Autumn

by canonkiller


Wasting Away

Kha jabbed the back of Obsidian's mind, waking him up from a priorly calm sleep and also inducing a sudden muscle spasm in his wounded leg. Hey! It's getting harder for me to talk to you. Something's wrong! I need you to find Maris!
Is there any way you could be a little more painful?!
Get up get up get up! He poked the nerve repeatedly, until Obsidian was almost crying. I know you can't feel it, but something's wrong. Hello? Hey, listen! Don't you dare go back to sleep! UP!
Obsidian growled into the empty air and grudgingly pushed the blanket aside. One of the servant robots whirred up curiously, the laser-pointer eye shining against Obsidian's face.
"Uh... can I talk to Maris?"
The robot quickly flaoted away, stopping to make sure Obsidian was following. Without the aid of a living crutch, he had abandoned his pride and was limping along on all fours.

It wasn't long before Obsidian was standing in front of a massive door. It was decorated with copper and gold swirls, mimicking ocean waves, and two massive sapphires were laid in the 'sky'. They seemed to be glowing, a little more naturally than the lights around.
The drone tapped one metal hand against the door, waiting patiently for a response. The waves rose up from the ground, splitting in half at the gemstones and retracting into the wall. With a loud grind, the silver wall behind broke into thousands of tiny spirals, spinning entracingly into the frame and leaving no trace they had ever been there. Behind them was a long hallway, with another door at the other end. Obsidian limped past, wincing as the door closed again behind him.
"Here goes nothing."

"Squishy, I need to have a word with you. Alone." Rarity levitated her daughter out of the crowd, ignoring her sarcastic remark and trotting away wih her. "Look, I'm getting old, and I know I can't have much time left."
"Don't say that! You're going to live forever."
"Heart, please." Rarity sighed, looking down into her eyes. "Even the Goddesses didn't live forever. Just listen."
Squishy, realizing the weight of the situation in the use of her middle name, nodded.
"You've seen me use my Element before, remember? To help cast out that big meanie hydra that came into town?"
"Yeah momma, I remember."
"And I can't use it anymore. We've seen Tigerjay become the Bearer of Laughter, and Chibi is a Bearer of Kindness. Twilight told me that she gave Sunrise the Element of Magic. There are three others, whose locations we have. There's my Element, Generosity, Applejack's Honesty, and Rainbow Dark's Loyalty. We've talked about it, and decided our new Bearers." The white Unicorn set her daughter down, walking up and touching their horns together. "Squishy, I give to you the Element of Generosity."
The following flash was filled with tiny sparkles, glittering to the ground before fading out of existence. Rarity stepped back, worn from the lack of her sustaining Element, and smiled at her daughter.
There was no massive change, but her coat, which had once been pale purple, was now a flawless white, more than enough of a change to an Element.
She jumped forwards, hugging her mother. "Thank you. I'll make you proud."

The second door didn't require any wait, simply moving aside as Obsidian approached. It was also a lot less dramatic, just swishing back into the wall. The inside was lit, by natural magic, like the orbs in the outside, small glowing spheres lining the walls.
Of course, some of them were hard to see through the snake staring at him. The reptile had his head tilted curiously, tongue flicking as he reviewed the draconequus. Despite the dim light, the edges of his silhoette shimmered with an oily sheen.
"And why are you here? I ssssswore I told thossssse sssssstupid robotsssss not to let any guysssss in." His inlit eyes rolled, and the lights brightened. "Sssssso, you are?"
"Kha."
"Imposssssible! I know who Kha hassss possssssesssssed and it issssss not you. It isssss an Alicorn, no?"
"Uh, no."
"Fulmen told me it wasssss the daughter of a Pegassssusssss, who wasssssss Faenum'sssss daughter. Your father certainly got around. I envy him for that. An Alicorn? About," he held his tail a few inches above the ground, "yay big? Apperantly gray? Anything?"
"Still no. I've met her, she's the cutest filly in the world, but I assure you that she is not Kha, because I am."
"Cute, you sssssay? Oh, too young. Maybe later." He shook his head to clear his Cacophony's influence. "Ah ha... and why ssshould I believe you when you ssssay you are Kha?"
"You never seen a draconequus before?" Obsidian snarled, fanning his wings. "I assure you, this is not natural."
"Your mother wassssss an Alicorn. Ssssshe hassss Pegassssussss blood, of coursssse. Your wingssss would be bigger."
Chill, Obsidian. I got this one.
"Hey! Hey, n-"
"Maris, ask me something only Kha would know."
"Um... why are you here?"
"Why must I deal with such peabrains? Because all hell is breaking loose, and you've become Lust. Now please just listen to me so we can move on?"
"True... true..." Maris backed up. "Here, come in. More than enough room."
"Thank you."
"Ssssso, you are Kha? Really?"
"I'm in the bottom of the ocean, I let myself get eaten by a giant fish, and I'm surprisingly sane while talking to a giant rainbow snake. Is it smart to continue doubting me?"
"Well, yeah, I guesssss sssssso." Maris, realizing he was lacking shoulders, tilited his head. "Sssssso... now what?"
"I don't know. Normally something just... happens. Do you feel any different?"
"May...be?" The snake head-shrugged again. "Uhhhh.... no. Nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh."
"Positive?"
"Only foolssssss are possssitive."
"Okay... still nothing?"
"How many timesssss mussst I sssay it?"
Kha flapped Obsidian's wings and flew up in front of Maris's face. "Maybe we have to talk about your problem?"
"According to you, it ssssshould all fix itssssself."
Kha smacked Maris's nose.
For a few seconds the snake looked stunned. "What wasss that fo-"
And then the entire room plunged into darkness, save for a small light flashing over the door.
"Oh, crap."
"What does that light mean?"
"Powersssss' cut." Maris hissed, voice wavering. "And oxygen will ssssstop production."
"So...?"
The snake sighed. "We're going to start suffocating in about half-an-hour."
"...and everyone on the fish will?"
"Die."
"And you aren't going to do anything?"
"Of course-" His glowing eyes suddenly widened. "I have to. I've done wrong my whole life, and this is my chance to repent before I die... DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!?"
"Honesty! You've been Balanced!"
"Okay...?"

"HAHAHA! ANOTHER ONE!" Discord cheered, pressing his eye up to the keyhole. "So close... two more..." He backed up, reclining on some invisble hammock. "Loyalty and Honesty. How fitting."
"Tick tock tick tock..."