Decretum

by BlackRoseRaven

Further Elaboration

Chapter Twenty Five: Further Elaboration
~BlackRoseRaven

The night was spent in quiet rest, looking after Antares together as Twilight tried to resist from asking all the questions she wanted to. Eventually, after Antares and Scarlet Sage had gone to bed, Scrivener, Luna, and Twilight had talked on the bedding for hours in front of the flickering fireplace between bouts of thoughtful silence, until Twilight awoke with a blush the next morning to realize she was curled up comfortably between Luna and Scrivener, who were both still asleep.

Twilight smiled after a moment, carefully prying herself free from Luna's clinging forelegs, and then she sat up as Luna grumbled and rolled over, mumbling to herself and burying her face against a cushion as Scrivener yawned, but then only tiredly curled up, his face almost pushing into Twilight's side. She reached down, tenderly stroking back his mane before her eyes roved up... and she flinched in surprise, accidentally smacking Scrivener in the cheek.

He groaned, but only grumbled and rolled onto his back, opening his eyes to glower moodily up at her as Luna giggled tiredly into her pillow. Then the earth pony stallion frowned at the look on Twilight's face before she rose her hoof silently, and Scrivener sat slowly up... before staring at the sight of Gymbr, the doll sitting calmly across the room and seeming to stare at them almost longingly with its green button eyes.

Luna frowned as she caught Scrivener's emotions kissing through her mind, and then she sat quickly up and gritted her teeth at the sight of Gymbr, wincing. “Oh damnation!”

“What... what do we do?” Twilight asked awkwardly, and then she winced when Scrivener stood up carefully, walking nervously over to the doll as Luna leaned anxiously forwards and Twilight frowned, looking apprehensively between the starry-maned mare and the earth pony. “Is it safe? I mean, it's not... it's never...”

Scrivener hesitantly poked at the toy as Twilight fell silent... and when it didn't attempt to attack him or do anything apart from slowly tip onto its face, he sighed a little and snatched the doll up, shaking it violently as Luna and Twilight Sparkle both stared. Then he held it awkwardly in front of himself, and when he was satisfied the toy couldn't kill him with a thought or wasn't going to attempt to stab him with a hidden set of claws, he grumbled: “You need to stop doing this, Gymbr. Seriously. It's creeping everypony out.”

Then he paused before hesitantly beginning to raise the doll to an ear, and Luna hissed sharply: “What art thou doing! Scrivener Blooms, stop that!”

“I... want to know.” Scrivener said finally, and Luna groaned as Twilight winced and looked pointedly at the stallion, and he grumbled under his breath before turning back to Gymbr, saying mildly: “Just so we're clear. They're going to beat the snot out of you and throw you in the fire if you try and take over my brain, okay?'

The doll's button eyes seemed to glint oddly in response, and Scrivener winced a little before he took a slow breath and carefully held the doll up to his ear, closing his eyes... but only silence greeted him. He wondered quietly if the toy could only communicate with him when no one was around apart from Antares, and after a few moments, he pulled the toy away... then flinched at the distinct sound of three loud knocks, looking quickly over his shoulder.

Luna and Twilight only looked curiously at Scrivener, however, and the male stared at them dumbly before Luna's eyes widened slightly as she caught his thoughts and sensations, whispering: “We heard nothing, Scrivener...”

The stallion hesitated... then tossed the doll towards them, both of the mares wincing back from it before the earth pony turned and headed quickly to the door, throwing it open... and he stared stupidly at the sight of the large, strange tree now standing by the landscaped pool of their backyard. It was bent and gnarled and looked as if it had been there forever, luscious blue fruits dangling from the branches that stretched overtop the pond, sparkling with morning dew.

Slowly, Scrivener dumbly walked out into the backyard to simply stare at this; he didn't even realize when Twilight and Luna joined him, only trying to process what was going on before he finally glanced stupidly to the side as the sapphire winged unicorn muttered: “'Tis mutant, and ugly, and far from easy on the eyes... but that, Scrivener Blooms... that is an Ambrosia tree.”

“Ambrosia... fruit of the gods. It can grow here?” Scrivener asked finally, and Luna laughed shortly as Twilight frowned over at them, the earth pony grimacing a little. “Yeah... I see your point.”

Then he winced when Twilight nudged him, and Luna glanced over at her with embarrassment and frustration that masked anxiety and... perhaps even fear. “Why can't thou be linked with us as well, Twilight Sparkle, 'twould make everything a world easier. No, an Ambrosia tree takes hundreds of years to mature... and rarely bears its fruit more than once in a thousand years. For such a tree to simply... 'pop up,' and without any of us aware...”

Luna ground her teeth together slowly... then she suddenly spun around on her hooves, and Scrivener winced, following hurriedly after her as Twilight stared after them both, then tossed one last, nervous look at the tree before running inside after the two.

She skidded through the kitchen... then halted in the archway, staring into the den to watch as Luna stood with Gymbr suspended in front of her by telekinesis, grinding her teeth loudly together and looking frustrated as Scrivener winced and sat awkwardly back, only able to stare as the starry-maned winged unicorn threatened: “Now listen to me, Gymbr, whatever thou art. I do not mind thou running around the house while we are unaware. I do not mind thou jealously drooling over us as we nap, either. In fact, 'tis flattering, in a sense. But magically planting an Ambrosia tree in our backyard without us knowing? And do not lie nor deny it, clearly it was thou!”

She breathed hard, the doll only continuing to silently, calmly stare with its button eyes as it floated in front of her, and then the winged unicorn gritted her teeth in disgust. “I do not need 'gifts' of Ambrosia. I do not need any magical elixirs, or blessed fruit, or other cheap ways of gaining power. Oh, perhaps thou means well, but when I think of what thou art rumored to be, some... some shard of evil from the shadows...”

She clenched her eyes shut, then shook the toy firmly and said coldly: “Reveal thyself, Gymbr. Reveal what thou art, tell me thy secrets, or whether thou art my child's most beloved toy or not, I shall throw thee into the fireplace. And if thou knows me at all, then thou knows those flames shan't simply burn this doll's body. They shall burn thy spirit, thy essence. Accursed little toy, what art thou?”

She shook it violently, and there was no response. It only seemed to infuriate Luna further, however, even as Twilight nervously stepped forwards and said quietly: “Luna, wait, maybe we should slow down and think this through-”

“Nay! Whatever this is... I desire answers and am done allowing a creature to live in my house that seems to offer gifts, but gifts that... that reek of corruption!” Luna retorted, then she rose her horn, telekinetic force visibly constricting the doll before she dragged it in close, almost pushing her muzzle into it as she said darkly: “I do not need another Nightmare Moon in my life. Now speak, wretched cur!”

The doll was silent, and Luna shook it viciously again before Scrivener winced and held up a hoof, saying apprehensively: “Luna, maybe we shouldn't try and piss off the undetectable, possibly-evil entity that's so far only seemed interested in protecting our child and our family...”

“'Tis time for action, and think, Scrivener Blooms... what if the creature had been trying to make Antares strong in the way Nightmare Moon decided to show affection for our son?” Luna half-pleaded, then she turned baleful eyes back on the doll, gritting her teeth. “I cannot abide this creature to simply scheme in its silence any longer. Very well, creature. Let us see if a taste of fire loosens thy tongue.”

And with that, Luna flicked her horn and tossed the doll into the fireplace as Scrivener and Twilight both winced, then nervously stepped forwards as Luna stepped away, looking moodily into the hearth. And then, slowly, she frowned as she realized the blue fire was dancing over the doll but not damaging it in the slightest. It only laid on the charred, ever-burnings logs, undisturbed and silent, its green button eyes gleaming almost mockingly as the fire danced over it before Luna gritted her teeth.

After another few seconds, she rose her horn, yanking it out of the fireplace with telekinesis in a puff of ashes... but the doll was perfectly clean, not damaged, and when Scrivener reached up and touched it apprehensively, he realized it wasn't even hot. If anything, it felt a little cold... and then Luna cursed in frustration before pointing her horn at it, snapping: “Very well! Then perhaps I shall resort to destroying the physical after all... if thou does not reveal thyself, Gymbr, I shall disembowel thee and spread thy stuffing across this room.”

Scrivener winced at this, and Twilight grimaced as well, saying nervously: “Luna, wait, if the fire didn't work...”

“The fire burns the spirit. Perhaps this thing has no spirit... no soul... to burn.” Luna said disgustedly, narrowing her eyes at the doll before her horn began to glow as she muttered: “Besides, it is only a doll. 'Twould be much messier and far more unpleasant were it alive. We would be cleaning the blood up for hours.”

Then Luna swung her horn forwards as it glowed brighter, nicking the edge of the toy, and it swayed in the air but left no visible mark as Luna said threateningly: “Now speak. Or I shall cut thee apart. And if thou has no physical manifestation upon this plane, I suspect that it will become very difficult for thou to continue to play thy games and indulge thy perversions, foul creature.”

The only response was silence from the dangling doll, and Luna grumbled before Scrivener and Twilight both winced as she plunged her horn forwards into its stomach, then ripped hard upwards and stepped back with a wide grin... that faltered into a gape of disbelief a moment later as she dumbly dropped the doll from her telekinetic grip.

The three ponies stared down at the toy, sprawled silently on its back, its button eyes continuing to gleam almost mockingly, its body completely unharmed and undamaged. Luna cursed under her breath, then suddenly leapt forwards and stomped her front hooves viciously up and down on it, gritting her teeth and pounding down against the toy with enough force to crack the hardwood flooring beneath it before she stepped quickly back... and stared in horror at the fact the strange toy was still completely unharmed. In fact, it wasn't so much as wrinkled or ruffled, continuing to lay calmly in place.

Scrivener and Luna traded looks as Twilight reached hesitantly out, touching the doll... and shivering a little as she whispered: “Luna, this... this is impossible. I don't know what this thing is but...”

“I... perhaps we shall... seal it, banish it. Give it a coffin and bury it in the ocean, send it to the deepest depths of the sea...” Luna muttered, shivering a little as she rubbed slowly at her face and looked apprehensively down at the doll. “Or soak it in acid, or... hurl it into the sun...”

The three ponies traded nervous looks, and then gazed back down at the sprawled out doll before Scrivener grimaced and glanced over his shoulder a loud thunk, followed by Antares burbling something loudly. The stallion sighed a little, and then he shook his head and strode down the corridor, Twilight and Luna trading looks before the sapphire mare cursed under her breath. “And now my son shall want his favorite toy, but... I... do I give it to him? I do not know... it has... I... damnation!”

Scrivener, meanwhile, pushed his way quietly into Antares' room, and he smiled faintly at the sight of the foal standing up in his crib. He had tossed one of his heavier toys over the bars, and the unicorn foal smiled a little as his leather wings flapped a bit behind him. Then the colt leaned forwards, frowning worriedly as he asked: “Daddy hurt?”

“No, no, Daddy's not hurt... not exactly, anyway.” Scrivener replied softly, shaking his head and giving a small smile to the colt as he reached out and gently picked him up. Antares still looked up at him worriedly, and Scrivener sighed after a moment as he carried the foal over to the changing table, saying softly: “It's alright, kiddo. Daddy's just a little... you know. Worried about things. But don't you worry, Antares. You're safe, and that's what matters... and we're gonna keep things that way, too.”

Antares Mīrus looked up at him silently, kicking one rear leg as Scrivener changed his diaper, then father brushed his son's mane back out of his eyes, murmuring softly: “It's going to be time for your first haircut soon, you know that? I think your Mom wants to do it herself, but I dunno if that's exactly a good idea. She has a tendency to... overemphasize.”

The toddler nodded seriously as if in understanding, burbling a little before he asked quietly: “Gymbr?”

“You really like him, huh?” Scrivener asked softly, and Antares nodded a few times before hugging himself and smiling, and the earth pony sighed a bit, looking up moodily as he heard a mental string of furious curses from Luna, sending soothing thoughts her way as he picked up his son. “Alright. Come on, kiddo, let's go then.”

Antares smiled brightly, crawling happily up to rest on his father's back as Scrivener walked out of the baby's room and headed back to the den, where Luna was now grouchily sitting with Gymbr in her lap. But she softened at the sight of her foal, and she gave a long sigh when Antares burbled happily before she rose the doll quickly to her mouth, muttering into its ear: “Think a single wicked thought about my child, whatever thou art foul entity, and I shall make thee wish thou had never be stitched together.”

Scrivener dropped low so Antares could flop off his back, flapping his wings to try and keep upright as he stumbled with a giggle before prancing over to his mother, and Luna hesitantly held Gymbr out to her son. All the same, however, Antares skidded to a halt, frowning a little as he looked worriedly up at Luna as her starry locks swayed anxiously behind her, before the colt asked hesitantly: “Mommy hurt?”

“No, nay, no. Mommy is... just... worried. And concerned, perhaps, about Gymbr.” Luna looked moodily down at the toy, as Twilight smiled faintly, surprised at how honest and open the sapphire winged unicorn was with her son. “Art thou sure thou must have this toy, Antares? Would... would it not be fun to blow it up, perhaps? Or strike it with lightning? Or chop it with an axe?”

Antares scowled up at his mother, and Scrivener and Twilight both stared at the expression before Scrivener laughed in spite of everything and Twilight covered her muzzle to suppress her own giggles. Luna looked less than thrilled at this reaction and oddly ashamed of herself, shrinking her head back before sighing and tossing Gymbr to her son, mumbling: “'Twas only a suggestion. And I shall note that thy father wanted to do it as well.”

Scrivener only held up his hooves when Antares turned his grim little scowl on him, though, before the stallion asked kindly: “Chocolate milk?”

“Choco-milk!” Antares' expression turned to beaming happiness, and Luna huffed and glared at Scrivener before Antares turned his scowl back up at her, saying firmly: “No.”

“I... Scrivener! Thou hast turned my son against me!” Luna snapped, grabbing at her own face in horror as Scrivy grinned and headed into the kitchens. Then the starry-maned winged unicorn slumped and dropped her head forwards, mumbling dejectedly: “What a foul world this is.”

“Foul.” Antares agreed, and then he walked over and pushed his face into Luna's stomach, and the winged unicorn sighed and reached up to silently rub along her son's back, smiling a little after a moment as Twilight gazed softly at the foal.

Luna cheered up when Scrivener made her a mocha instead of a normal coffee, slurping greedily at it as he helped Antares with a sippy cup filled with chocolate milk. It was hard for the foal to use, but he was starting to understand how to feed himself, among other things, and how to use his clunky hooves for more subtle movements and motions. Soon, though, he would also be able to begin learning how to use his horn... although Scrivener dreaded a little what that would mean, since he was fairly certain that in no time at all, Luna would want to start teaching him magic meant for self-defense as well as daily living.

Twilight sipped thoughtfully at her own coffee, surveying Gymbr as Scrivener rested with Antares, unable to stop his own eyes from wandering towards the doll every now and then. Then the foal finally half-tossed the sippy cup away before bouncing a little on the spot, and before Scrivener could even pick him up, he belched loudly, and Luna snorted laughter in mid-sip of her mocha before wincing as coffee sprayed out her nose, wrinkling up her muzzle as she almost dropped the cup before sneezing loudly and groaning in disgust and pain.

Antares, meanwhile, giggled and clapped for a moment as Scrivener sighed and went to fetch napkins, Luna blinking grumpily as Twilight winced a bit and asked: “Are you okay?”

“Oh, fine, Twilight, yes. This is a wonderful experience.” Luna grumbled, turning towards Scrivener and blowing loudly out her nose before rubbing childishly at her face. “Damnation, Scrivener Blooms, this is all thy fault!”

There was a burble from beside her, and then Luna dumbly looked down before her eyes widened in horror at the sight of Antares with his face buried into her coffee mug, loudly slurping up the mocha he could before the sapphire winged unicorn hurriedly plucked her son up and hugged him close against her body. Scrivener frowned when he reentered the room, but Luna only grinned widely and awkwardly waved at him before she flicked a hoof out and knocked over her coffee mug, saying lamely: “Whoops, how silly of me, Scrivy! I am so truly sorry.”

Scrivener looked less-than-thrilled at this, grumbling and passing the napkins over to the winged unicorn before heading back into the kitchen to find more paper towels, and Luna hurriedly passed Antares to Twilight Sparkle, whispering loudly as the foal began to bounce and flail a little: “We must find a way to blame this all on Scrivener before he skins me alive!”

“Luna let Antares drink coffee!” Twilight called loudly, and Scrivener gave a loud groan from the kitchen before the violet mare smiled cheerfully over at the now-staring, horrified starry-maned mare, her glowing ephemeral locks pulsed with her shock. “Well, better to get it over with now, right? Besides, you two can't have secrets from each other.”

“We can for short periods of time whilst I figure out a way to blackmail Scrivener!” Luna retorted, and then she gritted her teeth and glowered at Twilight as Antares giggled in her lap, the caffeine already beginning to kick in. “Thou art no help. Thou art evil. I demote thee to the rank of servant. Thou art a servant now.”

Twilight only smiled amusedly, and then she winced when Antares suddenly flailed violently, burbling cheerfully as Luna winced back a bit and muttered: “He is not possessed, is he?”

“Luna, he's a baby. He just drank the ridiculously-strong coffee I always make, mixed with several healthy dollops of sugar and quite a bit of chocolate syrup.” Scrivener said dryly as he walked back into the room, grumbling as he began to clean up the mess from the spilled coffee, and Luna grinned at him awkwardly before he said in a softer voice: “And I'm not going to blame you for accidents or say I'm a better parent than you because of that. You know that. So stop being paranoid and competing.”

“'Tis easy not to compete when thou art in first place.” Luna said quietly, blushing a little as she gazed softly at Scrivener, but he only smiled a little as the two looked at each other, trading emotions, apologies, and gentle recriminations before their eyes both closed, and they smiled at the same moment.

Then Scrivener shook his head out, quietly going back to cleaning up as Luna picked up her mug and sipped slowly at the mocha that remained in it. Twilight sat back, blushing a little and gazing at the two; she felt both awkward and, in a strange way, all the closer for it. They didn't hide anything from each other... and they didn't hide anything from her, either. Not that it wasn't a little uncomfortable, but she thought that would pass, one way or the other.

She looked down at Antares, who burbled happily and then finally half-pushed, half-fell out of her lap with a giggle, rolling a few times before clawing up to his hooves and beginning to trot easily back and forth. He bounced happily, then looked up at the sound of Scarlet Sage's door open before scampering eagerly over to her as the Pegasus sleepily emerged from her room, looking down a moment too late before Antares plowed into her legs and tangled between them.

She winced and fell forwards, whacking her head painfully into the floor as Antares yelled and flailed as he was squished beneath her, and Luna winced, leaping to her hooves and shooting over to her children immediately. Scarlet Sage wheezed as her mother hefted the dazed Pegasus to her hooves before quickly picking up Antares as he whimpered and held a hurt foreleg up against his chest, and Luna sighed a little before she smiled awkwardly at her daughter, asking worriedly: “Art thou hurt?”

“No, just... rattled. Horses of Heaven, I'm sorry, Antares...” Scarlet Sage mumbled, blushing deeply as she shook her head out and rubbed a bit at her jaw, which looked like it was already starting to swell a little. Antares, meanwhile, whimpered and curled up tighter against his mother, and Luna sighed a little as she nuzzled her son quietly as the Pegasus glanced awkwardly away. “I... I'm really sorry...”

“No, 'tis fine.” Luna shook her head quickly, grumbling to herself as she looked quietly down at her son, rubbing his stomach soothingly with a hoof as Scrivener strode over and carefully reached up to touch along his foreleg... but while Antares whimpered and twitched a bit, it didn't seem like anything serious. “Damnation. This morning I am certainly excelling at being oh such a great parent...”

“Mom...” Scarlet Sage smiled faintly, but Luna only mumbled and gently passed Antares to Scrivener, the winged unicorn dropping her head grouchily as she turned around before the Pegasus looked questioningly at her father, and Scrivener smiled a little as he shook his head slowly.

Luna mumbled as she strode over to Twilight, then sat down and dropped her face against the violet mare's neck, and Twilight sighed a little, reaching up and wrapping a foreleg soothingly around her. But after Antares calmed down and Scrivener put the foal down, the first thing the leather-winged unicorn did was trot over to his mother and half-crawl onto where she was now flopped moodily on the bedding, and this plainly made her feel better as the toddler snuggled silently against her body and closed his eyes.

The morning passed in relative quiet, as they prepared to head back into town to see if Celestia was feeling better and if Odin had returned. But ten minutes before noon, just as Scrivener was putting together the baby bag, there was a loud knock at the door. Scarlet Sage ran down the hall to open it curiously, then smiled in surprise at the sight of the two figures outside the door, calling awkwardly: “Uh, Mom, Dad? Odin and Celestia are... here.”

“We figured we'd save you the journey.” Celestia said softly, and although the scars of yesterday's battle still gleamed on her body, she was obviously feeling much better, far less pain evident in her stance. It made Luna grin happily as she leaned into the hall, watching her big sister stride down it... before her grin spread wider even as concern spilled into her eyes at the sight of Odin.

The old once-god was looking moody, a large bandage in place over his already-blind eye, a large patch of feathers missing from the other side of his features, and his movements clunkier than usual as he leaned on his walking stick heavily, other arm held up in a simple sling. It wasn't broken, but it was obviously injured, one bruised eye looking tiredly over his cracked beak at Luna as she said cheerfully: “I bet thou gave in to temptation and slapped Celestia's ass!”

“Ass!” Antares mimicked cheerfully, and Twilight glared at Luna as Scrivener looked flatly at Antares, and both mother and son quailed in a very similar manner before the foal asked lamely: “No word?”

“No word.” Scrivener agreed, and he reached out and ruffled the foal's mane before adding dryly: “And I think Luna means to ask is whether or not you're alright, Odin.”

“No I did not.” Luna said grouchily, and then she sighed when Celestia gave her a mild look before the sapphire winged unicorn headed quickly into the kitchen. The others looked up as there was a clanking, and a moment later Luna returned with one of the large chairs from outside following behind her, dropping it in the archway between kitchen and den before she flicked her horn to toss a cushion onto it. “There, art thou all happy now? I have shown hospitality. Now sit thy bony buttocks down and tell us what happened, old lecher.”

“I paid the Norns a visit.” Odin said mildly, before anyone could interrupt, and Luna's jaw dropped as Celestia looked up with surprise as well, Twilight and Scrivener trading a look as Antares only burbled and curled himself happily up with Gymbr against Scarlet Sage. The semicircle of ponies facing Odin all continued to only stare, and as the falcon-headed once-god carefully put his walking stick aside, he said dryly: “They are not very fond of me.”

“Thou had a disagreement with the Fates? Odin, I both admire thee and wish to laugh at thee. And also pity thee just a tad.” Luna said mildly, leaning forwards and looking at him, but there was more than an ounce of respect in her eyes as her grin grew a little wider, and even Celestia smiled despite herself, gazing with interest at the once-god.

But Odin only chuckled quietly at this, shaking his head slowly. “Oh no, Brynhild. No one can disagree with the Norns... or rather, they can, but not with paying so little a cost as this.” Odin grimaced a bit despite himself, glancing moodily down at his beaten body. “The Norns do not like visitors. Not simply because they protect Yggdrasil's mighty base, but because they find very few to be worthy of their time. Therefore, those who wish to confer with them must pass a series of trials, which I have strongly come to believe is less to prove the worth of a person and more because they enjoy watching the struggles of those who are foolish enough to attempt palaver with them.”

“Oh, so they are not fond of thee, and thou art not fond of them?” Luna cocked her head with a grin, and Odin sighed and nodded grudgingly before Twilight frowned a little, and the sapphire winged unicorn immediately looked pointedly at her. “Ask, ask! Do not hesitate!”

Twilight winced at this, looking awkward and shrinking back a bit as she looked apprehensively towards Odin: towards the once King of the Aesir, towards a legendary figure that had once been the mightiest of the warrior gods, whom she had heard all about but spoken with only rarely. She swallowed thickly, nervously, then finally rose her eyes and asked quietly: “But... weren't you... well...”

“I was a god. The Norns are Fates. They weave the stories of our lives onto tapestries, and carve our fates into wooden staves.” Odin said quietly, smiling faintly as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “They determine the moment of our deaths... mortal, god, perhaps even Jötnar. And perhaps, they even have decreed their own fates as well. They are not mere prophets of possible futures... they are the masters, not of life or death, but of what has been, what is, and what will be. Even at my worst, even when I was a god... I was never foolish enough to think the Norns served me.”

He quieted, then shook his head moodily. “But they also annoy me. They are arrogant, cruel, and cryptic. They will never entertain the idea that they are wrong, whether the subject is fate, philosophy, or if the damnable sun is in the damnable sky. Once, many years ago, I spent ten hours arguing with them about the hue of Yggdrasil's bark. It was stupid, and unimportant, but I was almost as arrogant as them and it did not matter what the argument was about, it only mattered that they were wrong, and I was right, and the color of the bark was not golden straw but ocher.”

“You basically got into a fight on the internet with someone.” said a mild voice, and all eyes looked up in surprise to see Discombobulation calmly sitting on the ceiling, looking pleasantly down at them with a bowl of jellybeans in his hands. He tossed one of these down towards them, and in plain defiance of gravity it arced back up towards the Draconequus and flew into his waiting jaws, the chimerical creature chewing meditatively before he added mildly: “It's great, really. Because even if you win the argument, you still lose. But at least you'll entertain a few people scrolling through the comments section. Most of them will make fun of you, call you an idiot, and see the flaws in both sides of the argument, but. As long as you don't use your real Facebook, you're fine, right?”

He peered back and forth, then Twilight sighed a little, looking up and asking finally: “Why don't you come down here and join us? And how long have you been up there, anyway?”

“Long enough to gain a different perspective on things.” Discombobulation paused, then pointed to the side, and a tiny pink pony appeared with a set of drums, playing a quick beat across them before vanishing. “That was not the real Pinkie Pie. Probably. I don't know, I have this feeling that I could teleport her anywhere I liked in Equestria and she would happily keep bouncing along. Not like that nasty Pinkamena. She would look around, grab her face and scream like that boy in that movie about being home alone, and then start smashing everything around her.”

There was silence at this, and then Celestia shook her head before prompting gently, as Odin only looked meditatively up at the chaos entity, who was peering distrustfully back: “What did you consult the Norns on, if I may ask? It must have been something serious if you were willing to suffer through both their trials as well as your dislike of them.”

Odin sighed and nodded hesitantly after a moment, rubbing slowly at the bandaged side of his face: “The Norns are not... entirely passive. As a matter of fact, Freya, you yourself may remember Skuld...”

“She was a Valkyrie, yes. Of... sorts.” Celestia grimaced a little, looking away as Luna frowned and looked up in surprise. “She came and went as she pleased. She was young... or rather, she looked and acted young. She was not, of course, but she obviously took pleasure in her little games of deceit. I did... not consider her one of us, to be entirely honest. I don't think you did, either... I think you only let her do as she liked because she was a Fate, and you didn't want to risk the wrath of the other sisters.”

Odin nodded calmly, resting back with a grimace and rubbing slowly at his face. “And, stripped of my pride as I am, I can freely admit that, yes: I let them all-but-mock the duties and honor of the Valkyries because I was afraid. I fear them, I dislike them, and they don't like me, but we were allies all the same and in a way still are even now. There are things that can change and challenge the Fates, and they fear and revile these things. Likewise, they have no wish to see reality collapse, and they have been known to grant favor to those who... for lack of a better word... 'amuse' them.

“I brought a concern forwards about Valthrudnir... and considering the attack upon her that Celestia told me about, mentioning this... 'Clockwork' project of Valthrudnir's... it seems I was right to be concerned.” Odin said softly, shaking his head moodily. “They were not fond of the argument I made and the concerns I rose, but all the same it was enough that they were willing to grant me a favor. And now, Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms, I fear that I must ask another strange favor of you both, one that is both very great and very small at once.”

He looked silently towards Luna, who gazed steadily back before she sat back on her haunches and said quietly: “Thou wishes for us to meet with the Norns. Thou wishes for us to meet with the Fates themselves for a reason I do not desire to even begin to guess at...”

“I do.” Odin said calmly, and above, Discombobulation whistled slowly before he carefully took the bowl into one hand and reached out with his long, shaggy-furred arm as far as he could, pushing the bowl down towards them with the very tips of his fingers to offer jellybeans down to them, and Odin sighed. But after a moment, he reached calmly up and carefully took a few from the upside down bowl, remarking dryly: “You know, once I would have killed your kind out of hand just for daring to have left Ginnungagap.”

“Yes, and now here you are, sharing candy with a filthy sewer rat. I feel much worse for you than I feel for myself.” Discombobulation said kindly, and then he offered the bowl back and forth, and Luna grumbled a bit as she leaned up, horn glowing and lifting a few of the candies free. Most of these were tossed into her own mouth, but she passed one to Antares as well, who eagerly bit down on it and began to chew it loudly up. “My. He has the same manners you do, Scrivener Blooms.”

“Shut up, Discombobulation.” Luna grumbled, and then she sighed a little as Odin meditatively tossed a candy into his beak, looking at her calmly before she bowed her head and muttered under her breath: “Very well. But what could we possibly learn from them that thou could not? What possible reason is there for myself and Scrivener Blooms to meet with them?”

Odin was quiet for a moment, looking slowly around at the ponies before he said softly: “Because I do not know whether or not I can trust them, Brynhild. As I have learned well myself, power does not simply corrupt us into selfishness: it can also make a person complacent, distorted, or into a mockery of their former self, if we are not careful with how we handle ourselves. And this can happen over moments, or over millennia.

“You see, the Fates have always been... opportunistic. Yes, they already have within their power the ability to modify the lives and deaths of mortals and gods alike, and they were able to add and remove events from a life of a person... to ensure, for example, that one person would meet another at this precise time and place, although by no means could they control how those events played out.” Odin explained quietly. “And there are many loopholes like that in their powers, stumbling blocks... what they saw as unnecessary interferences they were always eager to remove.

“Skuld, after all, did not die with the true Valkyries in Valhalla. And even though, in those old glory days, a great council of gods met almost every day with them at the foot of mighty Yggdrasil, they never advised the Aesir against war. They never warned us of Valthrudnir's growing influence nor his machinations, and when I sought their aid, they turned me away in derision. Yet when Valthrudnir began to threaten reality itself, they became suddenly much more willing to work with me again.” Odin smiled wryly. “I suppose they did not take well to the idea that he planned to build a universe where Fates would be outmoded by the machines and puppets of a Jötnar.”

“Fates aren't necessary in a world where everything's planned from the beginning. And Valthrudnir would have destroyed them along with everything else, wouldn't he?” Celestia glanced towards the once-god, and Odin nodded slowly and calmly. “But then why did the Fates themselves not stand against Valthrudnir?”

Odin smiled a little at this, reaching up and silently tapping at his throat. “Not only was Valthrudnir immortal and nearly omnipotent, he wore a particular choker around his neck. Ymir's seal, the wolf's head; he must have stolen it from the former Jötnar chieftain's lair after I killed him. It granted him invisibility from any form of telepathy, divination or prediction... it was why no god, no guardian, no force of Asgard could see the danger we were in until too late.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Scrivener reached up and rubbed slowly at his bare throat, thinking strangely of his collar before Odin looked at the stallion and said softly: “You, my friend, I must warn that the Norns already dislike. Your story and Brynhild's was woven together the moment you tied your souls together... you were not supposed to live past that experience. But you did, because of what my Brynhild did; you both exploited one of the loopholes. And in their eyes, you not just a flaw in their system, you are also a lower class of creature that has now evolved into something greater, something... more.”

Scrivener grimaced at this, and Luna glowered a little at Odin, but for once it was clear her anger wasn't at him as she muttered: “Disgusting. But it was not Scrivener that made the pact, 'twas I who did it.”

“True, but they see you as a Valkyrie still. In their strange minds, it is within your rights to make modifications to the so-called stories of lesser beings.” Odin paused, then gave a small, dry smile. “But don't worry, Brynhild. They were very clear they are not fond of you, either.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Celestia rose her head, saying quietly: “You're afraid that they're trying to make a power play. Make themselves, as Fates, absolute. Doing the same as Valthrudnir... except instead of laying plans from the beginning, they desire to write the ending first, and then work their way to that ultimate point however entertains them most.”

“You're as sharp as ever, Freya.” Odin said softly, smiling faintly as he nodded slowly once, then he looked moodily back and forth. “As it stands, the Fates are kept in check from being 'absolute' by the fact there are many things that can defy them and their decrees. For example, the undead: those who are granted a second life, in the eyes of the Norns, are abominations, not miracles. They have no problem with desecrating the dead, oh no: mindless servants are fine. But those who return to life represent a story that continues after it ends, becomes a soul they do not know the present or future of, only the past. And it infuriates them.”

He quieted, then smiled wryly, glancing back and forth. “And in this room, are many of the other things they hate and cannot control. Those who have bound their souls to one another's, twisting two stories endlessly together; chaos beings of Ginnungagap, who do not listen to the prescribed order and freely bend the rules of nature and otherwise; reincarnations, those who have already lived one life and return for a second, forcing them to try and lay one story overtop another; seers, who can catch glimpses of the carvings and stories of the Norns, and work to avoid that outcome, that design; and mortals that have been blessed by a fragment of a greater power, letting them rise above the station prescribed to them by the Fates. And of course, an old, one-eyed once-god.”

“It's nice to be included.” Discombobulation said mildly from the ceiling, and then he finally spun slowly right-side up and floated calmly down to the ground to land beside Antares and Scarlet Sage with his legs still crossed, looking musingly over at the foal as he burbled quietly, before giggling when Discombobulation put the empty wooden bowl over the foal's head. “Poor little soldier. We're all destined for doom, after all. Then again, that's really like saying 'I have a PIN number.' I hate people who say things like that.”

Odin sighed a little, then he glanced quietly towards Antares, letting his eyes slowly move down to the doll that was resting near the foal's hooves before he pointed at it and said quietly: “I also believe the Norns have something to do with that.”

Luna and Celestia both looked up with frowns as Scrivener grimaced a little towards the toy, and Antares shifted and burbled nervously for a moment, flapping his wings before he said hesitantly: “Gymbr?”

“Yes, Gymbr.” Odin said softly, and then he shook his head slowly and laced his fingers together moodily, leaning forwards as he studied the strange little doll. “They wouldn't admit it to me. They would barely let me talk about the subject, as a matter of fact, but that is no real surprise: they like to be in control of every last detail. But as I said, sometimes they do things... for their own entertainment, if not their own ends.”

“I shall pummel them if this is some elaborate prank by three scheming old witches.” Luna muttered darkly, and Twilight winced as Scarlet Sage bit her lip nervously, but Discombobulation rose his hands and politely clapped. The sapphire winged unicorn only looked at him dourly for a moment, then she sighed and turned her eyes grouchily to Odin, who was smiling at her wryly. “What? 'Tis true, I shall, and thou knows it. And when am I to meet with these wicked harpies, in any event?”

Odin shook his head slowly, then he said quietly: “I do not know, Brynhild. The Norns do not accept any schedule but their own... they will send a messenger when they are prepared to meet with you, and we must merely hope that they do not decide to send the messenger while you are in another layer. Oh, they would know where you are, certainly, but... as I said. They are not... pleasant creatures, and I wouldn't put it past them to mock us in that way.

“But I believe you also have a story for us. Regarding Clockwork World, and all that is there.” Odin said quietly, and then he smiled a little when Antares wiggled away from Scarlet Sage to pick up Gymbr and crawl forwards, holding the winged unicorn toy up. “Yes, child, I see it.”

“Gymbr.” Antares announced, and he held it insistently up towards the old once-god, who smiled wryly before he finally, gently took it... and then winced and dropped it almost immediately, fingers spasming before clenching tightly into fists as he leaned back in his chair, and Antares whimpered and leaned back as Celestia leaned towards the once-god in concern, Luna and Scrivener immediately look at Antares. “Hurt?”

“No, I... I am fine.” Odin shook his head slowly, breathing hard before he looked down at one gloved hand, flexing it slowly as a shiver ran through the once-god's body before he gave a grim, faint smile over to Luna and Scrivener, saying in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper: “I would appreciate it if you could... tell me your story.”

There was silence for a few moments, as Antares silently picked up Gymbr and looked quietly down at the doll... and then Scrivener Blooms sighed softly and nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he murmured: “Alright. I'll... try and keep it short.”

It didn't take Scrivener long to go through telling about what they had encountered: he talked a little about the mischief they had made, about the differences between this layer and that one, about how pleasant things seemed... but it was only to give himself more time to think and ready himself for the painfully-serious topic of Visionary and Clockwork World. And perhaps because of his strange ability to understand things, Antares was silent the entire time, looking quietly up at his father and curling up tightly against his mother, his other foreleg keeping Gymbr close against his body.

When Scrivener came to a quiet finish, Odin nodded slowly, looking down and muttering: “Worse than I expected. Probes, disguised as meteors... we'll have to keep an eye out and our defenses up. Freya, thoughts?”

Celestia was silent, looking down quietly before she shook her head and murmured: “It's guaranteed that we're outnumbered, and that our enemies will possess superior weapons and equipment. That's without considering what other projects and machinations of Valthrudnir might be on that world as well: we can't rule out the possibility that Tyrant Wyrms, among other things, may exist there and be laying in wait. Our defenses are strong, our soldiers are better trained than ever before, but... that army that attacked us earlier may be only a sample of the forces they could march against us.”

“Water. Our only advantage is liquid. We need to install some kind of defense system that could take advantage of that, around the locations that the Clockwork forces could be drawn to.” Twilight said quietly, and Celestia nodded slowly in agreement as Odin rubbed slowly at his face, head bowed in deep thought. “We also need a way to interfere with that Black Mirror...”

“A gate apart from the Bifrost between worlds... one that sounds more dependable in some ways as well, but I do not doubt it must draw on immense amounts of energy to open.” Odin muttered, looking down moodily before he sighed and sat back, grimacing a bit. “I do not want to imagine what Valthrudnir was experimenting in, however... or what he would dare to risk letting into reality from the hollows that exist between layers. There are worse things than demons in the spaces between spaces...”

“Like that creature we fought before?” Scrivener asked after a moment, unable to resist, and Odin nodded calmly to him, the stallion grimacing a little as he looked down and muttered: “Like the monsters in the Gray Mountains...”

“Thankfully, that terrible dark range does not exist in this Equestria. 'Tis only harmless, cold and snowy rocks. No Black Baroque, no altered reality, no monstrosities without name.” Luna grumbled, shaking her head slowly, and there was silence for a few moments before she looked up and said finally: “Odin, thou does have my thanks for... for informing us at least, of what thou thinks may be going on. And I suppose I should thank thee, too, for the audience with the Norns, even if we are going there simply to do thy dirty work for thee... I will at least be able to finally set my eyes upon Yggdrasil itself.”

Odin chuckled quietly and shook his head slowly, then he glanced towards Celestia as she rose her head and asked slowly: “Are you sure this is a good idea? If the Norns are looking to eliminate anything that 'defies fate,' and they have been glad to let both sides play out against one-another in the past in the hopes of cleaning up what remains afterwards... sending them my sister and my brother may not be a good idea. If the Norns are... hostile... then they may choose to eliminate a force that could otherwise prove to be a very great threat to them in the future.”

The falcon-headed entity only smiled a little, however, saying quietly: “I know, Freya. There is risk... and I do not trust them at all. But do not forget your own words: in the past they were more interested in letting both sides fight one another while they sat back and watched. They are not executioners or assassins: they much prefer to use their serpents' tongues and poisons, and guide one enemy into the waiting spears of another.”

“Manipulators.” Celestia said softly, and then she smiled a little and glanced moodily over at Luna, who grinned widely. “Then I begin to see why you wish to send my little sister to gather information.”

“It is partly because I truly do dislike the Norns as well, I will freely admit.” Odin added wryly, and Twilight smiled a little as Scarlet Sage gazed softly over at her mother, Antares burbling softly from where he was curled up next to the sapphire winged unicorn. “I should not encourage you, but I do hope you test their patience in every possible way.”

“Oh fear not, I am very sure that I shall.” Luna said with relish, licking her teeth slowly as she sat back with a wide grin before shaking herself out briskly, and then she smiled slightly as her eyes flicked towards Scrivener Blooms as he grunted in agreement. “Perhaps we shall even take Discombobulation along with us. I am sure he is very capable of smuggling himself to where the Norns den if he pleases.”

“Oh yes. I'm also very capable of putting my face into a wood chipper, but just because we can do something, doesn't mean we have to, and most certainly does not mean that we should. That goes double for when other people tell you to do something, by the way: if I had a dollar for every time someone told me to smoke cigarettes, I could afford to smoke cigarettes.” Discombobulation paused, then he flicked his wrist, holding up a neatly-rolled joint. “As it is I'll have to stick to marijuana. Pineapple Express, anyone?”

Luna huffed and reached out to slap this firmly out of the Draconequus's hand, and he whined and let his wrist fall limp, rubbing at it as the joint vanished and Luna said irritably: “There is no smoking in my home. Besides, Antares had already had coffee today, he does not need thy magic drug smoke.”

“You must have been one of those magic school bus kids.” Discombobulation remarked mildly, and then he paused for a few moments, seeming to go over her words in his mind before saying seriously: “I also cannot help but note you don't seem against magic drug smoke. Also, as I feel like causing trouble at the moment, I'm choosing to believe you just inferred you would allow your son to enjoy magic drug smoke. So from that I'm going to exaggerate and extrapolate you are going to buy your son a bong for his birthday. I always knew you were a hippie, and child services will believe me because you have gross pony sex with everything, so I'm going to now get your child taken away mostly because of a remark I myself made.”

For a few moments, Luna only looked up at the Draconequus as he looked seriously back at her, and then she turned her eyes moodily to Scrivener Blooms, asking grumpily: “So do we make pinata out of the creature now or later?”

Scrivener only rolled his eyes, then he hesitated before returning his gaze to Odin and adding awkwardly, as Luna winced a little: “There's also... something else we should probably tell you about, though. Out in our backyard, well... we saw... some kind of Ambrosia tree that apparently grew there overnight...”

“What?” Odin frowned at this, then he grimaced as he creakily stood, half-hauling himself up to his feet as Celestia half-leaned towards him with a look of worry, but the once-god only smiled awkwardly at her as he rested against the kitchen counter for a moment, murmuring: “I appreciate your concern, Freya, but... well, no, that's not important right now. Let's take a look at this tree.”

Luna cocked her head curiously as Celestia only smiled a little, and then Odin carefully turned to head out into the back yard, the other ponies following after him as Discombobulation sat back and rose a hand, saying mildly as Antares burbled and bounced on the floor: “I'll stay here and watch the kid. Trees aren't my favorite flower.”

“Tree!” Antares declared, and then he began to scamper forwards before staring when Discombobulation nimbly reached out and plucked up Gymbr, the baby give him a sulky look as he turned his attention to the Draconequus, reaching up for his toy with a huff. “Mine!”

Discombobulation only stuck his tongue out, holding the toy high above his head, and Antares grumbled as he crawled forwards, bowl half-falling off his head as he tried to stand on his rear hooves and pawed grouchily at the chimerical creature in a vain attempt to reach his toy, and then the Draconequus huffed a bit. “You're as good at sharing as Scrivener Blooms is. Maybe I should have gone out to the tree after all.”

In the back yard, meanwhile, Scrivener Blooms and Luna were watching apprehensively as Odin carefully reached up to one of the branches of the strangely-bent tree, gently plucking one of the large blue fruits dangling from the warped plant and stepping back as he rose it to his beak, sniffing at it for a moment. Then all eyes looked upwards, watching with surprise as a new fruit formed almost immediately in its place like a droplet of water swelling into a solid blue bubble.

Odin shifted the loose fruit to his injured arm, then reached up and pulled down the newly-formed Ambrosia to hold them almost side-by-side. And, just as moments before, a new fruit grew immediately into place, as Odin squeezed the Ambrosia gently, surveyed the identical shape and consistency with his sharp eyes... then slowly shook his head, muttering: “This is tampering with reality... and on a level I never saw much of even amongst the Aesir. Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms, Freya and friends... family... I do not wish to impose, but... I will need your help to decipher this puzzle.”

“'Tis no imposition, Odin. For once... thou art welcome to explore however thou must.” Luna replied quietly, bowing her head forwards, and Odin smiled faintly over his shoulder even as his eye remained dark with worry. Luna tried her best to smile back, but she couldn't quite make it reach her own eyes, wondering silently what it was that could have the old god so concerned... and how this linked to Gymbr, the Norns, and the threatening Clockwork World.

Comments

[Narcosis]

This "thing" you keep talking about that Odin sent Scrivy and Luna to deal with- it wasn't in any of the previous stories, right? I'm assuming it is one of the nameless things from the Void, but can you enlighten us on this at all?