Chapter 23
The ponies left over in the troll woman's cottage exchanged alarmed glances. After some time, Twilight got to her hooves, at first thinking to follow after Fluttershy, but deciding against it at the last second. Instead, she just stood in place, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. The others all stared at the door with varying degrees of concern, from Applejack with a guarded expression, to Rainbow Dash gaping at it, horror-struck.
As they gradually got over the shock of the bad news, the group started giving each other anxious, meaningful looks, waiting to see who would break the silence first. Unsurprisingly, it was Pinkie Pie.
“Oh no!” She said with clear distress, but not as much volume as one would expect. “That's really really not good!”
She turned and trotted towards the troll woman, staring up at her with large, baby blue eyes. “Are you really really reeeeaaaalllyyy sure about what you said? Huh? Is it true? Is Discord really in trouble? Is he really gonna die?”
The others stared at the troll woman as well. Normally, Pinkie's bombardment of questions would have been hushed by Applejack or Twilight, but at the moment, every pony in the room was just as desperate for an answer as she was.
The troll woman lowered her head at the pony who stared back at her. There was a slight quiver in Pinkie's lip, her ears flat against her head. The troll woman made a soft, sympathetic noise with no true meaning to it, putting down the spoon she had been stirring the tea with. She turned to face Pinkie and, with some effort, squatted down on her haunches to address her better.
“If your friend is being so strong of magic, he cannot live if he does not have it. I don't know what animal he is, but I can see he is one of the ones who are old. I also can feel him,”
She faltered at this, and her slanted brow furrowed as she thought something over. “Is hard to say. I see him when he comes in and I can feel. I feel with what my eyes see, but also in what my stomach says. He is like an old pot. Very large and with much room. That room in him is filled with magic, but now is not so much. Is like it has been scooped out. Now there is little, but is more empty room than magic left.” She made another noise, this time in what sounded like defeat. “Is not good explanation, I think. Empty pot is still a pot. But your friend without magic, he will not live.”
“Well, if that's the case we'd better saddle up an' get this mess fixed right now,” Applejack said with conviction, getting to her hooves.
“I know this is very upsetting,” Rarity spoke up at this, “but if we could just focus back on reality for a moment, shouldn't we be prepared? Believe me, I am just as anxious to try and set this right as you are, Applejack dear, but we can't just lose our heads.”
“Meaning what?” Applejack asked impatiently.
“Meaning, that although this does indeed put some considerable strain on our time, it does not change the fact that we still need rest and supplies,” Rarity got up and walked over to Applejack, giving her a sad but encouraging smile. “I understand how you feel, but we cannot ignore the fact that we are also ponies who need rest and food. Thundering off into the night with heroic intentions won't be very helpful, I'm afraid.”
“Rarity's right,” Twilight nodded as she slowly regained her composure.
Applejack gave a long, aggravated sigh, “Yeah, I know she is. But dangit! I feel right useless just sittin' around after hearin' all this!”
“It's... really not the greatest news we've heard on this trip,” Twilight admitted, her ears lowering.
“Is he gonna be ok though?” Rainbow asked, as she got up as well, her wings adjusting themselves on her back. “I mean, is he gonna be ok to get to Kerry-whatever? Will he be ok until we get this over with?”
“I don't know,” Twilight said, turning to look at the troll woman.
She had stood up again and was currently scratching around in her pile of dishes, pulling out a series of small, round bowls made of nondescript pottery. Hearing the question, or perhaps simply anticipating the ponies' worries, she turned to look back at Twilight.
“It is better you hurry, I think,” She said as an answer, leaning over the small pot of tea. “You get there quickly, it will be better for everyone.”
“Maybe he should stay here and wait for us 'till we get back,” Rainbow went on, turning to the troll woman too, as if for support. “I mean, running around with us to go beat up some wacko pony who probably has a ton of magic isn't gonna help him feel any better, right?”
“If he ain't doin' well 'cause magic's fadin' away, I don't think sittin' around here is gonna make that big a difference, Rainbow.” Applejack said. “'Sides, even if it was, I don't think we'd be able ta get him ta stay put.”
“Not even if... I dunno... what if we ask Fluttershy to stay with him, or something?” Rainbow faltered, adjusting her wings again.
“We can't do that Rainbow Dash. We need Fluttershy to use the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight shook her head to clear her thoughts. “No. No, I don't think we can really do much more to help him,” She straightened again with a small degree of authority. “What we can do though, is double our efforts and head for Kerry Shire as fast as we can. We can't change needing to sleep and eat, but we can try and speed things up. We're going to need to scrap the idea of heading to Dartmoorton first. It's not like a doctor's going to be much help, we know that now. As for food, we'll have to make do with what we can find on the way.”
Twilight turned back to the troll woman who was handing a sniveling Pinkie a small bowl of nettle tea.
“Is there any way we can ask you to help us with some basic supplies? And, if it's not too much trouble, a place to sleep for the night?”
The troll woman straightened, taking the rest of the bowls and slowly circling the room, handing one to each of the ponies as she spoke. “You can sleep here. Is no good walking more in the dark. Food I can give to you, but I will ask you give to me something too.”
“Like what, may I ask?” Rarity said, nervousness clear in her voice as the troll woman put a bowl in front of her.
The troll woman pointed one of her twig-like fingers at Twilight. “You don't have magic right now, but you are different from your friends even so. You give me feather from you and one from your spirit friend. I use for my things I make.”
It was Twilight's turn to adjust her wings as she tried to fight back a suspicious frown. “What'll you do with them if we give them to you?”
“I don't know yet,” The troll woman said. “No need to use such things soon, but one day could be important to have. Is difficult to find. Is better to ask for them to keep for later than look for you again when I need.”
Twilight made a thoughtful noise at this. “You're not gonna use them to hurt anypony or do something to me or Discord, are you?”
The troll woman gave a series of jerky, dry noises as she laughed. “No reason to hurt you if you are not here. No. I use for something else some time. Is too hard to find ingredients to waste on hurting others. No, I keep them. I use them some day, I think. But that day is probably far away. I will wait for it.”
Twilight gave a nod, although she still looked unsure. “I guess I'll have to take your word for it. If you help us, and don't do anything to hurt us tonight when we sleep, we'll give you what you want.”
“Just don't give her a primary,” Rainbow Dash muttered as she sipped on her tea with a dejected expression. “It'll screw up your flying.”
Twilight nodded. “You got it, Dash.”
“Do you think Discord and Fluttershy are ok out there?” Pinkie piped up suddenly. She was craning her neck from where she sat to try and see out one of the cottage windows, although why she was trying to see out of a shuttered window was anypony's guess.
“They've been gone kinda long... yeah.” Rainbow agreed, turning to stare at the door again.
“Perhaps I should go check on them,” Rarity offered, putting down her bowl.
“No, I think I'll go,” Twilight said, turning to leave.
“You won't... like... fight with him about this, will you?” Rainbow Dash asked, watching her.
“No,” Twilight said without missing a beat. “I won't.”
Night time had fallen on the world outside. Inside, the fire pit had kept them in a cocoon of warmth and light. Twilight was a little surprised when she saw how dark it had become. Stars shone brightly overhead, not having to compete with any ponymade light. The orange glow streaming from the doorway and through the cracks in the shutters made it feel to Twilight as if the small house was the biggest and brightest thing in the entire world, pointing out where she and her friends were to any pony and animal within miles. The idea of having a very large, muscular troll nearby did not seem all that bad, suddenly.
She looked around the immediate area as she trotted away from the fire's light, letting her eyes adjust. After a short search she spotted Discord and Fluttershy in the back garden near the cliff edge. She could make out Discord wrapped around Fluttershy who looked very much like Spike in his basket within his coils.
Twilight headed towards them, glad to see they were together. At least Discord hadn't shooed Fluttershy away after she followed him. Twilight wasn't really sure why that mattered, but somehow it did.
Fluttershy must have heard her hoofbeats because she lifted her head and turned it towards Twilight. Seeing her approach, Fluttershy shifted and waved a hoof at Twilight with a shake of her head.
Twilight stopped with a puzzled frown. She tilted her head at this in a silent question. Fluttershy responded with a sheepish smile and a small, defeated shrug before shaking her head again.
Twilight pulled a face at this, looking the two of them over, but after Fluttershy put her front hooves together in a sign of pleading, Twilight sighed, rolled her eyes and turned to head back to the cottage. She gave her friend a smile when she saw her mouth the words 'thank you'.
Satisfied that the two of them seemed, at the very least, to be keeping each other company, Twilight headed back indoors. She gave her shoulders a slight shake as her skin prickled at the change in temperature once she was inside.
“Are they ok out there?” Rainbow Dash was quick to ask, putting down her bowl of tea.
“Looks like it,” Twilight nodded with a sigh, sitting back down close to the fire and pulling her own bowl closer again. “Fluttershy waved me away. I'm going to guess Discord's not in a very talky mood at the moment. Looks like they're going to sleep outside tonight.”
“Oh.” Rainbow said.
“He probably feels super weird right now,” Pinkie said with a firm nod. She seemed to have gotten over her dismay and was now guzzling down her drink. “He's kinda shy, you know.”
Applejack nearly choked.
“Really,” Rarity said flatly.
“Oh sure!” Pinkie nodded. “Why else would you run away as soon as everypony starts staring at you like your head's on fire?”
“Pride, I should think,” Rarity said.
“Same thing,” Pinkie shrugged, downing the last of her tea.
“Well, whatever his reason, I say we take the hint and get some shut eye as well,” Applejack said, removing her hat and putting it down to emphasise.
“A little early, isn't it?” Rainbow asked.
“Maybe, but the earlier we get some sleep the earlier we can get up and get goin' tomorrow,” Applejack went on, pulling her saddlebags closer and scratching around for her blanket. "I ain't about ta ignore this new detail, believe you me."
“I don't think I can argue with that,” Twilight nodded. “How about it girls?”
“You'll hear no complaints from me,” Rarity said as she pulled her own bag closer and fished out her comb. “A single day at that wretched town's spa is not going to get rid of these bags under my eyes.”
“Dibs on the bed!” Pinkie called out, hopping over before pouncing and sinking into it.
“Uhm... Pinkie.... I dunno if that's the best place ta-” Applejack started.
“Is better than sleeping on the floor,” The troll woman interrupted, a crooked smile on her face. “I tend to my pot. I don't need to sleep yet. Don't need as much sleep as ponies.”
“I still don't think-” Applejack tried again.
“In that case, scootch over Pinkie,” Rainbow said, getting up and heading over. “There's more than enough room for two of us.”
“Maybe three, if you don't mind,” Rarity added as she headed over as well. “I don't mind taking the floor if there isn't enough room for us all, but I'd far rather use a soft bed while I can.”
“I think we're outnumbered, Applejack,” Twilight gave her a smile.
Applejack just sighed as she got up to follow them.
Despite the sun being far too low to shine light down into the gorge, the noise from the flock of swallows living along its walls was still loud enough to wake Fluttershy up. She was surprised she had managed to fall asleep at all.
She remembered spending a long time lying awake, cradled in her nest made of Discord as the horrifying reality of the situation spun around in her head. She remembered stabs of almost physical pain each time the thought surfaced sharply and clearly through all the muddled anxiety of everything else.
'Discord is dying.'
It was like a kick to her chest, and she could feel every ounce of her flinch each time the words bubbled up in her mind. If she had been lying in her own bed and not on top of Discord, she would have been rolling around the entire night, but fear of waking him up kept her still. Perhaps that had been for the best, as she was certain she would not have slept a wink otherwise.
Then again, simply lying still was probably not the only reason she had managed to relax. The soft, curled body under her rose and fell gently. The snake-like spiral trapped the warmth from them both and shielded Fluttershy from the cool night air and the early morning dew. She took in a long breath before letting it out again slowly, taking in the comforting feel of life wrapped around her. She then gave small, self-assured nod as she mentally pulled herself together. The time for fretting and despair was over. It was a new day today, and it was time to focus on solutions instead. Sympathy was important, but it alone was not going to be enough to help them. It was a day for action, for moving forward.
Fluttershy shifted, adjusting herself to lie a little better as she watched the swallows and swifts take wing and leave the gorge, heading out for the day. The sun was starting to clear the mountains, and she could feel the first warming rays start to reach them. Above her, thin white clouds of smoke and steam floated out of the cottage chimney. She could just make out the scent of cooked corn.
“I've been thinking,” A voice said softly beside her.
“Oh, you're awake,” Fluttershy blinked, rolling over carefully to peer over Discord's side to where he had rested his head on his paw and claw.
He gave her a sideways glance and a wide smile in greeting before he repeated, “I've been thinking a few things over.”
“Like what?” Fluttershy asked, putting one foreleg over the other.
Discord paused for a moment. Fluttershy felt the warm bed around her adjust before it uncurled slightly. Discord raised his head and gave a long yawn, stretching his arms out in front of him.
“I've been thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, I might be able to trust you on this.”
“Oh, really? Uhm... on what exactly?” Fluttershy pushed herself up before carefully stepping over him and standing back up on solid ground again. She gave her mane a slight shake before she stretched out her wings.
Discord unwound and stood up, putting his paw and claw on his back and cracking his spine back into place. He turned to grin at her, popping his knuckles as he watched her try and get her mane back under control. Without a comb, or anything other than hooves, she didn't seem to be having much luck.
“A few things, actually,” He went on. “Firstly, I suppose I can trust that our little... erm... heart-to-heart will remain between the two of us?” He twirled his claw in the air as if to establish he didn't really care too much either way. “Now, I know your little pen pal group with Celestia is probably great fun, and I'm sure she would be absolutely tickled pink to hear how much of a milksop you've turned me into, and all the deeply moving lessons we have learned, but really. It's not as if all that much happened last night. We only had a conversation. No need to bother her or, say, any of the others with insignificant details or anything of that sort.”
Fluttershy smiled as she watched his show of putting up airs. “I don't think anything we say to each other should concern anypony else. I wasn't going to say anything. Not... well.... unless you wanted me to, I mean. But uhm... I didn't think you did.”
Discord gave a placid nod at this, but she could see his shoulders sag in relief. “Good, good. Glad to see we're on the same page, my dear.” He perked into a smile again as he reached down and started pulling stray strands of mane out of her face. “I was also thinking I could trust you to dissuade any troublesome questions that might come our way. Of course, normally I would have no problem telling others all about myself, but I think perhaps it would be better if we focused on this little mission instead. Now, I know they will all most likely be very disappointed by this but,” He sighed dramatically, putting a claw over his chest, “Our priorities must lie on what our dearest despot, Princess Celestia, has sent us forth to do. I'm sure they will understand if you explain it to them.”
“Alright... I think so,” Fluttershy giggled lightly as the two of them walked back to the cottage together.
“Perhaps I should write a tell-all book about myself instead,” Discord went on. “I'm sure Twilight would be very excited about that. Anything in binding seems to catch her attention, after all. And it would save me the trouble of having to repeat my life's story to multiple ponies over and over. Not that I would mind that too much, but I do have other things that require my time.”
“That sounds like a nice idea,” Fluttershy nodded. She was quiet for a moment before she gave him a small glance again. “Is that everything you thought of trusting me about?”
“No,” Discord answered, but he didn't elaborate, and Fluttershy didn't press him.
He threw open the door noisily to the cottage and bounced inside. The single room of the troll woman's home was thick with the smell of cornmeal porridge and herbal tea.
“Good morning, my fellow intrepid travellers!” Discord announced as the others spun to face him, some with their cheeks stuffed. “Everypony set to face down this 'Blue Bird' fellow and tell him to cut out these shenanigans of his?”
“Uhm... I think it's 'Blue Jay', actually,” Fluttershy corrected him as she followed.
Discord waved a paw at her as he plopped down in front of the pot, ignoring the dumbfounded stares from the others. “Blue Jay, Blue Bottle, Blue Moon, whatever. I'm famished! We wouldn't happen to have any nutmeg to go with this, do we?”
As the troll woman hurried herself with finding another pair of bowls before Discord took the whole pot for himself, Fluttershy sat herself down quietly beside Twilight.
It took a few moments before Twilight noticed her. She hurriedly gulped down her mouthful of porridge before she leaned over and asked, “Everything alright, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy said nothing for a moment, thinking the question over as she watched Discord 'helpfully' try and find a bowl for himself, only to cause the precarious pile of pots to collapse all over the floor.
“No...” She answered thoughtfully, “Not right now, maybe. But I think they will be.”
“That's... not exactly comforting,” Twilight pulled a face at her.
“I know,” Fluttershy admitted, “But it's true.”
The troll woman had done her best to fill the group's saddlebags with everything edible she had. Almost all of it was something that had been dried in the sun, but at least there was a lot of it. The troll woman gave hearty assurances that if they were to boil the plants and herbs, it would make a very filling soup that would last them much longer. With words of thanks and the promised payment of alicorn and draconequus feathers, the group took to the road once again. They headed in the direction of the bridge that crossed the gorge and would lead them on to whatever remained of Kerry Shire.
The mountain road was weathered and lonely. Thick, slow moving clouds rolled overhead, casting dotted shadows over the valleys and hills ahead of them. They passed an unreadable signpost which pointed its bleached names in meaningless directions. They were travelling slower than they had been when they started their journey from Canterlot, but each step was planted with hard determination.
Conviction and determination. It was thick in the air around them. It hung like a cloud as they marched onwards, fighting back despair and fear which threatened to overtake them if they so much as gave it half a thought, or a second glance.