"Once again, Twilight," Rarity said, voice subdued, "I wish that I could express just how deeply sorry I am."

Twilight Sparkle sighed, her voice for the first time taking on a hint of exasperation.  "Once again, love, I wish you would internalize that I forgive you."

Rarity huddled further into the back corner, suppressing a shiver, and wrapped her forelegs around her chest.  "You shouldn't," she murmured.  "I wouldn't, in your horseshoes.  I don't understand how you can."

The front half of the room stirred, gleaming scales shifting.  The prone dragon's muzzle opened—though his eyes failed to focus on anything—and several agitated nonsense syllables came out in Spike's rumbling baritone.  Instinctively, Rarity's hoof shot forward—then she froze, her eyes flicking over to Twilight's.  She balled back up again, muzzle flushing.

Twilight turned and pressed her body against Spike's chest, spreading a wing to cover more of it; his motions slowed, but his muttering didn't cease.  "Rarity, this isn't the time for guilt," Twilight said gently.  "I can't do this alone.  He needs you."

Even at that, Rarity had a false start before emerging from her corner.  She crept forward and tentatively leaned against Spike's chest alongside Twilight, not meeting the alicorn's eyes.  Spike stirred, one claw draping over Rarity, and he finally quieted.  Rarity's muzzle contorted, and she turned her face away.

"I'm the Princess of Friendship," Twilight said in the silence.

Rarity started.  "Pardon?"

"You didn't understand how I could forgive you."  Twilight was smiling—actually [i]smiling[/i], even if her expression was wistful—as she brushed a hoof to Rarity's shoulder.  "I'm the Princess of Friendship.  What kind of pony would I be if I wasn't willing to make sacrifices for my friends?"

[hr]

[i]As the spell took hold, Queen Feral shrieked and spasmed, back arching.  Twilight waited, listening as the mad howls resolved into formless words and then took form.  "Phweeeh nhhh whrrmm.  Hhhhh.  Hhheart-ssspawn!"  Feral lunged, but Twilight stood her ground, and the ghostly queen danced back on the icy wind.  "You invade my lands, you invade my sanctum, and now you invade my mind!  I will grind your flayed bones to powder, impudent flesh-thing!"

"Deal with it," Twilight said, voice tight.  "I had to be able to talk to you to offer a bargain."

"This is my bargain," Feral hissed, and with a glint of her eye the temperature plummeted and ice began to creep up Twilight's legs.  "I will suck you dry for this insult, and—"

Twilight's horn flared to life.  Feral screeched, and both she and her cold retreated.

"I'm the Princess of Friendship," Twilight said, hard and brittle.  "I am, objectively speaking, Equestria's fifth greatest expert at weaponizing love.  And I assure you that—despite the circumstances—I retain more than enough love to wipe the snows clean of your kind."

Feral glared, stalking back and forth at a distance, and spoke through clenched teeth.  "Why.  Are.  You.  Here."

The blank mask that Twilight had been wearing since her arrival finally wavered.  "Because I caught my [/i]best friend[i] and my [/i]wife[i]—"  She broke off as Feral's eyes gleamed.  The temperature plummeted.  Twilight pushed a hoof from her chest with a tight exhalation, limbs quivering with repressed energy, and the cold fractionally receded.

"They, too, shall feed my whelps," Feral growled as she advanced.

"No," Twilight said firmly.  "No, Windigo Queen, they will not, because here is our bargain."  Her lower jaw began to quiver, and her eyes rimmed with tears.  "Y-you will."  She faltered and composed herself.  "You will relieve me of my burden, and swear a binding oath to allow me to leave your lands unharmed.  You will keep what you take.  And in exchange, you will live."

At that, Feral paused and considered. 

"Anger from an alicorn, freely given," she said slowly.  She bared teeth, and in the chill, they looked like fangs.[/i]

[hr]

Spike stirred again.  His grip on Rarity tightened.  Rarity saw Twilight's eyes flick down to his arm—and shuddered as she remembered Twilight's expression at the moment of discovery.  But this time Twilight was calm, detached.  Not a hint of that earlier betrayal.  

"We'll get through this, love," Twilight said, breath condensing into a cloud.  Her words were almost inaudible over the howl of the storms battering the world outside.  "Starlight will think of something."  She rested a wing on Rarity's shivering shoulder and brushed a hoof over Spike's blue-tinged scales.  "The [i]important[/i] thing is, we'll beat this together."

Spike whimpered as an especially fierce gust rattled the windowpanes.

"C-c-cold," he whispered.