• Published 6th Jun 2016
  • 27,045 Views, 2,260 Comments

Consequences - Hiver



Cause and effect. Opposite and equal reactions. If a butterfly... You know how it goes.

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Chapter 4

“Couldn't we just have used a cloud instead?” I asked, looking out over the forest far below as the balloon slowly floated towards the castle in the distance.

Almost there, just a few more kilometers or so to go. Twilight had offered to come, but we could handle this without taking up more of her time.

Skitter was beside me in the basket looking thoughtful, the winds cooperating and pushing us in the right direction without her needing to guide them, replying as she continued reorganizing our packs. “...Maybe? But I wouldn't suggest it, sir. Changelings can somewhat manipulate clouds if they are small enough, but we are not anywhere near as adept at it as pegasi. I'm less capable than most, in fact.”

“Better not then.” I agreed.

The cloud walking spell was difficult but not impossible to cast and not really something you want to get right through unmonitored practice. Still, it was an option as mine lasted for six or so hours and was a hundred percent reliable, especially as I could simply recast it once a hour while on a cloud.

I had worked on the spell for over a week before visiting Cloudsdale to get it to that level. Well worth it even if somewhat embarrassing, as I couldn't really move around easily on my own. I think Skitter found it more amusing than she let on to carry me from cloud to cloud.

Rearing up I put my forehooves onto the railing, peering at the approaching castle ruins. For a site of Alicorn on Alicorn action followed by a thousand years of abandonment it really didn't look that bad.

Sure, a couple of towers had fallen but the main structure seemed more or less intact. As long as we were careful, it should be safe enough to explore.

Skitter moved up next to me, tilting her head as she took in the slowly approaching castle, “Where are the trees?”

It took me a second to figure out what she meant. A thousand years? It should have been overgrown. Instead there was a clearing around the castle stretching to a dozen meters outside the outer walls. Oh, the inside was still overgrown but it was all grass and moss and such. Minor bushes, nothing big.

“Good question.” I said with a frown. “Magic?”

Who know what kind of powerful magic was still running down there. But none of it smote Twilight and the other element bearers when they freed my Luna so it should be okay.

Nodding, Skitter jumped out of the basket, her wings starting to buzz as she floated next to it. “If you start descending, sir, I'll guide you to a empty spot.”

“Got it.”


XXXXXXXXXXX


I looked around the empty courtyard as I telekinetically lifted our saddle bags from the balloon, having finished tying it down.

It was... peaceful. The birds were chirping, insects were buzzing between the flowers and the wind was brushing across the tall grass.

“This is nice.”

Skitter looked a bit dubious but nodded, “It is.”

Changelings, when not in disguise, really prefer dark narrow spaces where they could hide from predators. Or just hide in general. An open brightly lit space like this really wasn't Skitters idea of a comfortable position.

Smiling, I put the bags over my back, I prompted my guard. “Come on, let's find a campsite inside. Preferably something with a thick door we can block from inside. We are still in the middle of a monster infested forest after all. And who knows what might come through here at night... or even during the day.”

Nodding, Skitter took the lead into the castle, leaving it to me to take up the rear. As we left the bright sunshine behind, things became a bit more tense.

Light filtered in through broken windows and holes in the walls, but mostly we were left in dark twilight and the light of my horn.

Skitter might not, but I needed light to see and twisting my hoof in a hole in the floor would be really embarrassing. And painful. But mostly embarrassing.

Dust drifted across the beams of sunlight as we entered what had to have been the large entrance hall. Fallen stones and statues blocked the way, but the remains of the thick wall hangings still hung in place.

Definitely magically preserved. Cloth would not have survived a thousand years normally.

Skitter paused and looked around, “...Which way do you think, sir?”

“Let's find the throneroom. If it is anything like the castle in Canterlot, it's going to have small siderooms that might be a good place to set up camp.”

As it turned out, finding the throneroom was not exactly difficult. Just two doors in from the entrance hall. It was meant to be easy to get to.

Entering the throneroom, I took in the sight. Sometime during the years the roof had fallen in... or more likely, when I considered the lack of debris on the floor, been blasted out.

Was this where it started? Was it were it ended?

At the other end of the throneroom the thrones still stood. Identical thrones in everything but color. Luna's dark blue and Celestia's sun yellow, above them a pair of tapestries with their marks still hung.

Slowly stepping into the throneroom, I looked around as I slowly crossed the floor. Skitter hung back allowing me to take it all in.

A thousand years. I could still see where spells had shattered stone, melted holes. There were even places on the floor where the stone looked like it had been scorched.

They fought here.

Slowly making my way up the stairs I stopped before Luna's throne. Last time she was sitting it she was... she had not yet been Nightmare Moon.

I put my hoof on the edge of the throne, looking up at the tapestry above.

I missed her, I couldn't wait until we got back to Canterlot. Meeting in dreams was simply not the same thing.

“Let's go.” I finally said as I put my hoof back down, “Let's find a place we can put up camp before dark."