Autumn

by canonkiller

Dancing with Wolves

Luna's eyes could barely open. Tears of pain ran down her cheeks, matting her fur and collecting under her chin.

UNIMAGINABLE.

She felt like she was being torn apart inside. And all the while, she was vaguely aware of another creature in the warm cave with her, a predator. She had seen flashes of golden fur when she managed to open her eyes. There was no fear. Only pain.

"Tigerjay!" The griffon was pushed into the ground as Sunrise tackled him. He was about to laugh and push her off, before seeing the dots that were now her pupils.

"What is it?"

"It'sLunashe'sgonenopony'sseenhersinceshewentouttoraisethesunwithCrimsonleaf." The dragonness was unintentionally diging her claws into Tigerjay's shoulders with every word, where the words themselves could be distinguished.

"Stop spearing me!" He grunted, shaking her off. "Now, repeat that. Slowly."

"Luna's missing." Sunrise choked. "I don't know where she is. No-one's seen her since she went up with Crimsonleaf to change the sky. Crimsonleaf swore she was right behind her when he came in, but he never turned around to check."

"What do you think we should do?" His voice took a steely tone as he continued. "Where's Discord?"

"I don't know," as Tigerjay got ready to run, she scrambled to continue, "but he's inside. He's finally given in to the fact he was catching pneumonia and decided we can deal with his," she paused to make air quotations, "extreme handsomeness. His words, not mine."

The griffon scanned the crowd, hoping for the tall figure of Disharmony to come striding by. As usual, Discord moved on his own terms, and was nowhere to be seen. Tigerjay sighed. "I don't know what we can do. She's a strong mare. If she's not back by the time the sun has to rise, we can worry. Until then, we have to hope. If you see Discord, punch him for me."

Sunrise nodded, slowly calming down, watching as Tigerjay took off into the empty air of the Inner Dome. She waited until he had almost reached his cloudbank home before running off to the infirmary.

"RELAX!" The mare shouted, trying to restrain Discord. "I'm trying to help!"

"No, you're trying to spear me!" He hissed, writhing out of the grip of her magic and pressing up against the wooden wall.

Waving the needle in her magic, the exasperated nurse attempted to inject him again, trying to get his immunity levels up. She had managed to take blood while he was sleeping, but he hadn't shut his eyes since. Now, he was curled up and growling, wings flared out as he tried to look bigger. When the mare stepped closer again, he raised his head and attempted to bite the needle's tube, careful to avoid the actual point.

"What's going-" Sunrise walked around the corner, immediately taking in the overturned bed and the small prick on Discord's arm. "Oh."

"She's trying to stab me!" The draconequus stated, pointing a claw at the nurse. "Look!"

"How long has this been going on?"

She sighed, dropping the needle on the only table that was undisturbed. "Since he woke up." Sunrise cast a sideways glare at Discord, who seemed to be calculating the distance between him and the needle shaft. "At least we got one valuable piece of information." She added. "We know exactly how long it takes for him to store enough magic to teleport."

"How many times has he gotten away?"

"Well, the first time he came back on his own, we've had to send Pegasi once because he was half-sedated, and at least ten times I've gone at retrieved him myself. So, at least twelve times." She looked up at the clock. "About to be thirteen."

As soon as she finished speaking, Discord flashed out. Both creatures sighed.

The nurse looked down at Sunrise.

"Want to go for a walk?"

In a void of darkness, five creatures stirred. One was already awake.

Nothing glared down at the mortals, thick feathers trembling as he sensed the air around him. He knew of what was happening, even with blind eyes.

The one called Twilight Sparkle, once bearer of the powerful Element of Magic, is crying relentlessly.

Her friend, Element of Generosity by the name of Rarity, is refusing to look towards nothing's shadowy form.

Applejack, old bones creaking under the once-bright fur of Honesty.

Gilda the Griffon, lacking in an Element, standing idly.

Zercora the Zebra, also without an Element, wordless in her sadness.

Rainbow Dark, daughter of the deceased Rainbow Dash, who was the bearer of Loyalty, leaning on Gilda through force of habit.

And below nothing, the broken form of the final Element, untitled in it's power. And the corpse that once had the name of Celestia.

And it was that abomination that he directed his blind eyes towards. The simple act was difficult, pain searing through his face as they moved fractions. He wasn't going to open his eyes in daylight. It would have burned him if he had stayed longer. In fact, the other two Alicorns were only alive because he had felt the scales on his tails crumbling. And he had opened his eyes then.

Too much sheer light. The last efforts of the Sun Goddess.

"Abomination." He growled, lifting the body in one claw. The skin on them itched with the touch. It was old magic. Hissing as the skin crumpled and burned, he threw the body aside, where it skidded against the endless obsidian, simply rolling until the momentum was lost. He heard the increased wailing of the one named Twilight.

He hated these creatures. They had taken so much. He wanted to crush their measly bodies now. But he was still fragile. Sunlight. Oh, how he loathed sunlight.

If his children had not made the mistake of mating, neither princess would exist. Chaos's mortal form would also vanish. But nothing could not interfere with the pasts of the Firstborn.

The marks had already been made.