It is well-known that pain is a signal that goes to the brain if something is wrong with the body. It can be just an itch, a nagging and annoying pain, sharp pain or throbbing, continuous pain. Physical injuries vary in severity and pain from them is different as well.

It is natural to feel pain when one is hurt. It alerts the person, helping them to survive and treat the injuries as soon as possible. But not everything natural is good. Sometimes, suffering can be too great for a person to handle.

It's not only physical suffering because of bodily injuries. Sometimes, it's emotional pain as well. It is the hardest to heal or even find a cause of. It can appear because of abuse, neglect, betrayal or trauma. Any combinations can make such a pain become present. A lot of people hide such a pain very well.

All of us have the ability to withstand both kinds of pain. Some of us easily go through the hardest times without as much as a scratch, others are ready to cry because of a small cut or an insult. There are a few people that just don't care about it or don't feel pain at all. They shove everything aside and continue doing what they're doing.

When the ability to go through suffering depletes, when there are no resources to use to battle pain, the result can be defastating. Years of abuse and neglect can give birth to a serial killer or worse, betrayal can convince people to not trust anyone ever again and eventually commit suicide because of loneliness, and traumas are worst of them all — no one can predict where they will lead the victim. Some manage to move on, of course, but many others either end their own lives or bring down others with them, be it for revenge or because of rage and hatred. It is very difficult to control the pain once it's too big to handle.

But in some cases, people are willing to accept all the pain and suffer it as long as needed. Sometimes, they even take pain that they don't deserve. They fall into a pit of misery, and it's hard for them to climb back up.

Only others can help them if it happens.

More than two weeks had passed since Sirius' duel with Luna. He hadn't come out of coma yet and still lay on the hospital bed. His vital signs were fading, his heartbeat became slower and his breath became deeper and yet shakier as if there wasn't enough air. He became noticeably thinner even while he was fed regularly and in good and healthy amounts. His ribs could already be seen if one were to look closely.

Iclyn was sitting by his side, her usually combed mane a tangled mess. There were noticeable dark circles around her bloodshot eyes, her ears were folded against her head, and her whole posture was slouched as if she couldn't support herself. Even her wings were loose. Tear stains were visible on her cheeks, and her whole body became thinner but not to the same extent as Sirius'.

"Sirius, please..." she whispered to her lover, her eyes watering. "Wake up. Why don't you wake up?"

She repeated the same question every time she came to visit him. She visited him very often, she even missed the school because of it. She could no longer study or even talk, and her friends became very worried about her. During the second part of the second week, she dropped school. Before it happened, she was approached by a familiar pony.

"Iclyn, what's wrong?" one of her friends asked her quietly and nicely.

Iclyn was sitting at a desk, her eyes barely open as she stared at a wall in front of her. She sighed, not knowing what to reply. She hadn't had good sleep for what seemed like eternity, and the studying became increasingly difficult because of it. She didn't want to study either. What use was it if the one she wanted to spend her life with was dying?

"Sirius is that seriously ill?" her friend asked her in a hushed and caring tone.

"...Yes." Iclyn managed to mutter, and then looked down. "It's... something that... might not be cured." a tear dropped on the ground.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, it's alright. Just..." the filly sighed sadly. "I'm... worried."

"I think you need to rest for a bit." her friend placed a hoof on her shoulder. "And remember, we can always talk."

"I know." Iclyn managed to smile slightly. "Thank you."

Since that conversation, she hadn't spoken to anyone besides Sirius, and he couldn't reply. She remembered that she had promised him not to tell anyone about his real self. She kept to her promise. Iclyn became distant from her friends and felt like she was dying as well. She didn't eat, didn't sleep, and didn't exercise. She would either be visiting Sirius or lying on the bed she used to share with him, lost in her thoughts and fears, her dreams plagued by nightmares that Princess Luna couldn't make go away. They returned time and time again, each one more severe than the previous.

She remembered that fateful day of Sirius' last duel. It was a peaceful and calm autumn day, nothing could go wrong. She was at her parents' house, having dinner together. Her family was quite young, and yet a loving one. The three sat at the table, enjoying their food and drink. The sun peeked out of the clouds and shone into the window, illuminating the room with different colors.

"How is your life going, darling?" Iclyn's mother asked her with curiosity.

"Great!" the pegasus filly replied with a beaming smile on her face, her eyes glowing with happiness. "In fact, mom..." a pink tint appeared on her cheeks as her ears folded slightly. "I found a coltfriend."

"Aw, that's so sweet! Our filly's growing up!" the mare turned to her husband. "What do you say, hun?"

"Congratulations, Iclyn." the father told his daughter, a smile on his face. "Such a fine filly as you deserves to be loved. Can you tell us more about your coltfriend?"

"Well, uh... I think you already know him a bit." Iclyn replied slightly nervously. "His name is Sirius."

"The one... the one that fought the changeling queen?" her mother asked, her eyes going wide. After receiving a nod, she continued with happiness in her voice: "My, I can't imagine a better colt than him!"

"I... just want to add that he protected me during the invasion." the filly said, her blush deepening.

"Then he is certainly welcome in our family." the father concluded, making a small nod. "I think you two should come over someday, together. I wouldn't mind getting to know him personally. He seems like a great stallion if he stands up for others even to someone like the changeling queen."

Iclyn wished she had brought him to her family in the first place. The duel, the suicide, the coma, all of it would be avoided. Maybe if she arrived earlier, she would be able to save Sirius, make him take off the amulet before it got to him. Maybe she should've held him close as soon as she pushed him off of Luna. Maybe if she hid the amulet, destroyed it, told the princesses about it, the duel would've been avoided.

There were so many possibilities for everything to end well. And yet, it had taken the worst route there could be.

She sighed deeply and sadly. There was no way of fixing things. The past was the past, and she had no idea how to go back to it and right the wrongs. It might not help at all, too.

What must she do in order to ensure a better future for Sirius and herself? Was there a way to help him?

Suddenly, the door to the hospital room opened and the princess of the night entered it. Iclyn looked at her with wide eyes, her ears perking slightly. She had a nagging question she wanted to ask Luna for a long time, and finally seeing her after two weeks of silence made her act.

"Your majesty..." she stood up from Sirius' bed, not giving any time for Luna to speak first. "Why did Sirius attack you? I must know it." she looked in princess' eyes directly, her gaze serious and unmoving.

"...Very well." the alicorn said after a moment of consideration. "I believe he holds a deep grudge against me. When we first met, he was wary of me. In fact, he was ready to fight me. I could see that he was very troubled inside. To see what it was, I tried to enter his dreams."

Silence fell on the two ponies. Luna was looking everywhere but not at Iclyn. The filly was glaring at the princess, a big frown forming on her face as she took in the information.

"You..." Iclyn exhaled shakily, and then inhaled sharply. "You are a fucking idiot!" she yelled, startling the princess. Not giving Luna a chance to respond, she continued: "What the fuck? How could it be a bright idea to enter his mind? You met him and immediately wanted to know everything? Do you even know what shit he's been through? I barely managed to convince him to give me trust, and you? You just fucking mind-raped him!" she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs to continue her tirade. "I bet my wings he had told you that he didn't need your help. And what the fuck do you do? Try to forcefully give it to him! This is... Argh!"

She paused for a few seconds, breathing heavily. She needed to let it out or she wouldn't forgive herself.

"I fucking love Sirius, and to learn that he almost fucking killed himself was... Can you even imagine it? Did you even love, princess?" she paused again, feeling she went too far. Nevertheless, she said: "I know you want to help ponies, but fucking hell do you do it wrong!"

"Please, Iclyn, calm down." the princess said, trying to resolve the situation.

"Calm down?!" Iclyn took a daring and challenging step towards Luna, her eyes continuing glaring at her even more intensely than before. "Sirius put a fucking sword through his chest! He almost fucking died, and it all happened because of your stupid actions! These... trust issues he has, they are there because of you! No wonder he didn't tell me about it... Fuck!" she huffed, releasing her anger. "Until you find a way to help him, fuck off! Or I will bring to a just end what he tried to do." Iclyn finished with a threat. She knew that the princess could just put her in prison or execute her but those words needed to be said, no matter what their consequences would ne.

Luna paused in her thoughts. Was their love that strong? Would the filly indeed do it? It was both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. If Iclyn was ready to do even the unthinkable in order to help Sirius, then the love she had for him was indeed great and probably unbreakable.

A love between an alien and a pony, who would've thought it would be one of the strongest connections Luna had ever seen?

She also realized one very important thing. Iclyn would agree to anything to help Sirius.

"Actually, I came here to say that I have an idea of how we can help Sirius." Luna pointed out.

"Why didn't you say it from the beginning, huh? I'm just waiting for him to wake up for weeks! He saved my life, and I am ready to do anything to save his!" Iclyn continued to yell, and then coughed because of it. She didn't take her eyes off of Luna, however.

"I believe that he can be saved but a journey will be unlike any ot—"

"Get to the damn point!" the filly cut her off, panting heavily after shouting so much.

"You need to go inside his mind." the alicorn of night said simply, deciding not to provoke Iclyn further.

Another silence fell. Iclyn's face softened, her body relaxed, anger in her eyes mostly gone. She returned to Sirius' bed and sat on it, gently placing a hoof on his head. A few moments later, she turned to Luna.

"But there is a complication..." Luna added. "If you go there, you might not wake up unless he does."

"I don't care. If I have a chance of helping him, I'll take it." the filly replied, her voice calm, her thoughts collected.

"It can take anywhere from a day to a few years." the alicorn warned her yet again. "We also need a permission from your parents."

"They care about me, they will allow it. But we can't waste time on it!" Iclyn argued. "I can't just waste it when Sirius is fucking dying! Let's do it right now. I won't be held responsible for what I'll do to you if you keep dragging it."