The Eternal Storm 2 - Eternally Devoid

by TDarkchylde

Eight - Retrogradation

Eternally Devoid - Chapter 8 - Retrogradation
"Shattered fragment, no longer whole... Tattered remnant, scrap of your soul...
Lost and hopeless creature so blind... Looking at your life with closed eyes..."

As the sun rose, Pinkamena Diane Pie was still trying to get down the mountain as fast as she could, but she could no longer maintain the breakneck pace she had intended. Her body was still plenty up to the task, that wasn't the issue.

The issue was that she and the ponies she was towing in the carriage were down to their last wheel after yet another one broke. She was growling, her distress growing. She could not go any faster without completely destroying the wagon, and a couple of the ponies within were in no shape to attempt a trek to Canterlot from there.

In her haste and diminishing lucidity, she did not notice the Princess of the Night flying overhead in the opposite direction...

..:://=||=\\::..

Back in the Palace, the other Pinkie Pie and Rarity were resting comfortably in the Palace's infirmary ward.

Their friends started to file into the room as the morning passed. The first one was Applejack, unsurprisingly the earliest to rise. She shook her head as she looked over the bodies of her friends. "What happened to y'all?" she asked as she found a place to sit down and wait for some sign of consciousness from them.

The next ones to enter were Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, understandably leaning heavily on each other for support in these trying times. Neither one said anything as they too found places to sit.

Minutes later, Fluttershy entered. Uncharacteristically, she broke the silence. "...Any news yet?" she asked, meekly.

Applejack simply shook her head.

Silence took firm hold of the room for another few minutes until Trixie poked her head into the room. "Is the... ah... am I intruding?" she asked.

"Not really..." Scootaloo said. "It's not like you can make things much worse right now."

Those words stung Trixie. "...There was nothing the... I could have done to help Twilight..." she said sadly.

"Oh, we know that all too well," Scootaloo said. "You couldn't even clear out an Ursa Minor. How could we possibly expect you to be any help against not just the Nightmare, but the Nightmare bonded with Discord?"

"Scootaloo..." Apple Bloom said, concerned.

That didn't deter the young pegasus as she continued berating the showmare. "You? Expecting to be able to replace Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies?" she asked, laughing sarcastically. "The Cakes' daughter would make a better Element of Magic than you and she's only six."

Trixie didn't even so much as look up until Scootaloo finished her tirade. "...Are you done?" she asked.

Scootaloo just snorted as she looked away from the showmare.

"...I'll take that as a yes..." Trixie said. "Look... I know I screwed up before. It's my fault those two colts decided to wake a dangerous beast that tried to destroy your town. It's partially my fault Twilight Sparkle is now a statue. Is that what you want to hear so badly? Yes. I messed up, big time. I don't need you telling me that."

Scootaloo said nothing.

The others were actually in a bit of shock because of the words of both the showmare and the aspiring stunt flyer, and said nothing either.

"Let me at least try to make amends here and help us get as close to full strength as we can," Trixie said as her horn started to glow with a white light.

The same white light began to envelop the bodies of Pinkie and Rarity.

"What?" Scootaloo exclaimed as she saw what was happening. "What are you..." As she tried to leap up to tackle Trixie, Apple Bloom jumped upon her and held her down. "Let me go!" she screamed. "She's trying to hurt them!"

"Shhhhhhh," Apple Bloom said. "Would you quit actin' like Rainbow Dash fer a second an' try an' give her the benefit of the doubt?" She was starting to slip back to her natural accent.

Trixie continued to cast her spell, paying the others no heed.

Scootaloo looked on helplessly as she was pinned underneath her friend.

Slowly but steadily, both Rarity and Pinkie started to stir.

..:://=||=\\::..

Miles away in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was still in traction and still being kept in a medically induced coma.

Fortunately, Big Macintosh had been moved and the two were now sharing a room. "Gave you mah word, Sis... Ah'll keep an eye on her 'til you get back." He sighed. "Just make it quick..."

..:://=||=\\::..

Spike was waiting in the throne room along with Princess Celestia. "I wish they'd wake up... especially Rarity..." he said, sighing.

"All we can do is wait and hope..." Celestia said, trying to calm the young dragon.

The moment was broken as Applejack came dashing into the throne room. She was panting. "Princess... Spike... come quick... Trixie woke 'em up!" she said frantically.

"Finally, some good news..." Spike said as his wings carried him into the air slightly and he took off toward the hospital ward. "Don't worry, Rarity, I'm coming!"

Applejack shook her head as the Princess joined her. "...Ah thought he'd have gotten over that crush by now..." she said.

"Love has a way of hanging on despite a myriad number of obstacles, my friend..." Celestia said, smiling. "I need to brief them on all that has transpired, though." She followed Spike down the hallway.

"Ah wouldn't know..." Applejack said as she followed the Princess.

..:://=||=\\::..

As Luna reached New Harmony, she found the town completely abandoned. There was no sign of anypony... not even the statue of anypony. "Curious..." she said as she landed to take a better look around.

Indeed, as she continued to look around, there were no signs of life. As she reached the cottage on the hill, though... she started to sense a familiar magic lingering in the air. She stopped as she activated her magic so that she could be sure.

"...So, my old nemesis, you were here... and you were churning out a lot of magic..." she said as she continued to take stock of the area. As her scanning spell continued to work, she picked up traces of weaker magic just outside of the cottage. One was definitely Twilight's, but it was passive. Would have made sense, considering statues can't actively use magic. Two other signatures were more active. "Huh... unicorn magic..." she said to herself as she followed its trail.

This led her to the roadway below and a fresh set of hoofprints and carriage tracks... and a slightly chaotic passive magic she knew could only come from one pony she had ever met... one she had already teleported to the Palace. It was all leading down the hill.

"...More questions..." she said as she flew up slightly off of the ground to descend the hill. "...How do modern ponies say it? Ah! This does not pass the smell test..."

As she descended the hill, she activated a telepathy spell. "Sister? Twilight is not here. I am investigating further..."

..:://=||=\\::..

"Oh, my dear ponies... you're trying so hard to stop me, but you've already lost..." Nightmare Discord said, smiling. In a short time, he had managed to rebuild the old throne of Princess Celestia into a more twisted one, much more fitting of the malevolent being now sitting in it - no longer two conflicting types of evil but a single omnicidal force of personality. He crossed his fingers. "It isn't quite time for me to make my appearance yet... but perhaps I should make my power known. Have a taste." He laughed and snapped his talons.

"I'll even let you remember this one so it drives you to want to get rid of me that much quicker."

..:://=||=\\::..

As Princess Celestia was concluding her briefing of the assembled Element Bearers, she winced.

Spike was the first to notice. "Princess?"

"Ugh... something isn't right..." Celestia said, noticeably in agony but trying to hide it.

Just then, a pair of Palace Guards came running into the hospital room. "Princess! We have a situation..."

"Report..." Celestia struggled to say. She still couldn't quite place what was wrong.

"It's Canterlot, Your Highness..." the higher-ranked of the Guards said. "I don't know how, but it's gone..."

All present just went silent, except for the Princess. "...Gone? What do you mean... gone?"

"It just is..." the other Guard said. "We were standing watch just outside the Palace doors and... Canterlot just disappeared. Everything in the city outside of the Palace grounds is..."

"...I get the picture..." Celestia said, feeling a little faint. "Retrieve the Elements. We have to strike now."

Applejack, Scootaloo, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Trixie all stood. They knew full well that their foe was not playing around.

"You mean he just up an' wiped a whole city off the map?" Applejack asked.

"...Gone, just like that?" Scootaloo asked, slightly intimidated.

"...This is terrible..." Fluttershy said, shaking.

"You know, there's funny, there's chocolate milk cloud funny... and then there's the line he crossed twice!" Pinkie said, determined.

"I agree... even if it is a Nightmare driving his actions, he simply has gone too far this time," Rarity said.

"...He has to be stopped," Trixie said, gritting her teeth. "Now. My family was in Canterlot... now they're just gone... this has to stop!"

Celestia sighed as the Guards brought in the box holding the Elements of Harmony. "...You'll get your chance," she said as she unsealed it and passed around the necklaces. Then she floated out the tiara holding the Element of Magic. "Trixie. Since we don't have Twilight Sparkle here, and we no longer have any time to waste, I am left with no other choice than to entrust you with the Element of Magic." She floated it onto the showmare's head.

Trixie curtsied in front of the Princess. "I won't let you down, Your Highness."

"I pray you don't," Celestia said. "If this fails... we may not get a second chance, so listen carefully. The Element you wield is the strongest, yet it only functions as long as you are in harmony with the others. These five young mares have done this before. You will have to trust them... and they in turn will have to be able to trust you as well. The true power of magic lies in friendship, and sadly, you don't have a lot of time to become friends."

Scootaloo stepped up and put a hoof on the showmare's back. "...We have common cause, Princess. I'm willing to give her a chance if it means protecting the rest of Equestria."

Trixie smiled and looked back at the brash young pegasus. "Thank you..."

"Don't get us wrong, though..." Applejack said. "We ain't doin' this fer you or even ourselves. Everythin's at stake here. We'll hold up our end of it... you just make sure you hold up yours."

"...Well... I don't have any problems with you, Trixie..." Fluttershy said. "I hope that's enough to help..."

"Same here!" Pinkie said as she bounced over to the showmare. "Besides, I'm friends with everypony, so..."

Trixie couldn't help but laugh softly.

Rarity sighed. "I guess I can forgive you for turning my precious mane into something resembling a swamp hedge that one time..." she said. "...just as long as you don't try something like that again."

"...Of course," Trixie said, nodding to the seamstress. "What's our next step then, Princess?"

"I'm checking right now," Celestia said as she fired up her own telepathy spell. "Sister, I need a favor, and fast..."

..:://=||=\\::..

Luna's scanning spell reached far and wide across Equestria until she picked up a pair of familiar magical essences intertwined together. "The audacity of the fiend..." she projected toward her sister. "He's using our old palace in the Everfree Forest as his lair. It's like he's mocking us!"

"We're leaving now," Celestia projected back from Canterlot. "I am hoping the team of ponies we have will be able to wield the Elements."

"Shall I break off my search and join you, then?" Luna pondered.

"No, Luna," Celestia responded. "If we fail... it is up to you to figure out a way to avenge us."

Luna gulped. She didn't like her sister's choice of words. "...Understood, Sister. I shall resume the search for Twilight." She sighed as she broke off contact, keeping the spell on silent standby. She then resumed her flight down the mountain path.

..:://=||=\\::..

"Well, that certainly lit a fire underneath Princess Celestia..." Nightmare Discord said. "Come to me, then. Finish me off. You know you want to... you certainly must avenge your precious Canterlot." He began to laugh again, and it resounded all the way to Ponyville...

..:://=||=\\::..

As the chariot sped through the skies above Ponyville, Applejack sighed. "Ah ever tell y'all how much Ah hate flyin'?"

"I know... I'm not a big fan of it either..." Fluttershy said as she stayed as close to the floor of the carriage as she could.

Trixie blinked. "You're scared of flying? You're a pegasus and you're scared of flying?"

Scootaloo laughed, not at her friends' misfortune of having to face the fear of flight, but to try to lighten the mood. She certainly needed it... she had left Apple Bloom at the palace. Where they were all going, it just wouldn't be safe.

"Oh no... I'm not scared of flying..." Fluttershy said as the chariot sped past the town center. "I'm scared of flying this fast..."

Pinkie and Rarity didn't seem affected by the rapid flight that much.

"Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped," Princess Celestia said apologetically as she was pulling the chariot herself. "The Palace engineers have been trying to build a chariot better capable of withstanding high speeds, and we're using the only prototype... sadly, it's unfinished." She had pretty much pulled rank on the Guards - not only were none of them as experienced as she was, they weren't as fast either. In fact, there were only three ponies that could possibly match her as far as raw aerial speed went. One was in the chariot with a broken wing, the second was still comatose in the Ponyville Hospital... and the third was still trying to find Twilight Sparkle.

After only a few more moments, the chariot was high over Everfree. "It should be a little less turbulent now, girls... get ready," Celestia said as she started to descend.

Trixie sighed. "Almost showtime..."

Applejack started stretching out. "Well, let's give this Nightmare an' Discord a show, all right..."

"Indeed," Rarity said. "His grand finale."

"I couldn't have said it any better," Trixie said, smiling.

..:://=||=\\::..

Pinkamena had finally managed to get the carriage off of the mountain road. Now that she had a fairly straight and level path ahead of her, she was running as if her life depended on it. Dust kicked up in high trails behind the wagon.

It was all Sweetie Belle and Vinyl Scratch could do to just hang on for dear life. They had tried talking sense into Pinkamena the whole way down, to no avail.

Rarity was still hanging on as well, but she still couldn't string together two coherent words. "Grape mold!!!!" she screamed.

Unfortunately, Pinkamena had long since lost her grip on all rational thought save for one... reaching Canterlot. Aside from that, her only other concern was tearing a malevolent force of nature and a certain showpony limb from limb. If it would bring Twilight back? Yes. She would kill a Nightmare with her bare hooves, and the pony duped into helping it as well. Right and wrong no longer made the same sense to her that they would to a more rational pony. Right was helping Twilight. Anything that could even possibly accomplish that goal was right by extension.

At about that time, Princess Luna caught up overhead. Her scanning magic was going haywire. "So much latent magic... Twilight must be in that carriage!" she realized. She flew ahead to try to cut it off.

"Pinkie... please!" Sweetie screamed.

"I said no!" Pinkamena shouted back. "I've got to save Twilight! I can't watch my friend suffer like that and just do nothing!"

Luna sighed as she touched down far ahead of the cart. She took a deep breath, then... "We command thee to HALT." The Royal Canterlot Voice was as loud and forceful as ever.

So forceful, in fact, it broke Pinkamena's focus enough to cause her to stumble. "No!" she cried as she crashed into the ground.

The carriage broke free from its harness and began to flip in midair. The occupants started to scream as everything went out of control.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!! TWILIGHT!!!!!" Pinkamena screamed as she watched it go flying over her head. There was nothing she could do now...

"No..." Luna said, realizing her mistake. Thinking fast, she snatched the carriage out of midair with her magic. Everything... just... stopped. She exhaled, then righted it. It was then that the dust began to clear and she noticed the pony who was pulling it. Her hair was flat and her demeanor was crazed, but there was no mistake...

...The pony pulling it was one Pinkamena Diane Pie, Bearer of the Element of Laughter. "What... did you do THAT for, you blowhard?!" she shouted as she got to her hooves and walked towards the Princess of the Night. "You could have gotten us killed!"

"I... I was trying to find Twilight..." Luna said, still trying to get her bearings. Hadn't she just teleported Pinkie to the Palace?

Just then, Rarity started to make her way out of the carriage. "Cotton sky? Less sea cracker?"

Luna blinked. Despite the words coming from the white unicorn's mouth, there was no mistaking that one either. "...Rarity? Pinkie Pie? But I just teleported the both of you to Canterlot Palace along with Spike..."

Luna had been so fixed on Rarity, she didn't notice Pinkamena strike her across the face with her forehoof. "You idiot! Those were imposters!" Pinkamena said, growling with each breath. "That witch Trixie changed Rarity's guard stallions into copies of us! Couldn't you even see that?! That's just one of the things I plan to kill her for... give me a good reason why I shouldn't make sure your number comes up too, Princess. Please. Give me a good reason..."

"I..." Luna tried to say. She was in shock. She had wondered what could have happened to have driven a normally bubbly pony like Pinkie so far over the edge, and now she was starting to get an idea. "If you have Twilight with you... I think I can fix her... ow, that really stings, Pinkie..."

Pinkamena sighed and pointed toward the carriage. "You'd better fix her... or Princess or not, your number's next."

Just as Luna started to make her way towards the carriage, a message came from Celestia via the telepathic spell. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw went slack as she heard it...

"We are engaging Discord."

..:://=||=\\::..

"Well, do go on... end it already," Nightmare Discord said as he towered over the ponies. Gone were Discord's slender and lanky features, replaced by dense and chiseled muscle. His jaw had changed to feature rows of well-developed and sharp teeth. His eyes were as black as pitch, with the exception of a red glow emanating from the center of each of them. The center of his body that was once brown was now as black as his eyes. He was also much taller than before, nearly standing as high as the trees in the Everfree Forest in which they all stood.

Truly, he looked every bit now like a demon.

"You heard him, girls," Trixie said as she stood in the center of the assembled Element Bearers. "Let's show him that Nightmare or no Nightmare... he can't stand up against the power of Harmony!" The crown upon her head began to glow as she started to channel her magic through it.

The other five nodded as they did their own parts. Their necklaces glowed as they began to levitate slightly.

Nightmare Discord appeared nonplussed by all of this. "Oh, would you just fire the thing already? I have a reality to erase and I don't have all day."

"Cocky to the end, huh? I could have appreciated that... if my parents weren't in Canterlot when you wiped it out!" Trixie cried. "Now, girls!"

A rainbow light exploded upward from the assembled Element Bearers. It was working. It was actually working. Trixie was compatible!

Nightmare Discord yawned as the rainbow dropped toward him, then he said three simple words.

"...Observe your place..."

Comments

[mbpony 512]

And the heroes are now Screwed as it seems that Discord had a plan for everything that was predictable and prepared by Celestia.

It seems that now that Luna has caught on to Discord plan, it maybe too late for all.

Only a miracle can save the Elements now.

Please do keep up the good work upon such a great storyline like this one as I cannot wait to see what happens next in this tale of yours.