The Steadfast Sky : Chapter 21
The Grey Potter
http://cosmicponyfanfiction.tumblr.com/
~Discord~
I was awake. Who know for how long. Hours, I guess. I had that feeling again, that really, really irritating feeling, growing so large that it was becoming difficult to sleep. The feeling of emptiness, like a pocket of air was stuck in my throat, in my gut. It was like my stomach was mad at me, and all it could do was stare until I did something. Well, I can’t. Go back to sleep. Please, just let me go back to sleep.
Usually the feeling is pretty easy to ignore. It’s not like it hurts or anything… When I run around, chatting with Celestia and Luna, I can forget about it practically all day. But right now, all I had were my own thoughts. My breathing, and that little crackle in the back of my mouth. What even was that, spit bubbles popping? I tried to swallow them away, but no. Still crackling.
Last night, they led me here. I was forced to walk, even though all of my feet were numb. Every step, it felt like I’d place a foot wrong and it’d twist, or just break. But somehow, we made it. Wherever this is.
It’s not like anything had changed the past few hours. I was on my side, on a little pillow, right where they left me. I was still bound, but instead of the lasso, there was a cushioned shackle on each limb. The effect was the same, however. My hands and feet felt thick, felt numb. Whenever I tugged on them, trying to scratch and itch or something, there was a light clatter of a metal. In the dark gloom, I could see the chain coming off the cuffs converge, then loop around a kind of big brass ring, one that circled around the entire room. Tons of chain hung loose off the end, collecting in a pile to the side.
As for where I was, it was a round glass house in the middle of a lush park, curtains drawn over every window. Through the dark, I could make out simple shapes. A low table on thin, almost wire-like legs. Vases. Potted plants. A four-post bed, also with its curtains drawn. A spiral staircase, leading up to a second floor. Occasionally, I could hear a shifting of cloth, a quiet clatter of pebbles, or maybe more chains shifting. There was a stream of water in here somewhere, burbling softly. Honestly, it would seem rather peaceful, if it weren’t for the fact that I was obviously a prisoner. What kind of jail is this?
I made a small noise, just out of boredom, annoyance. Please be morning now. Please, something, happen!
Nothing!
Then... I’ll make something!
I struggled with the chain cuff, worming my hand around it for about the billionth time that night. If I just felt a little less numb, I could magically make the shackle’s surface slick, and squirm my thin bird’s claw out. But no, I feel a little swell in my bones, and then my magic just stops, frozen, no matter how hard I push at it.
Plus, the padding on the manacles… I was feeling it squirm on my wrists. Really weirdly. At first, maybe a few hours ago, I thought it was because I was shaking it around. But even long after the material settles, I’ve felt it moving. Eaugh. Is my mind playing tricks on me? Is my body finally fed up and instead has decided to rebel, messing with my head? I have no idea.
Morning.
Moorrrrrniiiing.
I could see light coming through the curtains, just barely! Something happeeeennnn.
I swallowed back emptiness. Stomach’s being passive aggressive again. You shut up, you stupid—
Wait, a new noise!
My head jerked up as I strained my ears. I wish my hearing was sharper, what is that?! It was a clattering, a sort of heavy jingle, rhythmic too. Jingle JINGLE jingle JINGLE. And it was getting louder! I craned my neck up higher. It was definitely coming from outside…
It stopped! What did that mean?
I nearly shot out of my skin where there was a loud CLICK, the lock popping open. Light streamed in from the double doors as a pony in a black doublet pushed it open, letting in the pale blue morning light. A silver platter hung in the air beside him, held aloft by his yellow aura.
I stared at him. He looked down at me. I frowned, and opened my mouth to say something, but he didn’t quite let me get there. The pony strode past me, walking over to the brass table and placing atop it three white plates, two with weird lumps of… food, I guess, and another with rocks? What? I watched him as he circled the room, pulling all the curtains open, flooding the room with the pre-sunrise light, giving me a better view of the garden park beyond.
Finally, he walked up to me.
“Hey, um…” I started.
The pony ignored me. Instead, he shifted the padlock so the yards and yards of loose chain were giving me slack instead, locking the final few links in place.
“Uh…”
He ignored me once more, and in just a moment he was out the big double doors, locking it behind him. I heard the rhythmic jingle as I watched him walk down the little cobblestone path, keys swinging off his belt.
“Okay…”
I looked over to the chain. Theoretically, I could move around the room a bit more now. Practically, I doubted it. I placed my paw on the floor, feeling how numb, how stiff and unmovable it was. With my other elbow, I heaved my weight up and AH geez, that’s my shoulder, that did not feel right, that did not feel right at all. Friggin… weird manacles! Why’d they even need them to work like this?!
Cautiously, with all the dignity of a beached fish, I heaved myself up, and then flopped over onto my other side, crashing onto the cold floor, and onto the even colder chain.
“Ah, mother-of!” I snapped.
“Sheen?” Something vaguely feminine grunted, “Izzat you?”
There was a sharp intake of breath, and a rustle of cloth. Still trying to get on my feet, I watched as the four post bed shook lightly, the curtain fluttered, and out popped the strangest looking face I had ever seen in my life.
I admit, my exposure to cats is pretty limited. A few detailed illusions, maybe I had seen a couple in a street once. So, even though my first was impression was that this being was some sort of cat, it was the strangest dang cat I had ever seen. It had a black nose, a cleft lip, like a cat would, but its face was flat and hairless, with almost no snout to speak of. A thick forest of tawny hair encircled its entire head, a silver collar was stuffed over the mane. A silver chain hung off that, slowly unfurling down to the floor as she blinked blearily up at the ceiling.
“Sheeeeeen,” she yawned. “You alright?”
“HZUNUH?!” There was a loud clatter, like a landslide of pebbles. I shoved myself backwards as two, then five shiny rocks plummeted by my head, bouncing and ricocheting off the polished floor. There was a strangled sound, and I looked up. Above me was another platform, a loft or something, a circle that was maybe half the size of the room. A head shot through its railings, red, lizard-like, and contorted into absolute horror.
“No!” It screeched, “My babies!” The face vanished, and there was a scraping of claws over stone. “What have you done, Cleo?!”
“What have I done?” the not-a-cat whined.
The lizard-like creature barreled down the stairs, and suddenly, it clicked. That was a dragon. About the same size as a griffin, scrawny and bony, panicking and scrabbling on all four feet. Yet another chain trailed after it, also hooked to a collar around his neck, with one of those leathery pouch lassos bound over the base of his wings.
Suddenly, he went sprawling backwards, hacking a cough as his chain snapped tight. He spun and yanked at it with his claws, still clearly panicking.
“No, where’s it caught?!” He whipped his head around, then locked eyes with me, eyes bulging. “You, small thing!”
I blinked. “Uh, me?”
“Hand me those gems! Hurry!” I stared at the fallen rocks, then looked back at him. “But don’t scuff them!” he snapped.
I tried to walk again... no, this isn't going to work at all. Instead, I dropped onto my middle and tried to scoot forward, pawing the vibrantly colored rocks together with my useless, useless hands.
“Lovely, we have a new face!” The cat... mare? had eased out of her bed, and I saw that most all of her looked exactly like a lion. So the only difference was her strangely smooth visage... Pretty odd. She smiled at me, mouth full of sharp fangs, “What’s your name, little creature? where do you hail from?”
“Discord,” I said simply, still trying to get all the gemstones together. I don’t know why, but it bothered me, back to being called a creature… I was a being, not just a weird-looking beast. She waited a few moment more. If she was wondering where I was from, well, the less people that knew, the better.
“Quite a strange mix you are!” she finally declared. She took a deep bow, arm twirling by her side. “I’m Cleo, of North Quaggatalia. And this panicking dragon would be Sheen, origin unknown.”
“Nice to meet you two,” I muttered. Finally having gathered up all the gems, I pushed them across the floor, much to the dragon’s horror. Well, what else could I do, try and carry them? When I reached Sheen’s feet, he dropped to the ground, scooped them up, and ran back upstairs, pausing only briefly to grab a plate off the table. Cleo chuckled as there was a loud clattering of stones up above.
“Oh, don’t mind him. He’s just a bit fussy about his rocks…”
“Gemstones!” Sheen cried.
Cleo rolled her eyes, and sauntered over to the brass table, chain trailing silently after her.
“Here,” she pushed the plates apart with her paw. “Have some breakfast.”
“Breakfast sounds wonderful,” I cried as I tried to scoot myself forward. The crawling motion seemed to work fine as I inched myself over and heaved myself up on the table, elbows slamming down on the surface. Cleo jumped a little as silverware poured out of a crisp napkin in her hand, but screw that, finally, something to eat! I haven’t eaten since...!
“Wait,” My face creased down into a frown. “What the crap is this stuff?”
The plate came in several different flavors of weird, which I will attempt to describe. There was yellow mush, slightly burned white mush, cut circles of mush, and a puffy brown breadlike… mush. And a lump of… I have no idea. It looked like a chunk of meat, but it was white, and looked dried out. There was no fluid or anything. What kind of animal does that come from, and how long had it been sitting out? Is it... moldy or something? Doesn’t smell like it...
The only thing I recognized on my plate were three more chunks of bright and colorful gemstones. Is that some kind of really weird garnish? How in the heck would rocks count as breakfast?
“Oh, did you tell anyone what your diet consists of?” Cleo asked, looking over to my plate, “Apple Dumpling probably just took a shot in the dark... Is any of this correct?”
“Well, I don’t eat the things…” With the back of my paw, I pushed the glittering rocks off the plate, clattering onto the table. Sheen’s head was beside me just a moment later, chain still rattling down the stairs.
“Can I have them?!” He demanded.
“I... guess so?”
He snatched the rocks off the table and popped one in his mouth, munching on it as he trampled back up to his nest. I stared at his retreating back.
“He eats rocks?!” I cried.
“Gemstones!” he shouted back.
“Okay then...” I turned back to my plate, hoping that would be the strangest thing I had to deal with today. “Soooo,” I looked to Cleo for guidance, “What’s the rest of this stuff?”
She looked down to my plate, then leaned over, holding her fork over the yellow stuff.
“Well those are scrambled eggs…” she said. I frowned.
“Those don’t look anything like eggs.”
She shrugged, and moved her fork to the white mush.
“That’s potato hash.”
I forced a laugh, “You’re kidding me, right?”
“No, I’m not,” she replied, getting irritated. “And this here is chicken.”
“No it’s not.” She frowned. “Chicken is all… pink. And slimy.”
“Well, this chicken has been cooked.”
“It turns white when cooked?” I asked as she retreated to her side of the table. “How does that work?”
“I have no idea,” she snipped, scooping up some of her own ‘eggs.’ “If you don’t want it, I’ll have it.”
“No I…” I stared at the chicken, and let out a little breath. You know, I don’t have a right to be picky. I am freaking starved. “I guess I’ll just try some of this, see how it is.” I reached for the plate with my paw, then thought better of it. If I can’t walk, I doubt I could use my fingers correctly. Embarrassed, I placed my hands on the table and leaned down to the plate, taking a bite of the eggs.
I scrunched up my face. Mushy! Wet! Gross! Bleh! I swallowed it quickly, trying to force it down. It crumbled easily, dissolving... Ick! Nasty! Crumbs, or chunks, whatever, were left in my mouth, and I tried to swipe them away. It was only about then that I got a good taste of the ‘eggs.’
“Hey.” I said, “This texture is terrible, but I like the flavor.” I took another bite, scrunching up my face, forcing myself to swallow quickly. “Euagh... It’s not really like eggs at all. It’s kind’ve... sharp?”
“Oh, that would be the pepper,” Cleo told me, “Apple dumpling really loves to load on the spices.”
“Pepper? Oh so, is that this black stuff? I thought that they were just burned.”
Cleo chuckled, mood apparently restored. “Where in the world are you from that you don’t know what pepper is?”
“Nowhere special,” I said quickly. “I’ve just never had cooked food before. It’s always been raw.”
“Really?” She blinked down at me as I went for a bite of the potatoes. “Is that healthy?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t it be?” I chewed on the potato hash, still mushy and goopy, but to my relief, a bit more crunchy than the eggs. And! “Oh my god,” I said through my mouthful, “This is what cooking does to potatoes?!”
“Cooking, a bit of butter, some spices…”
“This is delicious!”
I quickly down the rest of the potatoes, forcing bites of egg in between. Then I decided to… My eyes passed over the weird, white chicken again. Iiiii decided to try the bread thing, yeah. I tore off a chunk, wondering what that would be like. It was kind’ve dry, and it quickly dissolved into yet another unpleasent mush, but as I chewed, I bit into something hard, and—
And my throat slammed shut. I shoved myself away from the table as my body retched, trying desperately to fight my gag reflex and force the bread down. My body sobbed betrayal, already working itself up into a frenzy of sick feelings. I glared down at myself, face heating up. You’ve been hungry all freaking day, and the first food you get, you spit back out?! Picky! Not the time for! You stupid… gah!
“You alright Discord?” Cleo said, peering around the table’s corner, “Don’t like raisins?”
“Yeah just… don’t like the texture. Or maybe I ate to fast, I don’t know.” I pushed myself back up to the table, shaking, an aftereffect of the reflex. I stared at my plate, less than half of it eaten. It didn’t look good anymore... I could probably… I hoped that they brought us something less mushy for lunch, or dinner, or whenever I’d eat again. If they didn’t let me go by then.
Or just.
Bleh.
I dropped my chin on the table, pushing my food away with the back of my paw, dejected. You know, I was half looking forward to sharing my first cooked meal with my friends. Celestia worked at a bakery once, she said there might be a day where she brought home a few things. Of course with this adventure trip, we never had the bits to afford something special or fun like that. I wondered, if we actually did spare the bits, would I have thrown that up? Just toss the gift back at her, no matter how much I enjoyed the flavor?
I apologized mentally for the possibility. Geez. I hope they’re both doing alright. Better than me, at least. Being ponies, and all that.
“Hey, don’t look so glum,” Cleo said from across the table, watching me uneasily. “When the servant comes back to take the plates, tell him what you like. They can work something out, they always have to deal with the diets of exotic creatures.”
“Right.” Because that’s my only problem here. “So uh.” I lifted my head off the table, looking around. “Is this what prison is like? This seems pretty nice, even if the food’s a little weird.”
“Prison?” Cleo balked, “Did you commit some kind of crime?”
“No. Not unless being heckled is some kind of crime.” But I could feel it. There is something very wrong here. “So, you weren’t imprisoned?”
“Sheen and I were captured!” she declared. “We’re rare beauties from far away and distant lands. Luxurious creatures…”
“So…” I frowned. She seemed to get way too into that description. “You’re slaves?”
Cleo gasped. “What a crude word! We’re not slaves, we’re not made to do anything! We’re the stars of the scenery, the crown jewel of the Apple family’s menagerie!”
“A menagerie… I don’t like the sound of that word. Sounds familiar.” I stared at Cleo, wracking my brain for the few times I heard that word. Like… a collection of beasts, of animals? I recoiled.
“I’m in a zoo?!”
“Zoo is a bad word as well!” Cleo snapped. “The reason why you’re here is because they thought you would make an excellent addition to this exotic display. However, if you’re going to be rude about it…!” She threatened me with a wave of her fork. I just stared at her. This is wrong, this is very, very wrong... Yet, she continued to defend it. “This is a comfortable life, Discord. You’ll grow to love it. Sheen and I have been here happily for years, haven’t we, Sheen?”
“Not now!” he cried, “I’m trying to get this stack just… GAH!”
I just... I stared down at my mismatched hands, shackled and bound. I may not be a pony, but, but I can’t be treated like this! Why was I taken here, of all places? No, I know why, it’s obvious, and wrong! Completely wrong! I’m a being, dangit, not a thing, not a creature! I am not some sort of freak of nature to be gawked at, not some animal curiosity!
I am not!