Chapter 5
Night Guards: Chapter 5
Discord. The Immortal Trickster and spirit of disharmony. There was certainly no shortage of stories about the draconequus – the first sovereign of Equestria who ruled with only his own petty interests at heart. Many said that he had done terrible things, like forcing unicorns and earth ponies to live on the clouds, whilst the pegasi were sealed underground, for generations at a time… all in the name of self-amusement. Other tales claimed that he had twisted the world into various absurdities, like making everything fall up instead of down, or simply float around like feathers in the wind, or making it snow sugar and salt, or making fish swim in air. And there were still others that claimed that Discord had once shared a tryst with Princess Celestia herself.
But all that was a long time ago – centuries and centuries ago, and Anvil was quite certain that ponies had embellished the tales through the ages. The endings – the happier ones, never quite agreed on what had happened to the draconequus after Luna and Celestia had defeated him. The presence of his statue in this cave certainly proved them all wrong, perhaps with the exception of the one saying that he had been banished to the bowels of the world. That is, if ‘under the royal palace’ qualifies as the bowel of Equestria. But, of course, there was the question of whether this statue was truly what remained of the spirit of disharmony.
The draconequus stood tall and proud on its pedestal, with tail coiled around the base and wings spread in a ready position. One paw-like arm was placed on its chest, whilst the other, more avian arm was flung out with its palm wide open. Its mouth was agape, and the slight upwards curve suggested an expression of glee or joy. Overall, the statue appeared to be in the middle of a grand speech or cheerful song. Or a victory dance.
Anvil set his glow worm lamps on the floor, then nudged his friend and asked, “So… who would like to go first?”
“Oh, oh, let me!” Hammer cried in a cheerfully enthusiastic voice.
Anvil almost choked on his gasp when he heard that. He turned his head with more speed than was probably good for his neck, and saw the big pegasus frowning and casting his eyes about. He then realised that he had been holding his breath, and promptly exhaled with relief.
“I take it that wasn’t you,” he said. He had been quite certain that it was his friend’s voice, but it was obvious now that he hadn’t been the one to speak.
“No.” Hammer eyed their surroundings warily.
“I’m scared; hold me,” Anvil whimpered. His jaw dropped just as Hammer turned and stared at him with a rare, stunned expression. The voice sounded like his, and it had come from where his mouth was, but it certainly wasn’t his – he hadn’t even opened his mouth when the words were said.
But before they could puzzle it out, laughter filled the cave. Anvil’s hair stood on end – he had heard that voice before, in the palace, just before Luna’s transformation. It was the same sort of rich, dark laughter that had unnerved all of them that night. Except that this time, it sounded more mirthful, and gave the impression of somepony rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes and a massive grin on his face.
“So you are real,” Hammer stated, seemingly to no one in particular.
The laughter stopped. Silence deafened the cave once more.
Anvil exchanged looks with his companion, then tentatively called out, “Hello?”
More silence.
“Very mature,” Hammer commented.
“Hammer, there is something I must ask of you,” Anvil said. He clapped a hoof over his mouth when he realised it was happening again, but his ‘voice’ carried on as if nothing was wrong. Apparently, the false voice did not even need his mouth to work. “What think you of my chances of winning Luna’s hoof in marriage?” He suddenly felt himself go red.
His friend didn’t react, but simply observed the statue, tail flicking in annoyance.
After another moment of silence, the statue glowed blue, and more laughter echoed in the cave. Then, the blue aura on the statue seemed to detach from it, and a shimmering, translucent duplicate of the draconequus stepped off the pedestal. Anvil felt his eyes widen.
“Oh, that was rich,” the apparition snickered. “I haven’t quite enjoyed myself that much in ages!”
“Glad to be of service,” Hammer droned. A pause, then he continued, “So… you are Summer Cloud’s informant.”
The apparition of Discord grinned. “Oh, quite right. But…” he waggled a clawed finger, “Introductions first, business later. It’s been such a long time since I have had the pleasure of intelligent conversation. Well, mostly – if you don’t count that unicorn. Too boring; too academic for my taste.” He bowed, and with a flourish of one arm, added, “I’m Discord, but you already know that, so I shall skip to the part where I inform you that you are my guests, and are most welcome to stay for as long as you like.”
“Save your breath – Summer claimed that you know where the Elements are, so name your price and be done with it.”
Discord raised an eyebrow at him, then chuckled. “Ah, Hammer, ever the strong, silent guardian. You’re no simpleton; that much I have seen. Slow to speak, but rarely a word wasted when you do. Well, so be it. My price for assisting you is simple – company, and idle chatter. I think you should be able to provide that quite nicely. Once I am sufficiently entertained, I shall impart my knowledge to you.” He paused and stroked his beard thoughtfully, then asked, “Ham… can I call you Ham? It’s such an endearing name.” He chuckled some more.
Hammer shrugged his wings. “You sound like you have already made up your mind.”
Discord’s face fell for a moment. “Oh, come now. Don’t be like that – it was a jest, no need to get all sour on me.” He sank into the ground and vanished.
Barely a second later, a loud “Boo!” was uttered behind them, and Anvil nearly bucked out in surprise. His friend, on the other hoof, casually turned around and glared disapprovingly at the guffawing draconequus.
“Apologies,” Discord said, wiping a ghostly tear from his cheek, “I have been waiting to do that for a long time. I’m finally convinced that you cannot be startled, ever.”
“Finally?” Anvil questioned. “Have you been… watching him? And how exactly does a statue find out where the Elements of Harmony lie? I doubt you’ve been… ah, gallivanting much lately.”
Discord grinned rounded on him. “And you are Anvil, Princess Luna’s closest friend – out of only two, but that’s beside the point. To answer your question – I might currently be made of stone,” here, he floated over to his statue and rapped on it with his knuckles, “but I do have some spatial awareness – I can see things that interest me, without the need for an inconvenient crystal ball. It comes with being the Master of Chaos, along with other fancy perks. Which reminds me… Summer Cloud is quite a gifted unicorn – it’s rare to find a mortal who can actually see astral projections such as myself, let alone enable others to do the same.”
“Assuming you are not lying, do you even intend to show us where the Elements are?” Hammer demanded.
Discord looked mildly offended. “Manners, my boy. I have already promised to tell you – when I am ready. Besides, it is not as if you can actually make me tell you, is it?”
The apparition’s manner of supreme confidence was starting to grate on Anvil’s nerves. “We can simply walk out and leave you be,” he suggested. “I’m sure the mushrooms can keep you entertained.”
The draconequus scoffed. “Playing a waiting game with an immortal? I’m a little disappointed in you.”
“If you want idle banter, so be it,” Hammer intoned. He met Discord’s gaze and held it, and Anvil noted that even though his friend was far shorter that the draconequus, he almost gave the impression that he was speaking to somepony of equal size and rank. “Someday, you’re going to pay for the suffering you’ve caused in Equestria. For the cold and hunger…”
Discord blinked innocently. “I am getting the distinct impression that you somehow believe I am responsible for all of this…”
“Celestia said you had tainted Luna – by extension, this is your fault.”
With an air of dignity, the draconequus began to strut in a wide circle around them. “Am I? If I told you to steal candy from a filly, and you actually did it, am I then the one to blame? It was much the same with dear Luna – I merely suggested; nothing more.”
Anvil shook his head. “Luna would never do something like this on a mere suggestion.”
“Ah, ah,” Discord paused in mid-stride and waggled a finger, “Correction – Luna would usually never do something like this. Come now, are you telling me that you’ve never done anything that you once thought you would never do?” He grinned nastily. “I seem to recall a certain pair of pegasi betraying a certain pretty alicorn… ring any bells, hmm?”
“Don’t change the subject,” Hammer growled.
Discord sighed dramatically in response. “Oh, the irony. You know… I wonder just how much of Luna’s misery has been wrought by those closest to her. You have seen how Celestia’s ‘love’ for her sister has suffocated her – what about your ‘loyalty’?” A dreamy look appeared on his face. “I have often sensed those emotions of hers – such turmoil; such resentment. And dare I say, even hate? An absolutely delectable assortment of feelings.”
Anvil could find no appropriate answer to that, and so he simply settled for broody silence. Hammer was just as mute. The statue did have a point… if they hadn’t sided with Luna, might things have turned out very differently? If they hadn’t opposed the loyalists every step of the way, could they have managed to storm the palace and somehow free Princess Celestia? But then… if that had happened, Luna might only have been provoked to more extreme measures, and things could have gone in either direction from thereon…
“Well, don’t speak all at once,” Discord groused. He kicked back onto an invisible chair, folded his arms behind his head and crossed his legs. “Come now, where’s your spontaneity? Don’t be afraid to speak your mind – thought without speech is so terribly dull. Show a little spirit!”
Anvil rolled his eyes. “Whose side are you really on?”
“Me? I am on nopony’s side. I merely choose to… how should I say it? – assist the side that needs assistance the most.”
“Out of the goodness of your heart, I’m sure,” the big pegasus commented.
“Oh, but of course.”
“And what happens when the side you help starts winning?” Anvil asked.
“Well, in that case, I shall – ” Discord’s eyes widened, and he put a paw to his mouth and chuckled guiltily. “Ooh, you’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Well, let me put it this way – you may count on my assistance only for as long as you need it.” He winked.
Hammer shook his head. “Has anypony told you that you need a good buck to the face?”
“Oh, I have been told that many times, by ponies and non-ponies alike. I have yet to receive one, though.”
“I can offer you one right now.”
“I would be happy to contribute as well,” Anvil piped up. “You know not what you are missing.”
The cave rang with laughter once more. “Tempting – but I’m afraid that it would be a little pointless.” So saying, Discord jumped out of his imaginary seat and flitted alarmingly close into Anvil’s personal space. Before he could react, the draconequus had already reached out and thrust a paw into his chest. He didn’t feel a thing, though, and as the paw was withdrawn, he could see that no harm had been done. His chest was whole, and so was the translucent paw being waved in front of him. “You see,” Discord resumed, “I am beyond the reach of physical pain – and I doubt that hitting my dirty old statue would give you as much satisfaction.”
“I’m easy to please,” Hammer replied.
Another chuckle. “You know, I like you. And that is why I am going to help you get Luna back. It will be most interesting to see how this turns out.” He then rubbed his paws together and grinned. “Well, let’s not waste any more time, shall we? If you want to find the Elements of Harmony, there is this old place…”
Anvil listened intently as Discord provided them with directions. The place he described was well north of Everfree – beyond the mountains and possibly the reach of summer’s warmth, as well. His knowledge of Equestria’s northern border was rather sketchy, but as far as he knew, no ponies had lived there for a long, long time…
“ – and there you have it,” the draconequus concluded.
“Is that all?” Hammer asked.
“Actually, not quite. There is one other matter that needs attention – the place is sealed, and only the right kind of magic will open it.”
Anvil frowned. “Dare I ask what exactly we are required to go through in order to acquire the ‘right kind’ of magic?”
“Worry not. The task you have to perform is so simple that even a foal could do it. In fact, you were quite eager to make the attempt yourselves – all you have to do is kick me.”
“What?”
Discord darted back to his statue and perched on top of its head. He then tapped on it with his tail and reiterated, “Yes, it’s really that simple. I want you to kick me – meaning my statue, as hard as you can. And don’t worry; I can take whatever you might care to mete out – Celestia did make me rather… durable.”
Anvil trotted up to the statue and examined it from top to bottom. He put a hoof to his chin and cracked a smile at the draconequus. “A kick, you say? Do I get to choose where to plant it?”
The thought seemed to have occurred to the apparition at the same time, for a look of alarm appeared on his face. He hastily added, “Now that you mention it, I would prefer it in the chest, if you don’t mind.”
“Didn’t you say that we won’t be able to damage you, anyhow?” Hammer had also trotted up to the statue. There was an eager look on his face – or, at least, as eager a look as a face could show without actually looking very enthusiastic.
“It’s the principle of the thing,” Discord insisted. “I mean – what sort of depraved, ill-minded pony would gain satisfaction from bucking an old statue in the… delicates? What if somepony saw you – what would you say to them?”
“That you deserve it?” Anvil’s smile widened. “Besides, who said anything about, ah, nether regions? I was merely considering your face.”
“Ooh, well played. You know, it almost makes me sad that you weren’t born when I was the ruler of Equestria… You would have made a most amusing guard, if I ever found the need for one. Or perhaps a court jester…”
“Are you done wasting time?” Hammer demanded. Without another word, he hovered up to the statue’s breast height and delivered a swift buck right into its chest. The marble produced a surprisingly hollow chink sound when it was struck.
“Harder, if you please,” Discord chided. “Luna gave you an impressive amount of strength with that spell of hers – show me what you can really do!” A brief pause, and he added, “Oh, and I would like both of you to do it together. As hard as you can.”
Anvil exchanged looks with his friend, then shrugged and hovered up as well. At his nod, they both bucked out and struck the statue squarely in the chest. This time, the sound was more satisfyingly solid.
The draconequus yawned. “Disappointing. Another.”
They struck again. Harder. The statue didn’t budge, but the cave seemed to echo with the force from the blow. Still, the draconequus simply shook his head, and said, “Dear me, is that the best that Luna’s champions are able to do? Small wonder she’s always so depressed.”
Anvil frowned and gritted his teeth as he prepared to strike once more. This time, he and Hammer both retreated from the statue, putting as much distance between as the cave would allow. Then, they both pumped their wings and accelerated head-first towards their target. At the last second, they tumbled forward whilst bucking out, so that their hind hooves would strike the marble when they were halfway through the forward roll. And this time, there was a distinct crunch when their hooves connected with the statue – and a split second later, Anvil realised that something was amiss. A jolt of lightning went through his body, and he suddenly froze in mid-air, with his hoof still in contact with the statue. He tried to move, but everything refused to obey – his muscles were all tensed up, and he could not even open his mouth to say a word. Then… the pain arrived. Anvil knew it well enough; the same sensation of having something like lightning coursing through his veins, much like what he had felt when Luna transformed him. Except that this time, it felt like the energy was flowing out of him – down his chest and into his hind legs and out of his hooves – into the statue. It was almost like having his teeth pulled out, and the only response that he could show for the pain was an eye-twitch as he endured every second of having the magic tugged out of him through his hooves.
After what had felt like an immeasurably long time, the pain was suddenly gone, and gravity returned. Anvil landed with a splat on a patch of mushrooms and muck. Armour needs cleaning again – wonderful. He spluttered at the taste on his tongue, then looked back at the statue. Cracks had branched out from the middle of its chest where their hooves had struck, and as he looked on, the glowing fractures began to retreat back to their centres, until all that was left was a glowing, spidery zigzag of tiny lines on the point of impact. Then the light faded from within, and the cracks disappeared from sight.
Anvil turned his gaze to the apparition still perched atop the statue. “What – what was that?” he demanded. He felt drained, somehow.
“I would like to know, as well,” Hammer chimed in. He had taken his helmet off and was busy rubbing some filth out of one eye. He had a rather dangerous gleam in the other – one that might even have made a manticore nervous.
“I have enchanted you so that you will be able to access the place of which I spoke,” Discord blithely replied. “How else will you get to the Elements of Harmony?”
Anvil and his companion continued to glare at the draconequus. Which wasn’t very easy to do, since he was still reeling slightly from the pain.
Discord blinked innocently, then suddenly sat straighter, as if he had been struck by an epiphany. “Oh, you mean – oh, that. I merely exacted a small fee for my service.” He smirked and then conjured a translucent goblet filled with equally ghostly fluid. The draconequus took a sip of its contents, then dreamily added, “Nightmare Moon has very interesting magic, I must say. The flavour is most exotic – distant and dark, but also intricate and powerful. The enchantments she put on you were exceptional – I doubt I could have done it better, myself.”
A thought occurred to Anvil, and he hastily examined his body. Ashen grey coat, midnight-blue hair, dragon-like wings. He glanced at Hammer, and noted that his eyes were also still yellow and with slit pupils. Still the same. But…
“You stole some of her magic,” he accused.
"Stole is such a strong word.” Discord fiddled with his talons, as if he had just used them to tune some unseen musical instrument. “Especially since it was my influence that helped her gain such power to begin with.”
Hammer shook his head. “So you are responsible for this mess, after all.”
The draconequus raised an objecting finger, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut once more. Then, he grinned sheepishly. “Oops, didn’t quite mean to say it that way.” The grin faded, and was replaced by a conspiratorial smile. “But, come now, time is short, and I believe you have a quest to embark upon. The Elements await!” With a fancy flourish, he tossed his goblet over his shoulder, and it promptly exploded into a mushroom-shaped cloud of blue sparks and smoke.
“You go to great lengths to undo the trouble you have caused – without actually doing anything,” Anvil muttered. “If what I’ve heard is true, Luna still bears your taint. Why don’t you just remove it?”
Discord hopped off his perch and stood on his hind legs spread apart on the floor, and waved both of them away with wide sweeps of his forelimbs, grumbling, “Fine, I’ll do all the hard work for you, lazy colts… Stand back!”
Anvil and Hammer retreated from the draconequus, and he began to gesture slowly and elaborately, as if he was painting invisible runes with his fingers, all the while with an intense look of concentration on his grizzled features. He then held his pose, and a few seconds of silence passed, but nothing seemed to be happening. Then, Discord suddenly adopted a more relaxed stance, along with half-lidded eyes and a condescending frown. “Oh, look at that – it didn’t work. I’m a statue. An obscenely handsome one at that, but still a statue. Come back in the next thousand years or so.”
“Point taken,” Anvil grudgingly conceded, and they both unceremoniously made their way back out of the cave. He was getting rather weary of verbally sparring with the draconequus, and so had little desire to give him anything that remotely resembled a farewell. Also, there was the looming prospect of going behind Luna’s back in order to find the Elements, against her wishes – it left a heavy feeling of dread in his belly. But on the other hoof, the anticipation of doing something other than talking seemed to have put some spring into his friend’s hoofsteps, and he had to quicken his pace to match Hammer’s.
As they neared the exit, the draconequus’ parting words rang out; “Good luck, my little ponies!” They sounded mockingly feminine. Some sniggering followed.
Anvil felt like kicking something.
* * * * *
Taking a dip in the river to clean his armour and coat proved to be a little more costly than Anvil had expected. There was frost on the leading edge of his wings, and one disadvantage of the dragon-like appendages was that he could feel the cold with them. His original feathered ones would not have been vulnerable to that.
Stop complaining – think of something else.
Even after almost two hours of non-stop flight, the hiding place was just only visible in the distance – a dark silhouette of a mountain against the deep purple horizon. Granted, they weren’t flying as if their lives depended on it, but their speed wasn’t exactly relaxed, either. And it didn’t help that the long, silent flight only left Anvil with his thoughts – which were less than pleasant, to say the least. If what the draconequus said was true, then the whole mess might have been resolved long before ponies started starving. But then again, perhaps not… He groaned inwardly. The biggest problem was not that Discord was a liar, but that the stories almost always painted him as one gifted in the art of mixing truth with lies – it was enough to irk even the staunchest of ponies.
Never mind, think of something else. Again.
Anvil started reciting the Royal Guard oath under his breath. Odd choice for a distraction, and he didn’t know why it was the first thing to come to his mind, but… it seemed strangely appropriate at the same time. He whispered;
“I stand before you, Equestrians, in service to the Throne. In rain or shine, through hail or flame, I vow to defend my home with tooth, hoof and wing. My duty is eternal; never ending, until my liege release me, or death take me. I stand before you to pledge my life and honour to the Royal Guard. Long live the Princess; long live Equestria.”
It was interesting to think that Luna hadn’t changed it much for the Night Guards. Unicorns were allowed to say ‘horn’ in place of ‘wing’, and ‘Night’ was used in place of ‘Royal’, but apart from that, it was much the same. The candidates still recited it in the presence of the city’s inhabitants, in the palace courtyard, facing them rather than the princess. It was just as much a vow to ponykind as it was to the throne. Now, had Luna been more like the tyrant that Discord and the loyalists were claiming…
Well done; you’re doing it again.
He shook his head. He needed something to do – something that could take his mind off things for a while. With a mental shrug, he rolled sideways until the world was upside down, then shifted his weight, so that he was flying with his back facing forward and reclining on the force of oncoming air. That way, his saddle and helmet could take the brunt of the chilly wind, and his wings could do with performing a different sort of stroke for a while. He wasn’t worried about not being able to see his destination – after all, he was quite sure that he wouldn’t be able to miss a mountain. That, and the fact that Hammer was in the lead. Besides, his newly adopted position allowed him to look up at the starry sky without getting a cramp in his neck.
The night sky was a deep purple-blue, and dotted with a myriad of stars in patterns that reminded one of a flowing river, or of fantastic creatures swimming and cavorting in its depths. Normally, a fair bit of the sky would be obscured by the clouds, but he was flying above most of them at the moment. He sighed – he missed the times when being a guard was simple. Obey the princess, and that was very much it.
A shooting star appeared, and his eyes followed its course as it raced across the heavens. It disappeared below the horizon of clouds, where a couple of dark shapes were – wait… Anvil squinted. Oh, hayseed. He flipped back to a proper flight stance and put on a burst of speed to catch up with his companion.
“We’re being followed,” he announced.
The big pegasus was quick enough in spotting them when he turned round to have a look. He promptly said, “Lights out,” and closed the shutters on the pair glow worm lamps strapped to either side of his saddle. Then he quickened his pace, putting more strength into each wing-beat, in addition to changing course slightly – angling off from the mountain far ahead.
Anvil did the same, and they both dropped into the cloud layer. It wasn’t thick enough to hide in completely, but between them and the cover of night, it would probably suffice to throw off pursuit. In fact, the pursuers themselves might have eluded detection – if his eyes hadn’t been altered by Luna’s enchantment. He could see rather well in the dark, and the moonlit night might as well have been as bright as day where spotting things was concerned. He doubted they could claim as much, or that they were even aware of his improved night vision. With a backwards glance, he counted one, two, three… six pegasi. They seemed to be fanning out, apparently in search of the light from the lamps which had hitherto been the main sign of their targets.
After a while, his periodical searches of the sky behind told him that the pursuers had lost track of them. Perhaps they had decided to simply fly straight to the mountain instead of angling off as Hammer and he had, since it had been quite plain that that was the direction in which they had been heading. That in itself wasn't too troubling – it was a big mountain, with plenty of room to get lost in. With that matter out of the way, Anvil relayed the news to his friend, who settled back into a less urgent pace when he had confirmed that there was no sign of any more followers.
Regardless, they overshot their target, just in case, and approached it from the other side. Truth be told, it was more of a mountain range than a lone one, and its highest peak easily cleared the dark clouds hanging over them with its snowy slopes reflecting a faint blue in the moonlight. Dark, skeletal pines grew in the crags that were more sheltered from the bite of the wind. The place of interest to them was a gap nestled in the foot of the one of the peaks, on a slope that was distinctly less steep than its neighbours – it was almost like a balcony of sorts.
As they dropped down into the gap, the full force of the wind became apparent. Or, rather, the full force of what the wind was carrying. From a height, the wind was merely wind – cold and strong, but just wind. Lower down, it was carrying snow, which was far more effective at biting through their hide – especially if it got between the gaps in his armour and melted and soaked into his coat.
When they landed, his hooves sunk into the snow, right up to his knees. Hammer simply ploughed right on and carved a path through the white stuff, further into the gap. Anvil, on the other hoof, instantly took to the air again, and hovered after his friend. The snow was less thick once they were properly inside the gap, and Anvil gladly dropped out of the air and plodded along. Gnarly, half-dead evergreen shrubs grew on either side of the gap, which at this point was about as wide as maybe fifteen ponies standing side by side. The walls were sheer, and probably went as high as halfway up the peaks on either side. The wind howled down at them from above, as if frustrated that they were now beyond its reach. Anvil ignored it and trotted after his friend.
As they went deeper, the light from the night sky lessened, until even their eyes were unable to make things out clearly without the aid of their lamps, which they soon opened once more. And it was at that point that Anvil realised that the amount of snow and frost was increasing. If his ears were hearing things right, there was no opening nearby that would be letting in more wind and snow, and it clearly wasn’t ice, so dripping water from somewhere above could not have been the cause. The deeper they went, the deeper the snow got, to the point where he was up to his knees once again. This time, he didn’t even bother keeping out of it.
The pathway abruptly ended in a sheer wall that led up into the darkness above. Icicles hung from projections in the rock. The wind’s howling was faint now, but the snow on the ground was as thick as ever, and had piled up into a huge snowdrift against the end of the gap; as high as a large house, and probably just as thick. Anvil shared a look with Hammer, and they both resigned themselves to the task ahead.
“I’ll provide the wind; you dig?” he asked.
“Agreed,” Hammer replied.
Thankfully, the snow wasn’t so wet that it could not be easily blown away by the wind from his wings once his friend had loosened it. After a fair bit of work, they had managed to clear most of the snowdrift away, revealing a large, circular stone block set in a depression in the wall. It was about twice the height of a standing alicorn. Apart from its size, though, the block itself looked unremarkable.
“Thought it would be more impressive,” Anvil murmured.
His friend simply grunted.
He peered closer, and saw that it was not as plain as he had first thought. There were tiny lines and grooves on the wet, glistening surface – almost impossible to see, but definitely there. They seemed to form runes and patterns of some sort. He raised a hoof to feel them, but stopped himself at the last inch – he remembered Discord’s instructions. “Shall we?” he asked his companion, as he set his lamps on the ground.
Hammer wordlessly trotted forward and raised his own hoof to the door. At his nod, they both put their hooves on the stone. At first, nothing happened. Then, there was a soft hum – an odd one, until Anvil realised that he was feeling rather than hearing it. The ‘hum’ grew in intensity, until his whole leg was almost numb with it – sort of like when a wing had fallen asleep and was just recovering its blood circulation. Then, he felt a pulse of energy flowing from his body, through his leg, and into the stone. Thankfully, it was not painful – he’d had quite enough of that kind for one day.
The vibrations stopped, and they were able to withdraw their hooves. The lines on the surface were now glowing in various shades of purple and red, and the patterns instantly became visible. Anvil didn’t like what he saw. Many were the times when he’d caught a glimpse of magical runes, either in the books that he’d seen Luna studying, or in the arcane chambers where she had put her knowledge to practice. In all of the illustrations or on the runestones, the runes themselves had been elegant, with clean lines, smooth curves and often symmetrical shapes. The ones on the door in front of him, however, looked more like bite marks and claw wounds, and were rather haphazard in their arrangement. Not a straight line was to be seen.
“That’s ominous,” he muttered. The runes were beginning to fade away.
“It certainly is,” a voice said from behind.
Anvil whirled round, and immediately tensed up. Hazel Hock. And seven other pegasi – all garbed in full Royal Guard armour. They found us.
“Seize them. We’ll secure the Elements after.”
“Well, hayseed,” was all Anvil managed to get out before three vengeful-looking pegasi charged at him. He took to the air, and the foremost of the three crashed head-long into the stone door – he’d apparently intended to give him a solid head-butt. He had no time to celebrate, though, for the other two had quickly adjusted and tackled him in mid-air. He twisted round and bucked one of them in the flank, right before a hoof smashed between his eyes and a wing thumped into his belly. His armour took the brunt of the blows, but he still saw stars and had the wind knocked out of his lungs.
Something’s wrong. Half-dazed, he tried to gain height once more, but somepony had chomped on his tail and was attempting to drag him down. That, and the fact that one other had anticipated the move and flown up ahead of him.
“Surprise!” the royal guard cried, almost gleefully, before bucking him in the chest. Anvil crashed back onto the floor. Snow billowed out in a circle around him from the impact, and he could have sworn that the stone had cracked beneath him. Sweet Celestia… Ouch.
He lay still with his eyes closed for several seconds, feigning defeat. He listened – there were thuds and scrapes and grunts coming from nearby, though he couldn’t tell whether his companion was coming out on top or not. Then, he heard three sets of hooves landing or trotting up right next to him. Apparently, Sir Head-butt-the-door was still up for the fight. Somepony bit the crest of his helm and wrenched it off, then clamped on his mane and pulled until his head and chest were off the ground. He remained limp, listening to the sounds of Hammer’s fight. He even let his tongue loll out. Careful, stupid pony – don’t overdo it.
“Get the shackles.” He heard a metallic clinking sound.
One…
“That was easy.”
Two…
“Looks like Summer was worried for nothing. Go help Hazel.”
Anvil almost forgot to count to three. Summer? Summer Cloud? Horse apples. He opened his eyes and spat in the face of the guard who had been about to shackle him. “Gah!” The pegasus fell back, blinking rapidly, whilst Anvil tensed up, regained balance, and swept out a hind hoof to knock out the legs of the one biting his mane. He then ducked under the buck of the third one, and then used his wings to propel himself as he skidded towards his companion who was currently being pounded upon. A split-second glance around to get his bearings, and he flipped over and planted his hooves firmly on the ground once more. Then, it was a simple matter of charging towards Hazel Hock and delivering a swift buck to his chest, right before whirling round to sweep a pile of snow into the faces of the others.
That was all the distraction Hammer needed. The big pegasus bowled over three of his assailants and slapped a fourth under the chin with his wing – the smaller pegasus was sent flying a short distance before landing head-first into a mound of snow.
Then, as if out of nowhere, Hazel Hock was upon him. He came diving down from above, and Anvil barely had time to shift so that his body would take the strike from a more favourable angle. After that, it was all he could do to block each attack as the leader of the loyalists rained blow after blow on him. Then… it was Hazel’s turn to be surprised when a grey missile slammed into his side. He was sent sprawling, but was quickly helped back onto his hooves by his companions. A second later, Hammer retreated to Anvil’s side, and the two of them faced off their adversaries, with their backs to the stone door.
Anvil was winded and bruised, and he could hear his friend’s chest heaving as well. They had at least given some of the guards a good thrashing, too, but the better half of them was still strong on their hooves. Nopony moved. He took the opportunity to gather his wits. Eight against two. At any other time, those odds would have been trivial – but not tonight, and he thought he knew why. Discord.
“You still fight well,” Hazel commented as he shifted uncomfortably in his now dented armour. “I would have thought all the lounging around in the palace would have softened you up nicely.”
“Training. We learned from the best,” Hammer panted.
“How’d you find us?” Anvil wondered aloud. Keep them talking – breathe… breathe… “It is disturbing to think that we couldn’t elude you under cloud cover, at night.”
Hazel smiled. “Tracking spell. Courtesy of Celestia’s apprentice.”
Horse apples. Summer Cloud knew about Discord, and he was the one who had stolen some of Luna’s magic. They were weaker, now. And the loyalists knew it. He recalled the behaviour of the prisoners in the dungeon – they had known; they had been waiting.
“You’re staging a coup of your own,” Hammer concluded.
“We learned from the best.”
Things just keep improving, don’t they?
Four of the royal guards began to advance whilst four more took to the air to keep them penned in. Anvil sighed and steeled himself for combat once more. But the fight never resumed. Instead, there was a grinding sound from behind, and the loyalists halted their advance, some with mouths dropping open.
What now? Anvil whirled around, and saw the massive stone door sliding away, revealing an empty black hole. Except for their breathing, nopony made a sound. Thick fog began to flow out of the blackness, and then… three pairs of eyes appeared in the dark chamber; unblinking, and ghostly blue. They began to approach, and Anvil warily took a step back.
Hazel stood his ground. “Who’s there – show yourselves!”
“I wouldn’t encourage them,” Anvil muttered.
Three spectral ponies trotted into the lamplight. Or, at least, they looked like ponies. They were far larger, and blue and translucent, just like Discord’s apparition. And they had only two front legs; their rears and manes were glittery trails of mist and frost. Their bodies also made a faint, brittle crackling sound – like the kind that ice made when it was exposed to warmth, or when water was freezing over.
“Stars above… windigos!” one of the loyalists breathed. There was a collective gasp from some of the others. Anvil racked his brain – nopony had seen one of those in centuries…
“Stay back,” Hazel warned, “This is Royal Guard business. Let us carry out our duties and we will leave you be.”
“Oh yes, they look like the sort to acknowledge royal authority. Really – ”
“Anvil, just shut up,” Hazel cut him off.
One of the windigos snorted out a cloud of frosty air. Then, two of the spirits let loose unearthly shrieks and bolted past them – ignoring their cries of alarm – and surged through the gap and into the night beyond. They left a trail of frigid air and billowing snow in their wake. “Ponyfeathers!” somepony swore.
The temperature had dropped tremendously. Shivering, Anvil and the others turned back to face the remaining winter spirit. It regarded them with indifferent eyes, giving no indication as to whether it wished them well or ill. It drew breath, seemingly in preparation to speak, and Anvil heard the others holding theirs as well…
The blast was so sudden that he didn’t even have time to close his eyes. It just came; a roaring wind, and was so cold that it burned – he could feel it even through his coat and armour. He tried to raise a hoof to shield his face, but his foreleg encountered unexpectedly heavy resistance, moving with all the speed and grace of a snail. It stopped halfway up his chest. What in the world… Everything was muted, somehow, and the world was blurry, as if he was looking through a badly clouded up glass window. He saw the distorted form of the windigo shoot past him, but he couldn’t turn to follow its movement.
Oh, hayseed. He had meant to say it out loud, but the words never came. His mouth refused to move – everything refused to move. And it was cold. And then the realisation hit him – he was frozen solid.
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Finally an update?
img.ponibooru.org/_images/10e09faad7f7222f0e1468d3d087eeda/49788-cocaine_eyes%20epic%20epic_face%20happy%20pinkie_pie%20screencap%20screencapture%20screenshot%20smile%20sparkley_eyes.png
227865 exactly how i reacted
wow....Great chapter really im enjoying reading this keep it up ^^
Huh, well this certainly isn't good
well that explains who they got to present day.
Nice very nice. to be honest I didn't see the windagos coming in here
So the betrayers who were betraying them while they were betraying Luna were betrayed?
227865 <-- Says it all
Fuck! I knew they were going to get double-crossed like that!
Thank you for putting me through hell until the next part.
228279 we have to go deeper...
Hell yeah new chapter
! I think I was too busy finishing my own story to notice 
. But now I need some time to finish reading this first 
"he floated over to his statue and rapped on it with his knuckles" I really hope you meant "tapped"
229289
rap
1 [rap] verb, rapped, rap·ping, noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to strike, especially with a quick, smart, or light blow: He rapped the door with his cane.
229289 rapped and tapped can be synonyms. ;)
229450>>229464 Thank you both for pointing that out, English is not my first language, so the only rap I knew of was the style of music. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle
Hum, I don't like Discord being involved in Nightmare Moon stuff, but why not. Maybe he had foreseen that the two sisters wouldn't be linked to the element and he'd been planning in advance ? I may be wandering too much.. Anyway, nice chapter ! I'm too tired to say more
229934 Glad to help. :D
Interesting.
Can't wait for more.
229934
examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID15166/images/the_more_you_know2(1).jpg
Okay. You did much, much, MUCH better this time around with the twists. It all comes together- the calmness of the prisoners, Summer's spell, and Discord. And it all comes together in a double-double-cross. Well played, well played.
What do we learn to take from this?
Never, ever, EVER trust Discord!
EVER!
229294
Why indeed? All shall be revealed in time.
Just noticed a couple of typos;
"But, of course, there was the question was whether this statue..." - might want to remove the first "was" or replace the second one with "of" .
"...by the wind from his wings once his friend and loosened it." - "had loosened it" ?
"...effective at biting through their hide ... and melted and soaked into his coat." - this one I am not entirely sure about. I've seen it in numerous places throughout the story, but for some reason this part in particular bugged me out. What I mean is the constant swapping between "they" and "he". This place specifically makes it look odd, but then again, it might just be me.
As for the chapter itself... Aha! I was right about the windigos! Sort of...
But the thing really worth noting is your Discord. My oh my is that a strange topic. I can't even analyze him because the way you portrayed him is that everything he said could potentially be a lie. We don't even know if the way he acted in Hammer's and Anvil's presence was his actual personality or merely an act. All in all - kind of fitting for a God of Chaos.
I am not even sure if I should call out the loyalists for being stupid for opposing our heroes since they both got sort-of similar goals. Stars know what Discord told them about the whole thing.
Either way, cheers for the chapter. Keep 'em coming!
~F~
238155
Fixed, and thanks for pointing them out!
Oh wow, more errors slipped through the net.
As for the switch from 'they' to 'he'... I can see why it seems awkward. I guess it kinda is, although I felt that the last part should be limited to Anvil's own experience, since it was particularly bothersome to him. He would not know if a wet coat was equally bothersome to his friend.
And as for the behaviour of the loyalists; well... stay tuned.
Ok, frozen solid, NOT a good sign.
If my calculations are correct we can expect a chapter soon (most likely the 10th)
U will see this as there seems to be a gap (pun intended) of around 20 days... (the newest)
Place your bets!
10. 20 or 30 days?
228279 Yo dawg, I heard we need to go deeper.
There. Covered both jokes in one fell swoop.
Excellent portrayal of Discord! He sounded so much like his character should sound like and acted like himself. I love to see a well done Discord!
Also, I saw the Windigos coming, but it was still nice to see how they became freed by Discord's deception.
Keeps getting better and better
!
Discord is done very well here. You get props for that.
Beautiful work with Discord! Truly impressive work on his part in this!
And Windigos! Finally!
~Skeeter The Lurker
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no...!
NO no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no...!!
NO NO no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no...!!!
Not windigos!!!!! And frozen solid too??!!
Nice... Now Discord forces Luna to cooperate with Celestia.