Fallen Angels

by Lt_Voss

Chapter 7 - Honorabilis

"Yes, her condition."

We were traveling back down the road we had come on, heading back towards Ponyville. We'd pretty much just told Styx, my "employer," I guess you could call her, the finger and were now shirking our duties. "What do you mean, her condition?" Bill sprung this on me, and I really wished he was joking. Bad thing is: I didn't feel he was.

"She is... rather volatile. I sensed this of her back when we met her inside the Moon Castle ruins." His pupil-less eyes seemed to darken. "The death of your father Harry took its toll on her. This she confided with me during our marriage."

"You mean..." I started, my mental state dropping severely. "When I..."

Bill nodded, knowing what I was going to say before I had even finished my sentence. "Yes. I have almost no doubt when you... joined Fluttershy," Bill conceded, bowing slightly to the mare in my arms, to show he meant no offence, not that my wife hadn't gotten 'used to' my Oracle during our time together, before continuing. "Luna plummeted into despair. I mean not to injure you stance, Will." I shrugged. "I know why you did such a thing, and I admire you for it. But this is just the way it is."

I was silent. I had an idea, thanks to Twilight, of how my mother was doing, but thanks to Bill's ever wonderful sense of circumspection, I was now feeling worse. I knew a suicide would hurt everyone involved, but I didn't stop to think that maybe I was hurting a few people more than I had expected. "This is-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the rude jerk, Bill interrupted me. "Don't you even dare say what I think you're about to say Will." And he was right, of course. I was about to say it. But I didn't, so already I felt... negligibly better about myself.

It was a short time before the three of us reached the library by that point. Fluttershy had by then calmed down somewhat, and my soothing efforts were working. None of us had said anything for the rest of the way, and frankly, I was glad to have someone- er, again, pony, who would want to talk. Did I mention how much I hated silences?

As I opened the door, Twilight looked up, and saw no one come through. There might have been doubt in her head at first as to whether or not it opened by itself, but when Bill closed the door behind us, I think the doubt was mostly removed. "Silver?" I called out, not seeing her at first.

"Will?" She responded, peeking out from the couch. Next to her was Applejack, and I was afraid we'd have to bolt out of there and cover her back. But, luckily for us, it was taken care of. "Before you say anything, Applejack and I have patched things up. We're now friends-"

"Now hold it there, girl. Ah said we'd be friends if ya showed me Will and Bill. Ah don't see 'em, so?"

"Twilight," Silver requested. "Could you get me more parchment?"

Twilight nodded, but before she found it, I said, "No need. I'll tell you things only we would know."

I told her the first thing. "Will says," she repeated. "He's sorry for... really?" I gave her an affirmative. She forged on. "He says he's sorry for... killing himself... and that he might not have had he known you would take it so bad."

"Yer gonna have ta convince me a little harder, Silver. Anypony could make up something like that."

I shook my head, remembering how stubborn Twilight was and planned for this. "Will," Silver said through me. "Says that Will was so nervous the day of his wedding, before Fluttershy arrived, he asked Bill, in front of everypony, if he could take his place while he hid."

Applejack smirked. "Hun," she said, shaking her head. "Ah thought you could do better, but Ah guess we all have our shortcomings." She got up to walk away, but Fluttershy told me something, and Silver Star overheard.

"Is that..." she asked incredulously. "Is that Fluttershy? She's with you?! Oh Celestia, I'm so happy for you!" Applejack and Twilight both stared at her like she had grown a second head. "Girls," she excitedly relayed to them. "Will says he finally found Fluttershy! He said even though he died much later than she, she told him she would wait for him, and based on Twilight's information that people were being scared from their old cottage, he and Bill went to check it out and found her!"

She'd said all that in one breath, so I was rather very impressed, especially since the only pony I knew who could do that was Pinkie Pie, and she wasn't the one speaking, not that I had any doubt she and her Pinkie ways would find a way to do something about it. Anyways, Twilight and Applejack both stood slack-jawed, their wide eyes pointed straight at Silver Star. If I had to guess what they thought before they said it, I'd say they believed her more than ever now. And, lo and behold, "Well Ah'll be," Applejack conceded. "Ah guess Ah just have ta believe ya now, Silver. Sorry 'bout doubtin' ya at first."

Silver shook her head, smiling all the while. "It's no trouble at all. I'm just glad some ponies finally actually believe me. And," she admitted, her face slightly reddening in embarrassment. "Of course, for Will and Fluttershy's reunion."

"Yes, well, about that," I said, reluctantly. "We need to high-tail it outta here." Silver repeated every word of mine to the letter. "Bill and I are here because we were conscripted by one of our goddesses to capture escaped spirits and return them to the Underworld." I paused to take a breath, knowing I was pushing it in regards to what they would believe. "Bill and I got rid of the spirit possessing Silver Star, named Trixie, and I've gotten a spirit in the schoolhouse." I turned to Twilight even though I knew she couldn't see me. "The spirit there didn't intend to hurt anyone, she was just looking for her foal, Roseluck.

"However," I said grimly, and I was surprised to hear that Silver Star was actually repeating my words in as close to the same tone as I was. 'Bless her heart,' I silently thought. "My next assignment..." I was still shocked to even think... actually, seeing as Styx was the goddess of hatred, I wasn't. I was shocked that she'd put up a facade of gentility at first. "My next assignment is to capture... Fluttershy."

Silver Star gasped before the other two mares because she'd heard my words first, and when she repeated them they too followed suit. "We cain't let that happen, to y'all, Will, not after all you've been through!"

"I'd already come to that conclusion, AJ, thank you. What I was planning on doing was going to see my mother. Since she was possessed the Nightmare, I'm hoping she'll be able to at least hear me and be in some sort of position to help my case."

"Well," Twilight said. "It's a good thing I've got Spike. Spike!" She called out for her assistant slash little brother. "I need you to get a letter to Princess Celestia!"

"Why can't we just pen Luna?" I asked, still not entirely 'in the know', as it were, of the situation regarding my mother.

"She's locked herself in the tower in the East Wing, and the spells she's put around her block all magic, including dragon magic. That's why we need to send this letter to Princess Celestia if we want any hope of getting it to Princess Luna."

I nodded in understanding. Twilight knew a little more about the situation than I did, so I had to admit the fact that I was outmatched in this regard. Twilight dictated the letter to Spike, who sent it on its way with his green dragon flames. I had only begun wondering how long it would take my aunt to receive the letter, read it, reply with her own, and send it on her way when lo and behold, Spike belched out a letter with my aunt's seal. I don't know how long it took, but Bill thought to me, Five minutes. 'Thanks.'

Twilight read the letter her mentor sent her, and looked up at where she thought I was standing. To be fair, it was probably a good guess of judging the presence of a spirit based on energy alone, but she was looking more towards Bill than me. "The Princess," she said. "Has sent a chariot as soon as she read the letter. It should be here in only a few-"

Before she could continue, however, a knock at the door interrupted her. "Come in," Twilight called. The door of the library opened to reveal a pony, a mare by the looks of it. As she stepped in, I noticed the pony's mane and coat were both pure white; it was an odd combination, to be sure, one I'd never seen before. Also odd was the sheer aura that emanated from her. It made my metaphorical skin crawl, and I could see Bill shiver as well. "May I help you?" Twilight asked politely.

"Oh, how silly of me!" The pony dramatised. "My name is Ire. Ire Spirit." I saw Twilight's eyes twinkle as she processed the strange name. Indeed it was strange; no pony I'd ever met had a name even as close to sinister as this mare did. "I'm afraid I might have dropped something of mine in here."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked. "I don't think we've ever met."

Ire chuckled. "I don't think you were here that day." She looked around the room pointedly, as if she were feigning the act and already knew what she was looking for. Unfortunately, whatever it was didn't matter. The fact she exclaimed "aha!" as soon as she looked directly in my direction unsettled me much.

So naturally, I did the obvious and most non-threatening thing. "Hold it there, Miss!" I projected.

The mare stopped and pointed to herself. "Who," she asked. "Me?"

Unfortunately, that's the one thing I didn't want to hear. Neither did I want to hear Bill's syllogism: "Ire... anger. Spirit... wraith. Will," he said without taking his eyes off the mare. "We need to leave. Pronto."

Silver Star overheard us and, bless her, whispered to Twilight what we were saying. Thinking quickly, Twilight grabbed the mare in a locking spell. "Um, Miss," Twilight said cautiously. "I'm sorry, but I'd like to know what you're here for."

"Why, I told you: to find my lost object. I have found it, now please let me go!" Ire Spirit answered in a huffy tone, which only unnerved me more.

I motioned for Bill and Fluttershy to follow me and, as we passed Silver, I whispered, "Follow us through the window; we need you to let the chariot drivers know we're aboard." Silver nodded and started walking to the window sill when I added, "Make it look like you're browsing for a book or something. Anything to keep attention and suspicion off of you." She nodded again and continued.

Bill and Fluttershy were the first to go through the window, and hearing the chariot land shortly after, Silver made her way out. I, like usual, was the last out. Before I escaped my doom, however, I took a chance. "Remember, Styx! The Moirai are not to be tempered with! Her thread has not yet ended! Your affairs are with the dead!" And for the first time since dying, I took a physical unknown.

I attempted to use magic. It was a simple spell I tried, just to sever Twilight's hold on my 'handler'. Forcing it out through my horn was no easy task, what with me being out of practise and all, but I still accomplished my goal, even if it took much more of my energy than it would have were I alive. "Αντίο, πλάνος!" With that, I swung my other leg over the sill and dashed for the chariot. I was lucky, too. Silver, by no fault of her own, had assumed that she'd be the last out and had told the chariot pilots that everyone was aboard. It was by pure will that I hopped onto the flying transport before it left me behind, which would have ended badly, to say the least.

For the first time since Bill and I had essentially committed treason against beings that could, and probably would, squash us like bugs without lifting a finger, I relaxed. I settled myself onto one of the benches and sighed. I could literally feel my muscles unwinding from the recent escapade. I think I even caught a few precious minutes of sleep. Unfortunately, though, all good things, even if that good thing is a brief respite from running for your life, must come to an end.

What? Did you think Styx would somehow materialise in midair and snatch us away? Good gods, no.

What brought my precious rest to a close was the fact that we landed.

Comments

[Lt_Voss]

So, Will. Finding out that things aren't exactly as they seem, I see. I guess you didn't really learn that fact when you were alive, but then learning it now is rather dangerous. Oh well.

Let me know what you think! Your comments and questions (however sparse, few, or irrelevant) do really help me. I appreciate them all. Have a nice (day/night) guys. (Circle one)

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

Is this....a sequel?.....Oh god, I'm literally crying right now....

[Lt_Voss]

1747288>>1747318 Yes, this is a sequel. I take it by your tears you are happy? I'm happy too, that you like it! And thank you, for commenting!

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

1747339 DUUUUde. I've been waiting for this for so long. I was here at chapter 2 of Broken wings! Twas a crazy ride....but...the ending.....I thought it was the real ending, but this is much better!

[Lt_Voss]

1747353 Glad you're so enthusiastic! Go tell your friends (if that's okay with you ) about it, I'd like to have a few people telling me how the story's doing (goods and bads, errors, etc)!

Also, I really appreciate your comments; I really do. For some reason, a lot of my followers stopped commenting...

P.S. I know I just released Chapter 7, but I'm working on 8 right now.

nothing_to_do_here.jpg

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

1747413 wow...did you know, the only reason I discovered pony music was the preformance chapter of Broken Wings? Dude, why the HeEEEeeeeEEEEell did you kill off the best characters?

[Lt_Voss]

1747440 Why, whatever do you mean?

*totally not foreshadowing in ANY way at all whatsoever*

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

1747464 ....Hey dude? I'm not self advertising here, but do you need a proofreader?

[Lt_Voss]

1747469 Perhaps, perhaps not. I'll see later on. If I get to a chapter that simply feels to me like it is absolutely terrible or rushed or full of mistakes or whatever, even if it isn't, I could run it by you first. Consider yourself my (sometimes) proofreader/editor.

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

Well....If you let me proofread the story, you get a spot on my page for stories that I'm proofreading...not that I have more than two followers.... Oh well...I fond an error in one of the chapters, but my crazed reading made me say, "I'll go back and tell him later."
And now I forget what it was....Do you use google docs? It's the best, because I could proofread while you write...

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

lol, why so many dislikes?

[Lt_Voss]

1753064 Dunno. I got downvotes even before the story got any views. I'm guessing because there's the "Human" tag.

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

1753468 Goddamit. The story Imma be posting soon will probably get the same....So any thoughts on my offer yet? (Impatient Nemo is impatient.)

[Lt_Voss]

1753481 Still not done with Chapter 8. Can't proofread what I haven't done myself

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

1753715 k. just...welll Izxfmzfh