The sound of hooves on stone followed the blue alicorn, pounding into her skull with every step. She cringed in response, desperately trying to avoid letting the migraine affect her outside appearance; she didn’t want the guards to see her like this. She was aware of how fast news spread now, and knew that if any of them noticed, it would be around the entire capital by mid afternoon, along with a question dancing from mouth to mouth of her subjects: was the lunar princess really ready to take on the same responsibilities of her sister?

“Princess Luna!” The princess froze in her steps, looking around frantically. Though she didn’t recognize the voice, the tone rang clear in her ears. It was a tone she hadn’t heard in a long time, and one that still brought chills to her whenever she encountered it. “Princess Luna!” came the call again, louder than before. The alicorn managed to pinpoint its origin and turned to face the approaching guard running as fast as he could over the slick surface of the polished floors.

When he was almost next to the princess, she stopped him, rejuvenating his energy so he could speak clearly. A grateful look shining in his eye, the guard spoke quickly. “You have to come quick, Your Highness. The orphanage is on fire!” At the news, Luna’s mind began screaming, panic fighting through her body in a vain attempt to cover her features. With practiced ease, the princess inhaled deeply through her nostrils, cleaning the fog from her head and replacing it with a crisp clearness.

She nodded to the guard, a quick yet significant action, and reached out with her mind. She gathered the energy coursing through her, asking it to help her with the spell. The energy obliged and, before too long, the familiar semi-visible glow of the princess’s magic had surrounded her horn. The nearby ponies backed away from her in respect, not wanting to interfere with her.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly and the magic flowed out of her. The next moment, she was standing in front of the orphanage as the orange flames danced across it, converting even the most normal of things into a being of crimson and darkened shadows. Luna looked toward them, a cold look in her eye, when Shining Armor approached. “Don’t!” he exclaimed, noticing the look in her eyes.

“Why?” she asked, looking at the stallion.

“If you put the fire out now, the sudden temperature change will make the roof cave in!”

“If that is an issue, then I assume there are ponies inside the building?” she asked, her tone calculated as her eyes flitted between the moving orange flames and the stalwart white unicorn.

“Yes. There are five foals still inside, all different ages and genders.”

“Then I must go inside to save them!” Luna exclaimed, her masquerade shattering at the idea of young ponies in danger.

“I can’t let you do that, princess. It is my job to protect you. I won’t let you go in there.” He gazed deeply into the eyes of the alicorn, into the emotions the orbs held: the determination, the sadness, the desperate need to do something. He did this for a long period of time, until, at last, another emotion joined them. Regretful acceptance. Shining Armor sighed as the look met her eyes. “If you want to do something... Hendrick is facing the same decision, right now.” With that, the stallion nodded into the distance, where an earth pony was grimly illuminated by the destructive light of the fire. Then, he returned toward a group of guards sharing in a heated discussion.

“Hendrick...” Luna said in an exhale. She was merely content to watch him from a distance for a time, before she started her approach. After several contemplative steps, she arrived by his side and stood in silence. “Hendrick,” she said again, as if she wanted to comfort him, but wasn’t quite sure what she should say.

“The flames are back,” the stallion replied, eyeing the fire. “They want me, but I can’t go. I don’t want to.”

“What are you saying?” On closer inspection, the princess realized Hendrick was shaking, though the night wasn’t cold in the least. “What do you mean, ‘the flames are back’?”

“I’m the only thing they want, because I avoided them last time. I somehow cheated their game, and now they want me back.” He was rambling now; she wasn’t even sure he knew she was there. “Luna... I can’t go on. I need to be stronger, for Moon Light. But I just can’t be; not in front of those hungry flames.” He was leaning against her, his own legs too weak to support him completely. “Can you give me strength? You’re the only one I trust.”

He obviously wasn’t in his right mind. Something had deeply struck a chord with him, and because of that, he had gone at least slightly insane. Despite that, Luna smiled a soft smile and placed a wing over him, calming his shivers. “Of course I can. You’ve helped me out far more than I deserved. The least I can do is be here for you.” Luna glanced around; a few ponies were looking at the duo. Let them look, the princess thought. I’m comforting a friend in need.

She gazed back toward the stallion by her side, but she was interrupted as a pair of lips connected with hers. Shock ran through her system as she looked down at the stallion who had locked her in a kiss she hadn’t expected. Then, just as unexpectedly, he broke away from her and ran toward the burning building, his pace steady for the first time since his arrival.

Several ponies called out to him as he disappeared within the flames. Behind those shouts, though, was a rolling murmur slowly consuming the crowd. “Did that stallion just kiss Princess Luna?”

Whimpers. Whimpers echoed amongst the heavy cracking of the wooden structure. Five foals were laying next to each other as the only place any of them had called home began to shatter and fall around them, like a jigsaw run through a woodchipper. It was odd, how none of them were crying loudly. It was like the despair had completely overpowered them, destroying their sadness as they were washed under waves of absolute hopelessness.

Then, a voice. Moon Light heard it speaking amongst the angry roars of the fire; soft in comparison, but it was a familiar soft. Leaning as close as she dare to what remained of the doorway, she heard the voice again, clearer. “Moon Light!” it called, called for her. With sudden vigor, she began to shout, followed shortly by the remainder of the foals who caught on. After a moment, the stallion pinpointed their location and approached the cindered wood.

With sudden force, the blockage for the doorway shattered apart, sending barely visible sparks into the air as the exit opened for the trapped foals. They quickly exited, Moon Light catching a glimpse of Hendrick as she ran. With speedy steps, they left the prison behind. As they exited out into the blissfully open air, a round of applause took up and the orphans all ran toward the distant form of their caretaker.

All except for Moon Light, that is. She looked back toward the burning building, waiting for the stallion who had saved her to exit. After a minute of such a wait, the foal ran back toward the flame. She was stopped by the large form of Princess Luna.

“Where are you going?” the princess inquired. She hadn’t seen Hendrick exit either, but she was hoping the small child’s answer was going to be anything except what it was.

“I need to go help Hendrick. He saved me! Now he needs help!”

Luna sighed heavily as her suspicions were confirmed, then looked back toward the determined face of the young pony. “You need to stay with your friends. I’ll go get Hendrick.” she said, a fake smile on her face to comfort the young one.

“You will? You promise?” the child asked. After all, this was very serious and anything very serious required a promise.

“I promise.”

With a nod, the young pony started to run toward the caretaker, but stopped after a few steps. “Make sure you bring him out!” she called over her shoulder before running at full speed toward her friends.

With the young filly gone, the alicorn turned towards the burning building. She examined it for a moment, when the approaching form of Shining Armor caught her eye. Not waiting for his disapproval, the princess entered the blaze.

“Hendrick!?” she cried, her voice barely distinguishable over the constant noise of the fire reminding her it could come down at any time. “HENDRICK!” The voice blasted from her mouth with such force that a few of the flames were put out completely. As she rounded a decrepit corner, she spotted her target: a pony standing in the middle of the flames, not moving.

“Hendrick! What are you doing?! We need to get out of here!”

The stallion turned to face her and for a moment, the princess saw a man in a suit burning amongst the flames, as opposed to the stallion whose fur was being seared and melted by the intense heat of his surroundings. “Luna,” he stated. “You should leave. I don’t want you to die just because I have to.”

“Have to? What are you talking about?”

“The fire is here for me. It wants me. If it takes me, it will leave everyone else alone.”

“You’re making no sense. It’s just fire. A force of destruction. It doesn’t want anyone, let alone you!”

“It’s better this way.”

“Better for who? You? Are you really that selfish?” Luna asked, her desperation growing with her fear as the stallion remained immobile.

“For everyone. If I die, it will be better for everyone.”

“Really? You think so? Because I met a filly mere moments ago who made me promise I’d get you out of here. I know Front Page would miss you; she’s been saying you’re the best editor she’s ever had whenever she has extra space in the newspaper. Vinyl came in for a license renewal just last night and said she couldn’t wait to invite you to her next show.”

The stallion seemed like he had a rebuttal, but he paused. Luna was glaring at him with unholy white eyes. “Do not think you are alone when there are so many people who love you, Hendrick. You’ll regret it for the rest of your days if you do. Trust me. I know.”

“Luna...” His voice was normal once again, though it held an uncertain feeling in it. Just as he had spoken those words however, the roof collapsed. Using the magic she had pulled into herself not moments prior, the alicorn teleported both of them from their impending doom. The pair ended up outside, just as the building fell to pieces.

Hendrick was barely conscious, the pain from his wounds having taken their toll on him. As the alicorn looked him over, she began to talk to him. “Don’t be dead; don’t be dead. Don’t you dare die on me you selfish kiss stealer.”

“Don’t worry.” His voice was harsh and raspy, much different from how he had sounded amongst the flames. “I’m not dying. Or, if I am, it certainly doesn’t feel the same.”

Not bothering to stop and ponder these words, the alicorn shouted loudly, “Get this stallion to the hospital!” She stood from her position on the ground, a look of dignity coming over her as she straightened her pose. After a moment, Moon Light showed up on the scene, hugging the sore stallion a moment before managing to pull herself aside, just as the medics started to lift him away.

Smiling a wide smile, she turned to Luna. “Thank you for saving him.”

“Anytime,” came the truthful reply. “Anytime.”