Fallen Angels

by Lt_Voss

Chapter 9 - Deadly Haven

"Have you naught to say?" Her voice was like daggers to my ears. "Or has the weight of what you have done, of the crime you have just committed, just come crashing down?"

Bill was the first to speak, oddly enough. "Neither, Styx." He parted his legs in a defensive stance. "We were just talking about you."

Feigned surprise stretched across her face. "Oh, really now?"

Bill shook his head. "Of course not. We've been reacquainting ourselves with our family. But I don't suspect you would understand, would you?"

Styx laughed. "Why would you attempt such a foolish thing? Do you wish to rejoin the living? It is impossible, as I said before. Nothing of the sort can be done."

"Yes," I said at last. "Just like you said we'd forget."

Styx's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You heard me," I shot off. "You told us we'd forget. But I remember. I remember everything. I remember the spirit Trixie. I remember the Reaper Lily Pad," I growled at her. "πλάνος."

"What did you call me?" She hissed.

I jutted my chin out at her in response. "I called you Deceiver. Am I wrong?"

"You DARE," she half-screamed. "Insult your goddess?!"

"No," I replied defiantly. "My god has always been Apollo."

My mother whispered to herself, not really to either party, "Apollo, god of light... Styx, goddess of hatred..." She shook her head. "No matter." She took several steps forward until she was in front of my party of three dead and one living. "How dare you intrude upon my affairs? How dare you attack my guard unprovoked?! How DARE thee break in upon my chambers uninvited?! Thou hast angered me, and now thou shalt feel my anger!"

Styx did something I never would have done. She laughed. Styx laughed in my mother's face. Not a chuckle, but a full blown laugh. "Do you think you frighten me, χωρικός? I was alive before your great-grandparents were even conceived!" Styx slapped the air, but she might as well have been right in front of my mother. Luna's face recoiled as if she had been hit. "You will not interfere with my matters!"

"σταματώ, επιδρομέας!" Bill projected. Styx, who was about to slap Luna again, stopped in mid-swing. "You have now," Bill said with a purpose, as if this were a correct response. "Attacked two residents of this realm not under you domain. You have rendered one unconscious and another, whom you have physically attacked, is one of two in a diarchy of the nation. You must now cease all actions and grant a request of both ailed parties of their choosing. As for the guard Captain Stargazer, he shall ask his gift upon his awakening."

I realised Bill had probably rehearsed for this very moment. This was an ancient if effective ritual administered whenever someone committed a grievance or otherwise minor crime against another. In this manner, the courts needed not to be bothered and both parties could get on with their lives in peace. "You..." Styx attempted, I'm guessing, to insult Bill, but miserably failed. "Alright..." Styx sighed angrily. "What is your wish? Speak it, so that I may grant it."

Luna needed no hesitation. "Give them back to me. Give me Will, Bill, and Fluttershy."

"You cannot," Styx hissed. "It is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," Luna retorted. "If humans can bring their own back to life, certainly a goddess can as well." Luna folded her arms. "Let them live once more, as they had been when they died."

To be honest, I was glad my mother added that last bit. Knowing the... sense of humour my gods had, Styx could very well have returned us all back to life as babies, or as withering old hags. Styx made a sound that could very well have been attributed to a mixture between a dog, a tiger, and a falcon all at once. Needless to say, it was a strange vocalisation I would not dream of hearing again. "Very well, Princess." Styx snapped her fingers.

Of course, Bill, Fluttershy and I could not tell if something had changed. We could see each other just fine, so to notice a change we'd have to rely on outside help. And since Luna could already see and hear us, there was only one pony left to make the judgement call. Silver Star shrieked and fell backwards. Fluttershy ran to her side to check on her, and asked, "Oh my! Are you alright?"

"Th-th-th..." Silver sputtered. "They're humans!" Evidently, Silver Star hadn't made the connection between my voicing the fact that the Princesses were related to me and my appearance.

Using my restored life to the fullest opportunity, I threaded magic through my horn and woke up Stargazer. He remained lying on the ground for a few seconds more before he shook his head and got up. He stumbled, simply because the blow Styx had delivered him had knocked him senseless. He regained his footing and, upon seeing Styx, went into a defensive posture. "Relax," I told him. "Bill has forced her to be complacent and non-aggressive. You now get to request a gift from her."

"A... gift?" He asked, before processing just what had happened. "Wait... Will? Bill? You... you're alive?!"

I nodded with a small smile. "Luna's request."

"Ah," he said, nodding in understanding. "That... sounds like something she'd do."

"Is that," Luna said with mock temper. "Supposed to mean anything, Captain?"

"No, my liege." Stargazer turned to Styx. "I am told that I may now request a gift from you. Is this correct?" Styx nodded, her furrowed eyebrows and frowning lips burning hatred towards us all. "Well, then..." Stargazer thought for a while. "I want for Will, and everypony, and everyone," he stressed, as a gesture to us two-legged animals. "Associated with him, to be completely absolved of your control. Meaning," he specified. "You no longer have any power to control or order the aforementioned parties."

Styx's eyes clearly burned with rage. "You cannot do that! They are mine, and will forever be mine! They serve me, not you!"

"Wrong," I said hotly. "We serve Zeus, not you."

As an aside, Captain Stargazer looked to me. "Can this Zeus order her to leave you alone?" I nodded. Turning back to Styx, Stargazer said, "Fine. I change my wish. I now wish for them to be completely absolved of your rule for a week. Within this week, if they can convince 'Zeus' to take their side, they will be absolved permanently. Should they fail, they return to your service." He paused, then added, "Alive."

"Very well," Styx said, totally not angry or anything of the sort. "But hear you me, Will," she growled. "You will not convince Zeus. I may have lied about many things, but I do not when I say that he was in fact the party responsible for your conscription into the ranks of Reapers." Then, with a flash, Styx was gone.

We all stood silently, staring at the space that was once occupied by my tyrant. Bill, at length, spoke. "Well," he huffed. "Time to get going." I nodded in agreement, and we began to leave before Luna interrupted our departure.

"Wait," she told us. "You're just going to go? What if she comes back?"

"She won't," I responded with confidence. "She may be a liar and a deceiver, and her heart may be blacker than coal, but a deal is a deal. She must remain true to the law."

Luna, clearly not entirely satisfied, nodded. "Well," she said softly. "Just... be careful."

"We will," I comforted her as best I could. And with that, we were gone.

Comments

[Lt_Voss]

Two new chapters for you all!

Oh dear... just what the heck is going on? Why can't anyone give any straight answers? Poor Will.

Hope you all enjoy!

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

Well, this chapter changed absolutely everything I ever knew about anything. I realixe with a great amount of sadness that I'm the only one who is commenting.