the severing, but a lingering one after rejoining." Dust nuzzled my arm. "But...right now there's a mare beating herself against a wall, and you have the power to stop her."

"Beating herself against the wall?" I asked, "I don't understand...." I pushed the door open with my elbow. "I- oh...."

On the other side of the room sat Cosmic, slowly bashing the stump of her neck into the wall. She was lost in her own mind, sitting alone in a bedroom, the smell of sweat lingering in the air as she bashed her stump into the wall. It was a pitiful sight, and one the made my heart twist.

"Cosmic?" I asked, walking in and setting our heads on the edge of the bed. "You alright?"

Cosmic stopped, keeping her stump against the wall. She slowly stood up, turning to face me, blood dried onto her hooves. Dust coughed softly. "She's...crying, without...you know." Cosmic walked up to me, staring up at me with her stump. "She's...not happy."

I felt terrible, not even able to hug her properly. I couldn't press my cheek against her, I couldn't look her in the eyes and tell her I'm sorry. "Jason, why'd ya do it!?" Dust shouted, causing me to snap back towards her. Her eyes were glowing slightly, her horn lit up a soft orange and silver. "Jason...I was in one piece...three hundred years...and I was back home!" She shouted, her body stepping onto my feet. "I should have killed you! I should have broken your jaw, kicked your teeth out!"

I shook my head. "Cosmic...I'm sorry."

"No, you're not!" Cosmic stepped onto my feet hard. "You, you're just like the ponies that did this to me! You don't care about me, you just care about yourself, about her, about some creature in my head instead of the mare you said you loved!" I watched in horror as tears slowly seeped from her glowing eyes. "Jason...it was over, why couldn't you just be happy for me...why?"

I felt my heart trying to snap in two. "Cosmic, I'm sorry!" I screamed, ducking down and wrapping my hands around her back, her hooves shooting up and trying to push herself off of me. "Cosmic, please, I'm so sorry...I just--"

"You don't love me! You never loved me, you animal, you freak, you gods forsaken cretin! I was back, I was whole, and you ripped it aw--"

"We'll find a way!" I screamed, tightening my grip and shutting my eyes. "Cosmic...I promise you I'll find a way, we'll find a way!" I dug my fingers into her coat, squeezing her against me. "Cosmic...I'm not leaving you, I'm not going to let you go through this alone!"

"Jason, you hurt me so bad! What makes you think--"

"Because I'm not the ponies that did this to you!" I screamed, feeling tears slip under the bandages on my cheek. "I'm not them...I'm not going to leave you like this, and I won't stop until I find a way to fix this, together!" I nuzzled her as much as I could, "One day very soon I'm going to be able to see you whole, I'm going to see Dust whole! I'm going to make this right, or I'm going to die trying!"

Things grew quiet. The tinkling of magic slowly petering out. "...Did you mean it?" She asked, Dust's voice undoubtable, but her words split between her own and Cosmic's.

I slowly opened my eyes. "I meant every word." I ran my hands up and down Cosmic's back, letting her hooves wrap around my chest. "I promise you, we're all going to see the end of this." Cosmic squeezed me tight, her neck pressing against my shoulder. I slowly popped my eyes open, spotting Dust crying and instinctively clutching the mare tighter. "I promise."

Dust sniffled softly. "...I'm sorry...that was...she's the most emotional I've seen her...it's bleeding over a little." She tossed her mane back. "I'm...truly sorry."

I picked Cosmic up, turning us towards the bed. "Don't be...or...be, either way you're both breaking my heart." I carefully gathered up our heads, myself ending up nose to nose with Dust as we exited the small, dark room. "Seeing you cry makes me feel like such a bastard."

I carried us all down the hall and back into the blood speckled master bedroom. My face was starting to burn again, my arms ached from the weight, my fingers felt like they were going to snap as I clung to Dust and I. By the time I tossed us all into the bed, I threw us all into the soft fabric, my bruises aching and my bandaids peeling off.

I laid down, Cosmic curled up against my chest as I pulled Dust and I together. I laid there, slowly sinking into the bed, Cosmic clutched against my chest, Dust pressing her forehead against my own and humming softly. "Jason...I- hmm."

I opened my tired eyes. "What's wrong?"

Dust shook her head, her horn sliding side to side over my forehead. "An offer for another time...perhaps another life."

I closed my eyes, clutching my mares to me. "Sure." I moved one hand to Dust's lips, gently tugging her lower lip with my thumb. "Dear god...what did I do to deserve this?"

Dust kissed my thumb, "You gave somepony a chance most wouldn't."

I felt my heart jump as she took my thumb into her mouth. "I think I got a little bit more than I deserved--"

Dust ran her tongue over my thumb, letting out a soft moan as she let off. "Jason...self-confidence."

I took a deep breath, watching in awe as Dust suckled at my fingers. "I uh...uh...hard to think...like this."

Dust dragged my fingers over her tongue, opening her mouth and showing me my saliva coated fingers depressing her tongue. The warm wiggly muscle darted between my fingers, causing me to stir slightly. She sucked at my fingertips, letting them drag over her soft lips, saliva trailing down and dripping against her chin. "Jesus...." I groaned, exposed to the show from inches away. "I uh...."

Dust blushed hard, turning away and leaving my wet fingers to sit along her cheek. "I'm sorry...it's not fair to tease you...and perhaps now isn't the time."

I coughed softly. "Uh...yeah, soon...soon though." I dug my fingers into Cosmic's back, pulling her against my chest. I reciprocated for Dust, pulling us cheek to cheek. "Soon, and maybe one day as a set of wholes, and not this sliced up mess that we are."

Dust turned to me, our eyes locked, our head held together tight by my arm. "I'm going to hold you to your promises, as will Cosmic. But...Jason, you're crushing our hoof." She cooed, trying to keep a smile on her face.

I jerked up, feeling her right hoof slide out from under my ribs. "Oh...yeah...."

"Yeah...." Dust smiled, "Thank you."

I looked past the blue eye'd mare face to face with me. "Dust, can you get--"

Dust cut me off, flipping the lights off and nuzzling my cheek with her muzzle. "I've got it." She nestled close, the cold mountain night drawing enough heat away and giving us a wonderfully cozy night. "And Jason, Cosmic, I'm happy to be with you both." Dust cooed, causing Cosmic to rustled the sheets. "Happy Hearts and Hooves day...both of you."