Touch the Sky

by Witching Hour

Pt. 8 - R&R (Rehash & Recovery)

“And then they said I could set up a branch here, since I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader now!” Tricks explains excitedly, his voice cracking slightly. “I’m thinking of getting my friends Gust and Spark to help me!” The young unicorn starts climbing up his uncle’s back, ignoring the stallion’s flinching. “How’s your back feeling? Is it healing alright? Are you going to have Witch Doctor look at it when she gets home?”

“Th-that’s nice, Tricks,” Leaf grunts, eyes watering as he attempts to not cry out in pain. “It’s he-healing fine, Tricks. And n-no, I am not going to worry Witch with my back. She probably has enough on her plate!”

“Witch Doctor says you’re not very graceful,” Tricks laughs, continuing to make his way onto his uncle’s back, eventually laying down with his legs dangling over both sides. “She says you run into things a lot.”

“He really does,” Daring chuckles, moving over from where she has been standing with a hoof over her mouth to stifle laughter. “But, he makes up for it in other ways. Now, how about we get off your uncle’s back, hm? It needs to heal, and if you keep climbing all over it’s not going to.” She approaches to attempt to Tricks get off of Leaf, who shoots Daring a thankful look. “Besides, if he doesn’t heal up soon, I won’t be able to drag him off to some far flung place to search for treasure.”

At hearing the mention of treasure, Tricks stands up and plants his hooves into the bandages on Leaf’s back, causing the older stallion to wince and screw his eyes shut. “What kind of treasure are you going after, Auntie Yearling?”

“Well, I was thinking…” Daring starts, stopping as her eyes land on a pony standing in the doorway to the modest home, her bags and cases neatly stacked behind her.

“I see everything’s as I left it…” Witch muses with a smirk. “Tricks, dear, kindly leave your uncle-” She gets no further as Tricks all but teleports from Leaf’s back and runs headlong into Witch.

“WITCH DOCTOR!!!” the colt cries gleefully, clinging tightly to her. “Where did you go? Uncle Leaf and Auntie Yearling said you went to Saddle Arabia! What’d you find there? Did you finish your assignment for Princess Luna?”

“Easy, Tricks,” Witch says, returning the foal’s enthusiastic hug even as her voice holds a chiding note. “Telling you everything will take a while, and I’d like to hear Uncle Leaf and Monkey tell us about their time at the Academy first.”

“But I’ve already heard that, Witch Doctor!” Tricks complains, whining and begging his guardian with wide gold eyes. “I wanna hear what happened to you!”

“And you will, Tricks, but this is important to my assignment from the Princess,” Witch responds firmly, her bemused smile fading to a stern expression.

Chastened, Tricks subsides, ducking his head slightly. “Alright,” he concedes, almost sulking. “But only because it’s for Princess Luna.” Unable to stay stern with her ward for very long Witch gives him another hug to let him know that she’s not truly upset with him.

“So… Shall we skip over the pleasantries of a general good time and get to the storm attack?” Witch suggests, her tone weary and serious.

“I don’t know, Witchy,” Leaf chuckles. “Don’t you want to hear all about me running headlong into obstacles? I mean, Monkey all but died of embarrassment that I was on her team!”

“And don’t forget poor Stormy practically planting his face in the ground every time we mentioned Witch in his hearing…” Monkey adds, smirking.

Witch sighs and pressing a hoof to the bridge of her nose, somewhat regretting the questionable life choices that had lead to her roommate meeting her brother. “Yes… We can deal with all that, including who this ‘Stormy’ is, after you tell me about the attack because I just got done being reamed out by the Command Captains for not telling them I’ve been studying the crystals…”

“Wait, you’ve been studying what now?” Daring asks slowly, frowning. “Witch, tell me your secret project for Luna isn’t studying whatever insane magic the Shadowbolts have.”

“Yearling… Don’t ask me to lie…” Witch retorts wearily as she slumps onto a couch across from Daring and Leaf and next to Monkey’s.

“Fine, I won’t ask you to lie,” Daring sighs, shaking her head. “Just, be careful, alright?”

“So, awkwardness between my sister and my marefriend aside…” Leaf coughs. “What do you want to know about the storm?”

“Primarily, how you both got yourselves injured… And why Monkey knowing about my side project for Luna helped stop the storm from…” Witch hesitates, quickly biting her tongue on her automatic description. “From getting as bad as it could have,” she finishes, sighing.

“Well, how I got injured is easy to explain,” Leaf sighs, rolling his eyes as he points to Monkey. “I got my back torn up acting as a landing pad for Cadet Punches Things Before Thinking About It after she got herself knocked cold! As for her injuries? That’s the part you’re likely wanting to hear, seeing as she got them going after that freaky crystal”

Witch’s jaw drops as she stares at Monkey, ignoring the glare her roommate levels at her brother. “You did what?!” Witch nearly shrieks. “Monkey! How many times have I told you ‘Don’t touch’!!??”

“It’s not like I wanted to pet it and take it home with me, Witchy!” Monkey protests. “I was trying to smash it because some crazy instinct was telling me to! My wings kept itching and pulling me in its direction too!”

“Your wings?!” Witch quickly rises and moves to Monkey, pulling the her friend’s wing to a full extension and her jaw drops at the black-ringed orange spots dotting the crystalline edges. Her shock turns to horror as a quick scan of the wings identifies what was discoloring the crystal from its usual green. She recoils away, blue eyes wide, nearly tripping over the coffee table set in the middle of the couches. “Good gods,” she whispers, her voice full of terror.

“Trainers at the Academy said they were fine… And aside from a bolt from the damned thing knocking me out for two hours and the trippiest dream ever, the wings work just like they have been since you fixed them,” Monkey explains quickly, trying to allay Witch’s fears to no avail.

Witch paces between Monkey’s couch and the coffee table, seemingly oblivious to her roommate/patient’s words. “It’s a good thing I sent them your medical file with everything they’d need to know if something went wrong with- Wait… What dream?” Witch stops mid-rant to look at Monkey with narrowed eyes, her brain finally catching up with the world around her to all appearances.

“Honestly, it’s got to be one of the weirdest dreams I’ve ever had,” Monkey starts. “I woke up in this mechanical and stained glass landscape, complete with clockwork birds and wrought-iron trees. It was beautiful. But then it started being torn apart by these sickly pink vines that glowed like the crystal did, and I tried to fly and stop it, but it grabbed hold of my wings and held me down. But then… well, there was this alicorn that looked like you, Witch. It was flying around with these gorgeous glowing blue wings with dark blue tips as it blasted those vines to Tartarus. When it was starting to be overwhelmed, it released this huge pulse that froze the vines in place, keeping them suspended. Next thing I knew, I had your brother’s ugly mug next to me while Starry was shaking me awake.”

“Witchy? With wings? Ha!” Leaf laughs. “That’ll be the day I ground myself and become a magic genius, am I right?”

“Witch Doctor’d be great with wings! She’d be the best Princess ever!” Tricks declares vehemently, latching on tightly to Witch’s arm.

Despite the laughs of the three pegasi in the room, and Trick’s protests that they shouldn’t laugh at the idea, Witch remains frozen but for her mouth opening and closing, an occasional high-pitched noise escaping.

“I… I… I…” she stammers, about half an octave higher than normal, drawing the confused attention of her companions. “I need to go unpack!” she squeaks before teleporting away in a flash of silvery blue light, leaving the occupants of the room even more confused.

“Was it something we said?” Leaf asks in the silence, drawing the exasperated glance of his marefriend.

Turning to her roommate’s brother after eying the bags still stacked neatly by the door, Monkey sighs. “Leaf… You don’t even help.”

Author's Note:

And there we have it... The final chapter to conclude all the shenaniganery from Chase the Wind and Touch the Sky... **flops over**

As I've stated before, I could not have finished these stories without the assistance from my lovely (if annoying at times) Trolls - Jim Hoxworth, Sylvian, Zoljen and Destiny-brave-fire.

Now... For a break to get my interlude story written and start on the sequel... At least I already have the first 20+ chapters outlined for it...

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed, and will check out the other stories in the Expanded Wonderverse while you wait!

Love and Light,
Witching Hour

Comments

[Sylvian]

It was my honor to assist you in writing these even if at times I and the others annoyed you to no end!

[harts fire]

love it a super good story from word one.
exultant work.

[Witching Hour]

7991976
RIGHT?! Super Cute!

[UmbraEquinae]

[sigh] How did a centuries-old love triangle with a side of friendzoning weave itself into this complicated battle...?
The answer is motivation anhe decisions made by everyone involved.

From the individual to the community, Celestia, Luna, and Discord have screwed things over. Kayn Ost has this agenda, initially involving the Elements of Harmony. The Shadowbolts, his hired mercenaries, attack Ponyville and face the Wonderbolt's lead squad, resulting in the hospitalization of Soarin. For all we know, this could have all ended with Soarin possibly recovering or dying without Celestia implanting Sombra in him! Kayn Ost probably would have dismissed the Shadowbolts for failing or tasked them to strike again, in turn either cutting off or supplying the Shadowbolts with the crystals. Alas, no...
As soon as Celestia implanted Sombra in Soarin, things became complicated. The tides roiled and all previous possibilities were effectively overrided. Kayn Ost set his eyes on Soarin and the Shadowbolts started using the crystals to enhance themselves, becoming dependent and even addicted to the power granted by their benefactor. As for the Wonderbolts, especially Soarin and Rainbow Dash, things changed. Rapid Fire's betrayal, the formation and involvement of the Renegades, casualties, and the entirety of Piercing the Heavens's big picture conflict... Just wow, this all started with a love triangle gone wrong.
Once things were set into motion, there was no turning back. The secrets and lies, however, made this already complicated ordeal worse with the misdirections and suspicion. Lives are at stake for all the parties involved, at least five casualties currently! Look at Squad Apple! Monkey Wrench could have died, and that would be before Piercing the Heavens even started!

Celestia, Luna, and Discord have drafted the innocent and unprepared into a war between the divine powers. When personal matters get involved in any conflict, things usually never get better or worse, just complicated...
At least Celestia is making a solid effort to redeem herself with the little she has, given her circumstance, but Luna and Discord disappoint.

The Wonderverse is ... intriguing.
I love it!