//------------------------------// // Belly of the Beast // Story: United Nations of Pegasi // by Scourgeous //------------------------------// The farewell was short, and Derpy was the last to turn away as Rainbow Dash disappeared down into the abyss. Trixie walked a few steps behind Celestia, looking a bit irritated. The blue unicorn kept glancing at the sky, then back at the ragged path ahead. Derpy leaned against her, sharing their brief warmth before stepping back into her own gait again. "I'm not a fan of Princess Celestia," Trixie admitted under her breath. A small punch of panic hit Derpy, and she stared with wide eyes at her companion. "But she is our Princess. She rules all of Equestria. You don't have to adore her, but remember she is helping us." "I came to Luna the first time because Celestia wasn't understanding enough. She seems compassionate, but only to her loyal students. She knows about friendship enough to fake it." What does she mean? Celestia surely wouldn't fake to be my friend? Derpy thought hard, the silence choking her. She wished one of them would speak just to cut the crackling emotions between each of them. The journey was mean't to bring them together, but they were drifting apart. Discord's chaos had gone bone deep this time. "But Celestia is with us to get Luna back once we end this." Derpy whispered, bounding forward so she was close enough to Trixie for Celestia to not overhear. "She just wants Equestria back to normal. She knows that her sister is loved now, and she'd be hated herself if she didn't get her back." Trixie sounded convinced, but Derpy wasn't so sure. It was true that in time Celestia had hurt Luna's feelings, but she was only trying to protect everyone. Luna trusted her sister now, and more than ever did everypony need to get along. Derpy looked down at her hooves, a hole in her heart where Dinky usually filled. She was losing her element, she was losing the love that had tied her so strongly to everypony. The only thing that kept her going was the rainbow, and it hung in her mind the whole way. You've travelled so far, you must be feeling tired. Said a sickly sweet voice in Derpy's head. It was all too familiar, and she shook it away, raising her head and glaring forward. They must of been getting close. Both Trixie and Celestia were starting to look unnerved, and Derpy had a good guess that Discord was also trying to sway their train of thought. They could only go on so much farther before something happened, and Derpy didn't want to hang around to find out what. Feeling lost are we, honey? Poor little Derpy. You were in the lead if I remember... Celestia doesn't think you can find me. Why? Because you're seeing stars as well as the way ahead. Should've left your eyepatch on. "Shut up!" Derpy yelled outloud, halting and shaking her head angrily, beating her wings as if she could of flown off at that moment. Trixie stared at her gently and sighed. "Come on. He's getting to all of us. We've just got to battle it." The gray pegasus sighed and slumped down to her knees, eyes on the ground. She was silent, and she heard the unicorn turn and continue to walk, leaving her behind. A few stinging tears escaped and dropped to the parched earth. Is this really how their journey ended? Deserting each other because there was no sign of Discord besides his taunting voice? "Derpy Hooves," Celestia's royal voice ruffled her ear fur. She looked up, drying her eyes with a hoof as she stared up at the regal white Alicorn, who was looking just as exhausted, her shoulders slumping, her eyes dull. They shared a hopeless look, then looked away from each other, watching Trixie head off without them. "We're getting nowhere." Derpy sobbed. "We need Luna. She always knows what to do..." "No. It isn't Luna herself that told her what to do next. It was her heart." Celestia leaned down and pressed her horn to Derpy's head. "Follow your heart. You must know where to go next." Lost, little Derpy Eyes? She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, digging at the ground with a hoof, shaking the dark voice from her head. With a loud neigh she thundered ahead, straight towards Trixie. My name is Derpy Hooves! She opened her wings like a parachute blooming and rose right into the sky above Trixie, beating until her muscles screamed and the air was pressing against her. She stared out across the land, eyes glowing through the musky distance. "Gimme some light!" She called down to Trixie. A bright light revolved around the blue mare's horn, and it shot upwards, straight past Derpy and exploded like a firework with a brilliant sparkle that lit up the distance. Deep in the murk, the dry land gave way to a scoop in the earth, home to something achingly familiar. Once proud bright walls darkened and black, a black mist writhing around the base. Lightning crackled from the clouds above it. Canterlot Castle. The palace that once stood astride the mountain side had been moved far away onto the side of the crack, now set in the gorge-like expanse of rock. Derpy stared forward, holding in a gasp of shock. She let herself drop to the ground, folding her wings neatly to her sides as she hit the ground with the click on her hooves on the hard ground. "I bet my left hoof that Discord is in that castle!" She hissed. "What castle?" Celestia said, trotting up beside her. "You're castle. It's been moved, through that mist up ahead." Celestia paused, and Derpy' could feel her unsure gaze boring into her. "The dark, swirling mist that promises no return?" She said dryly. "Yes. That exact one. There is no need to fear. If we stick together, we'll get through it. Just like me and Luna did." She looked up at the white Alicorn, who still looked disapproving, and she stared up with pleading eyes. She wished there was something she could do or say to make things easier, but that was exactly what Discord had prevented. There was no harmony until he was stopped. "Derpy, it would be much easier to stick together if Trixie hadn't already left into the mist." What? The gray Pegasus whirled around, looking for the blue unicorn who had been there a moment before. She could just see her approaching the mist, then her pale tail disappearing into it. She stared after her, something inside of her growing very cold. She knew the stubborn unicorn would be unable to face Discord alone, and she could only dread what state she might return to them in. "Come on Celestia, we have to get her back before she ends up like Luna." She said, stepping forward. Celestia nodded, eyes searching the obscuring, thick cloud. She followed Derpy forward, only surrounded by the echo of their hoofsteps. Dread hung on both of their shoulders. The journey was only getting harder, and they were no closer to restoring faith for Equestria. Luna was on the moon, Dinky was in Discord's castle, and Trixie was heading into the belly of the beast.