Frozen Stars

[IceStorm]

 

Ice was still completely red in the face after having to confess her biggest secret both in front of the princess leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination now, and to a pony that she had never seen before in her life. However, she was happy to hear that the mare behind the desk was professional about everything. She did make a sound in her throat as Ice Storm spoke, but she presumed it to be a normal sound that ponies make when they are surprised. Ice herself had made that sound several times before. When the mare spoke though, she flushed a bit more as she commented that it was usually only the elderly or the very young that dealt with an issue like that, however, it wasn't unheard of for cases like her to exist depending on what was actually causing the disability. When she told her to grab what she needed for the night, she nodded and went into the infirmary.

 

Once she was in there, it actually took her a bit to find what she was looking for. The infirmary was very well organized, so it wasn't a problem with trying to figure it out. It was just a very large supply closet so it took her a moment to get to where the garments were held. She noticed that they had quite the variant in sizes, which made sense, it was an infirmary. She opened on of the packs and pulled out one at first, but then realized they were a good bit thinner until she found a pack of higher absorbancy and opted for those. They were a pastel blue, as were most of the medical grade adult briefs, and looked close enough to what she would need. She grabbed three just to be safe before leaving the infirmary and showed them to the mare behind the desk so she knew which ones she grabbed before putting them in her saddle bag.

 

When she heard Luna tell her that it wouldn't be a thoughtless act should she ruin one of the beds, because she had no control over it. She wasn't doing it on purpose and even if it did, the beds were replaceable. Ice nodded. "Indeed, but it would have been thoughtless would I have at least not made mention of the problem and simply said yes without considering the after affects of the situation. However, these should help alleviate those issues and we won't have to worry at all," she said smiling to the princess, still a bit red from both having to admit what she said and then her watching her walk out with the garments before she had them in her sack. She supposed that things could have always been worse though, and the princess had been supportive despite the rather appalling issue.

[dragonofruin]

It didn't take too long for Ice Storm to grab what she needed, for which Luna was grateful. As soon as she saw the mare reappear, she turned away after a quiet thanks for the desk pony, and started back down the length of the infirmary. Ice Storm would be able to catch up with her on their way out.

 

"True, that would've been seen as such, but.. it would've been understandable if you hadn't wanted to reveal such a thing. As it is, your face is still a little red after doing just that." It was a little teasing on Luna's part to put Ice a little more at ease. Now that the pale mare had what she needed for the night, Luna would be able to show her guest to the lunar wing of the castle at last so that Ice could see it for herself. There'd be plenty of uninhabited guest rooms, so it wasn't as if either of them would have any trouble finding one for Ice to stay in for the night. A part of her couldn't help but look forward to getting to the solitude of her room once Ice had hers, if just to relax after socializing and talking with somepony for so long. Luna felt guilty feeling that way, but.. Ice would understand, if she knew.

 

"Mind, I do not think less of you for it. 'Tis something that must be rooted in many issues that still must be addressed, but at another time. I feel it is from more than just one reason, and that is why the doctors and healers haven't been able to help. Hopefully, in time, we can find you that help and do away with it, if it's possible." It was the least she could do for a friend that was suffering. After all, she doubted Ice wanted to deal with it forever.

[IceStorm]

 

Ice couldn't help but get a little bit redder as the princess commented that her face was still a little red after she revealed what she had. She also said that it would have been understandable if she hadn't wished to reveal such information. A part of her hadn't wanted to, but she felt that if she couldn't trust the princess of all ponies, especially the princess that she just swore an oath of loyalty to, then not even the element of honesty herself could be called trustworthy at that point. The small comment did make her smile a bit and she felt the tension that she held in her release a bit. She also heard the princess tell her that she didn't think anything less of her for the issue either. She stated that it was something that must be rooted in many issues that must be addressed, but that would have to wait for another time. That she felt that there was more than one reason and that would likely be why doctors and healers haven't been able to help much. That hopefully in time they could find the help that she needed and she could finally be rid of the problem if it was possible at this point.

 

Ice Storm nodded in thought. Was it actually possible? Could this actually be stopped? She'd lived with this for so long and had presumed at this point she would die with this problem. She tried to think on what Luna said. What other issues could something like that be connected to? It would have to be something that she would have to talk with her about another time. Perhaps tomorrow after the training she could figure out something that could at least be a start at figuring out what the princess meant. For now though, the anxiety over the last several minutes was starting to wear on her as well as the lateness of the evening as she followed. She was starting to get tired, and sooner she could lay down the less she was likely to fall down. "It is appreciated princess... Part of me didn't want to admit it... I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't ashamed of being a full grown mare and still dealing with this... If you have any ideas or things that might be able to help, I'm willing to try just about anything at this point, but you'll have to forgive me if I don't harbor a lot of hope... As I told the medical worker... I've been dealing with this... pretty much ever since I ran away... and it's only ever gotten worse. I am not optimistic," she commented with a yawn afterwards.

[dragonofruin]

"Ever since you ran away.." Luna repeated in a tone meant to emphasize a particular part of what Ice Storm was saying, and she did so without hesitation. "There is your source. Abandonment. Feeling cast out from your home, unwanted, alone.. It may be more of a psychological problem than a physical one, which may explain why the doctors could never help you. They were not the right kind of doctor." While it was entirely possible she had found the reason, there could be more to it than she knew, and she was no psychiatrist. There wasn't much she could do to help except point it out.

 

Her stride was hardly broken as she'd given an answer to the opening that Ice Storm had given her. It was the only idea she could think of, and see, that might help. Having fallen silent again to give Ice the time to mull it over, Princess Luna continued to lead the way back through the castle, heading towards one section of it and up a set of spiraling stairs. They lead out onto a hallway, and the change between it and the rest of the castle was starkly apparent. The carpet was a deep blue, almost black, with swirling designs, and the walls were in two different, softer shades of blue with the occasional black tapestry. Strange black sconces with blue flames lined and lit the hall, completing the cold and silent mystery of its appearance.

 

In a way it was soothing, too, easy on the eyes of a pony who was tired, or who simply desired solitude. It was one of few places in the castle that Luna truly felt comfortable.

[IceStorm]

 

The longer that Ice followed the more she started to realize just how tired she was starting to get. She did listen to the princess though as she seemed to have pinpointed the actual cause of the problem. That it was the abandonment of the past that was causing the problems now. Or rather, it seemed like the issue was more of a psychological one rather than a physical one. She told her that was probably why the doctors couldn't ever help. Simply put, they weren't the right kind of doctors. Ice thought to herself for a bit as they walked. Everything did kind of start when she was a filly right after she ran away. If not a little bit before hoof. but that was when it really, really got bad, and now... sometimes she went through multiples a night. Other times well... it didn't matter if she protected herself or not, she'd sleep through everything and still wake up with wet sheets. She hoped that wouldn't happen tonight, but at least she's taken every effort possible to prevent that tonight.

 

"I think you might be right... but I don't even know where to begin to start with that... Nor do I know of anypony that would be qualified to deal with such a situation. I can't imagine that psychiatrists run into this kind of issue often. After all, I can't say that I've ever heard of anypony else around my age having this problem. Especially when doctors can't find anything medically wrong with her. Thankfully most of my friends that know about it are okay with it. It's still something that I would love to do away with, but as I said before... I'm not very optimistic about it," she said as they finished going up the spiral stair case and almost immediately the decor changed. The carpeting was a very, very deep blue to the point that it almost looked black with swirling designs in them. The walls were two different softer shades of blue as well as some scones that while black emitted a blue flame could be seen dotted along the walls lighting the path. It looked as if she had stepped into the essence of the night itself. It was awe inspiring, but at the same time, very, very easy on her eyes. "This is really quite pretty," she added her eyes getting heavier by the moment.

[dragonofruin]

Princess Luna's pace slowed and she extended a wing to brush the top of the sleepy Ice Storm's head with the tips of her feathers. "You would be surprised to learn there just might be other ponies suffering the same as you, for one reason or another. You should at least attempt to speak with a psychiatrist to see what sort of help that you can find. It would be more than what I could offer. I may have learned some in the way of psychology to help, but not enough to make much of a difference." Withdrawing her wing, the princess folded it again and strode on, seeking out a room for Ice. The pale mare's added comment about the decor and design of the lunar wing earned a smile.

 

Seemingly picking one at random, Luna opened the black, arched door and lit the candles within, bringing light to a spacious enough guest room with a four-poster bed. It had a bedside table flanking it, and an empty dresser up against one wall for guests to store any clothing or other belongings in. The two windows on the far wall were entirely covered by dark, heavy curtains to keep the sunlight out during the day.

 

"Here. This may be suitable enough for you. I do believe the closet is stocked with a few extra blankets, should you need more to sleep under." The princess gestured to one of two other doors in the room. The other was likely to be the bathroom.

 

"As for the psychiatrist.. They'll keep it a secret. Ponies go through many different problems, especially when trouble in our peaceful country can affect them far more heavily than one that sees stress and strife daily. Keep searching until you find one that works best with you. I.. believe you may be able to conquer this issue one day. Perhaps not so quickly, and not soon.. but one day you shall be free."

[IceStorm]

 

When Ice heard Luna mention that she would be surprised to learn that there might in fact be others out there suffering just as she had, for one reason or another. She smiled a bit as she felt the princess brush the top of her head with her wing. She felt a bit of happiness swell inside her at the contact. Luna then told her that  she should at least attempt to speak with a psychiatrist pony to see what sort of help she could find Ice nodded. She was definitely going to listen to the princess and seek somepony out, but she didn't have any ideas on who to go to that would know how to do such a thing or what ponies were good in that field and others that simply sought to take advantage of their patients. She definitely didn't want to find herself in that last crowd. "I will seek somepony out for some assistance in that regard, but I'll have to do some searching around to find somepony that is reputable for dealing with these types of issues. I've never thought of this avenue before so I'm not really sure who would be good names to look into," she said as her hooves sank into the carpet with every step she took.

 

As the continued through the hallway reaching a door, Ice looked around. There wasn't much in the way of a guard presence in the area and she would be inside her room before she believed anypony would be making a round in this wing again. She pulled one of the garments from her bag and with her magic taped it around her flank. She knew that as tired as she was, she was going to end up falling asleep as soon as she hit the bed. The princess had already helped her get the supplies and she watched her get them from the supply closet so there was no point in hiding it from her. She was too tired to care about the crinkles that she was giving off as she stepped into the room. She nodded when she told her that there were extra blankets in the closet. She presumed that the other door was a bathroom, of which she wouldn't be needing tonight. She gave a smile back to the princess, "Thank you for your hospitality tonight Princess. It is greatly appreciated."

[dragonofruin]

Princess Luna smiled faintly, glad to hear that Ice Storm was willing to give psychiatrists a chance. If there was any chance one of them could be a good fit for Ice, could help.. then the pony just might be able to shed this physical problem of hers one day. Catching movement, the dark alicorn pulled herself out of her thoughts to notice that Ice was changing into one of her garments and turned her back on the doorway, giving the mare the privacy. It was already a bit awkward.

 

Luna didn't move until she heard Ice Storm's voice and glanced back into the room. She bent her head to the pale mare, acknowledging her gratitude. "It's no issue, and the least I can do to help, and when we're meant to spar.. I look forward to seeing what you can do with magic tomorrow, Ice Storm. Until then, we should get some rest. Know that when you wake, you'll be free to request breakfast. It'd be best to have some a few hours before we test our skills." Returning a small smile at the sight of Ice's own, Luna stepped back from the doorway and lifted a wing in a small wave.

 

"Goodnight, Ice Storm. I hope you sleep well."

 

The alicorn strode off, heading deeper into the lunar wing to the spiraling stairs that'd lead up to her room. She was looking forward to getting to lie down for a while in silence, and digest the entire span of her conversations with Ice Storm. It'd be a lot to mull over- more so the talk of her own worth and positive influence from Ice than anything else. It'd be difficult for her to accept, after everything.