627 - Snowed In
I wish Cloudy was here…
Curled up next to Lex underneath his cloak, spreading one wing across his sleeping body – making sure to avoid the burns on his left side – Thermal Draft smiled at little at the thought of her girlfriend. While being thrown into another world, was a frightening experience, she couldn’t help but look at the bright side. At long last, she got to have an adventure together with the stallion she loved; now if only the mare who made her heart sing was here too, things would have been perfect.
A particularly loud howl from the wind outside made her shiver – even through the linen-and-wool clothes she’d used her shapechanging powers to create around herself after Lex had passed out – cuddling closer to the sleeping unicorn. Maybe “perfect” is a bit much, Drafty conceded. Even so, it would have given all three of them a chance to grow closer. Pressing her muzzle to Lex’s neck, Drafty closed her eyes and imagined how it would have gone. Cloudy realizing that it was possible for her to love a stallion. Lex slowly opening his heart to both of them. And then…then they’d all be together. Really together, with no shapeshifting necessary in order to steal moments of affection that were meant for someone else.
That thought made Drafty sigh. No matter how much she wished it, Cloudy wasn’t here. Not to mention her little fantasy conveniently avoided how she’d need to keep secrets – namely, that her true form was something hideous now, as well as the fact that she’d already lied about her identity in order to sleep with Lex – from both of the ponies she loved. That’s the thing about adventures, she decided as she listened to Lex breathing. They don’t always work out the way you want them to.
She’d learned that when Vanhoover had fallen apart. And again when she and her friends had raided that bank. And a third time when she’d followed Kara’s advice in Trottingham.
That last memory made her turn her thoughts back to the goddess. “Kara?” she murmured softly, not wanting to wake Lex. “Are you there?”
Of course, sweetheart, came the soothing reply. How are you holding up?
Drafty shifted in place, biting her lip to keep from groaning as she did so. That assassin had gotten her good during their last scuffle, right before the roof of the factory had fallen in. While the stab wound in her side wasn’t aching quite so badly anymore, it still hurt. On top of being cold and hungry, it was enough to make her downright miserable. On the other hoof, she was still alive after that terrifying ordeal in the factory, she was cuddled up with the stallion she’d yearned for, and the memories of their first time together – less than a day old – were enough to help keep the chill away. “I’m doing alright. Compared to Vanhoover, this isn’t so bad.”
You say that now, but this world isn’t like yours. It’s far more dangerous, and you’re a lover, not a fighter. You need to get back to Equestria as soon as possible.
“I’m sure Lex will be able to get us home,” replied Drafty quietly, her wing over the slumbering unicorn’s body moving back and forth to gently caress his chest. “He got us here, so it shouldn’t be too hard for him to cast whatever spell he used to get us back. I bet by this time tomorrow we’ll be laughing about this with everypony else.”
I hope you’re right about that…
The skepticism in the goddess’s voice was plain, but Drafty chose to ignore it, instead focusing on more practical concerns. Lex had fallen asleep shortly after confirming that they were on another world, and that had been some time ago. Since then, it had grown dark, and while it hadn’t gotten too much colder – being in a cave helped to stabilize the temperature – she was still worried about keeping him comfortable. “Are there any forms I can change into that are warmer? I mean, if I became a big burly earth pony, or maybe something with a big shaggy coat like a yak, would that help to keep the cold away?”
It doesn’t work like that, sweetheart, answered the goddess. I told you, the changes you’re capable of undergoing are limited. You can’t create anywhere near enough mass to appreciably ward away the chill you’re feeling. Right now, those clothes are the best you can do.
Drafty shook her head gently. “It’s not me I’m worried about.” She didn’t say anything else for a few moments, trying to think of what else she could do for Lex. “Dragons are pony-sized when they’re young, right? If I turned into one, would I be able to breathe f-”
That kind of transformation is more than what any save the most capable of my children can do, answered Kara, cutting her off. You might be able to do it someday, but right now it’s beyond the power I’ve given you.
“Then can’t you give me more?” The orgy she’d taken part in back in Trottingham wasn’t something she was proud of, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t live with either. “I know Lex and I are all alone here, but this is the world you come from, right? Isn’t there something you can do? Some ritual you can walk me through or…I don’t know…something?”
For a long moment there was no reply, and when Kara finally answered her, the goddess’s voice was unusually subdued. Even for gods, there are rules that have to be followed, sweetheart. A lot of them relate to how we interact with the mortal world. Some of them are…I suppose you’d call them natural laws. Others are political decrees by various powers that we have to abide by. But the end result is that I can’t just reach down and fix things for you, nor do you have what you’d need to try and perform any of my holy rites.
The answer wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it was disappointing nevertheless, causing Drafty to frown in resignation. “So what should I do?”
What you do best, answered Kara without hesitation. Follow the stallion who’s captured your heart. Trust him to get you home, and support him in his efforts. Remember how much his love means to you, and that anything done for the sake of that love is never wrong.
“Anything done for love is never wrong…” repeated Drafty softly as she closed her eyes, stifling a yawn. She’d been trying to stay up in case Lex’s breathing suddenly stopped again, but she could feel herself drifting off now. As much as she tried to keep her eyes open, she could already tell it was a losing battle.
And make sure to get rid of those clothes you’re wearing before your beloved wakes up, urged Kara as Drafty finally fell asleep. Otherwise you’ll have some very awkward questions to answer in the morning.
“What you’re doing is foolish,” huffed Lex irritably.
“We need to stay warm,” replied Thermal Draft calmly as she finished the last of her portion of the oats and water Lex had conjured. “Your cloak isn’t enough for both of us, and that blizzard doesn’t look like it’s letting up anytime soon, so we need to get some firewood before we both freeze to death.”
“The cave is mitigating the worst of the cold,” countered Lex, already having finished eating. “Going out there in these conditions means you’ll be subject to the full force of it. If you become lost while searching for fallen branches, you could easily succumb to hypothermia and die before you find your way back here. That’s not even taking into account the possibility of running into hostile lifeforms. It’s smarter to wait for the weather to change, since it does that frequently here. You’ll have an easier time navigating then.”
But rather than listen to the good advice he was giving her, Drafty only shot a smile his way, standing up. “I was a weather pony for almost ten years back in Vanhoover. I know my name might be Thermal Draft, but I worked plenty of snowstorms during that time, so you don’t have to worry about me getting lost. And I’ll be sure to fly away if I see anything even a little dangerous.” She paused then, her smile faltering. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go looking for a town or anything? If I fly high enough, I might be able to get above the clouds and at least see some smoke from somepony’s fireplaces. At least then we’d know which direction to head when the weather changes, and then we’d be able to start looking into getting you what you need to get us back to Equestria.”
Lex fought down the urge to wince. The spell to travel between planes of existence was one he knew, but it was a spell that required a material focus in order to use. Specifically, it required a tuning fork that not only had to be set to a particular pitch, but it also needed to be made out of a specific substance. He’d had one for Equestria, but it had been lost when he’d sacrificed his extradimensional haversack – and all of its gear – while fighting Xiriel. He’d explained as much to Thermal Draft, unable to look the pegasus in the eyes when he’d told her that, for now at least, they were stuck here.
The reminder did little to lighten his mood. “You’re already taking a huge risk going out in this weather. Just find firewood and return as quickly as you can.”
Her smile returned, though it wasn’t as broad as before, and she threw him a quick salute with one wing. “As my prince commands.” But rather than turning to leave, she gave him a quick once-over, the lilt that had been in her voice just now falling away. “And you sure you’ll be alright while I’m gone?”
“For the last time, yes,” snapped Lex. She’d been inquiring about his health ever since he’d woken up, and the constant reminders of just how poorly he’d conducted himself in that last fight had left him feeling quite defensive. “The pulmonary paralysis you said I experienced earlier was a result of the poison that assassin coated her blades with when she fought me. Now that I’m past the effects of the initial exposure, its efficacy should continue to diminish.”
“Alright,” conceded Thermal Draft, turning toward the mouth of the cave. “I’ll be back in a little while. Try to stay warm while I’m gone, okay?”
“Hmph.”
She lingered for a moment, then flapped her wings and flew outside, vanishing from sight almost instantly. Lex watched her go, then laid down, exhausted from the brief exchange.
In a few moments the echoes of her hoofsteps faded away, and the cave fell silent…but in Lex’s mind, a different conversation was already taking place.
How the mighty have fallen, taunted his tulpa. Bad enough that you have no idea if the others made it out of the burning building alive, but now another pony is putting herself in danger for your sake. Again. All because you continue to grow weaker and weaker.
Lying on the uneven ground, Lex curled up, the words cutting him as deeply as Dark Streak’s daggers.
Just thinking of the griffon was enough to make him clench his teeth. Although there were any number of ways he could have dressed it up, the simple fact of the matter was that Dark Streak had bested him. No matter that she’d been commissioned to kill him and he was still alive; he’d been wholly unable to overcome her. The result was that Sonata, Aria, Nosey, and Feather Duster could very well be dead right now. Not knowing whether if they were alright was torture, one that he’d been suffering under since he’d woken up.
And given the distinct possibility that Dark Streak – being highly resourceful – might have survived their battle, he couldn’t discount the possibility that even if everypony had made it out of the building, the assassin might have simply bided her time and killed them later on. She’d vowed to do exactly that, after all. Admittedly, she’d said she’d wanted to do it in front of him, which was impossible now, but that was cold comfort indeed.
There was little he could do to check on them now, however. While he’d be able to prepare his spells in a few days – the equinox was rapidly approaching, since the seasons on Everglow were thankfully in sync with those in Equestria – it wasn’t like he could use his plane-shifting spell without the proper tuning fork. Nor was his scrying spell usable without a mirror. He could prepare his spell to exchange short messages with one other individual, but there was no guarantee that would necessarily work; it hadn’t gotten through to Twilight Sparkle when he’d tried to contact her about how bad Vanhoover’s condition was, after all.
As it was, even if he got back, he was in no condition to face Dark Streak again. Full complement of spells or no, he could barely stand. He’d made use of his strain-relief spell this morning to ease some of the stress on his body, but while it had helped to alleviate some of the damage the poison had done to him, he was still in bad shape. Thanks to his circlet, he’d had some of the Night Mare’s divine magic left over after conjuring food and water for himself and Thermal Draft, and he’d put it to use casting his remove blindness spell on himself, hoping it would repair his damaged right eye.
In that regard he’d been fortunate, since the spell had restored the injured organ. But that was the one bright spot in an otherwise-dismal inventory of his abilities. His magical senses were still impaired. He’d lost his floating gemstones, thanks to Dark Streak knocking them away before he’d cast his spell. He didn’t feel anywhere near capable of physically augmenting what little magic he had left, which was once again just the dark magic of his horn.
Well…that and the Night Mare’s power, but that was all but useless. With it he could control the motor functions of certain creatures, but other than confirming that those animals the goddess had given to the Night Mare’s Knights were subject to it, he hadn’t had cause to use it since the battle on the wharf, when he’d held Tlerekithres – the kraken commanding the undersea monsters that had attacked Vanhoover – in place. Besides that, it was good for nothing except attuning small amounts of water into a suitable material component for the weak healing spell the Night Mare had given him. He’d used it this morning on Thermal Draft, seeing the cut she’d gotten while defending him; she’d tried to say no, insisting that he use it on himself instead, but he’d pressed the issue until she’d relented.
It wasn’t much, but besides keeping the two of them fed, it was all he could do now…and that was the problem. His tulpa was right; his power had been on a slow but steady decline for some time now. He’d been able to mitigate it, somewhat, by relying on the ponies who’d placed themselves at his disposal, but that didn’t change the fact that his strength was at an all-time low. The last time he’d been this vulnerable had been several months after he’d been released from the field of frozen time that King Sombra had placed over the Crystal Empire, when he’d rushed out to confront the monster calling itself Tirek, accomplishing nothing except getting his magic drained.
You swore you’d never be that helpless again, and yet look at you now, snickered the hateful presence in his thoughts. A mere griffon was able to cut you down where dragons and alicorns couldn’t. And you think you’ll be able to protect not only yourself, but someone else as well? Here, in a world far deadlier than your own?
Closing his eyes, Lex tried to shut out the voiceless words, knowing that his tulpa would fall silent eventually. In the meantime, he just had to wait for Thermal Draft to come back. The cold in the cave was uncomfortable, but not life-threatening. They’d wait for the weather to change, and then start looking for a nearby town or village. He’d be able to prepare his plane-shifting spell, and once he was able to commission the construction of a proper tuning fork, he’d be able to get them both home. It wouldn’t take long…he might even get back in time for his coronation.
It was Lex’s last thought before he unintentionally drifted off to sleep…
And shuddered as a new round of horrible dreams descended upon him.
“LEX!!!”
Thermal Draft’s shout made his eyes snap open instantly, sitting upright so quickly that the world seemed to lurch for one nauseating moment before it righted itself.
Turning toward the entrance to the cave, Lex immediately noticed three things. The first was that the blizzard seemed to have stopped. The second was that Thermal Draft was galloping toward him, a terrified expression on her face.
The third was the large shape pursuing her, golden eyes gleaming as a loud growl filled the cave.
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Well that's a certainly crummy start to Lex's first day back on Everglow though I think he'll need to retract his opinion on the Night Mare's magic being useless in a few moments.
Still, he only successfully used the magic once but it was on a kraken to stop its movement for a moment so maybe it'll be more effective on whatever beasty Thermal Draft accidentally led to their shelter?
10938821 Well, he was able to use it on the newly-resurrected Waterlily as well without any issues. That's how he figured out what it's able to do. As for whether or not it'll be of any use now depends on what exactly is chasing Thermal Draft. If not, he'll be in trouble!
Of course, he should have his dark magic back by now, so he'll be able to fight with that. But in his current condition, it won't take much to finish him off, so he'll need to fight a defensive battle in that case. Plus protecting Thermal Draft all the while.
Well, so far so good, onespell for food and drink, but not capable of another for warmth or security otherwise they would be self sufficient? And just to make sure Lex cant regain any more strength, here comes one of the locals popping in for dinner.
10939270 If Lex had his full suite of thaumaturgical spells, things would probably be different, but in their current situation he's quite limited in what he can do. Fortunately, the spells he's been given by the Night Mare are supportive in nature, so it can solve some of their problems, with an emphasis on "some."
Unfortunately, dealing with some of the local monsters is a different matter altogether.