Death's Bargain

by Haseo

Chapter 6 - The mare in the clouds

Chapter 6
The mare in the clouds

Applejack could feel something liquid brushing over her coat, slowly she regained consciousness. The last thing she could remember, was that she clung herself to Soul. The awkward feeling of being carried around made her wake up even faster. The constant up and down movements made it feel like a boat ride. She could feel Soul's soft coat underneath her belly.

Finally Applejack managed to open her eyes, her sight was still blurry when she looked down at the ground next to the hooves of the stallion. It looked like the ground was consisted of a mix of crystal clear water and some kind of gelatinous light blue and white liquid. It seemed like nothing could stand or even think about walking on this surface. But she could clearly hear the clopping sound of Soul's hooves. “Where am Ah?”

The orange mare tried to slip down from Soul's back, she didn't realize that she was tied up to his back until now. Her eyes wandered to her back, a blue glowing wire was wrapped around her back and Soul's belly. She still felt very weak and couldn't manage to struggle with Soul's magic.

It was weird to her, Soul didn't turn around nor did he pay any real attention to her. Her eyes wandered around the absolutely silent room until his voice cut through the stillness. “Please don't move, Applejack. This world is not meant for mortal beings. As soon as you stop touching me, your life will possibly fade away, and I don't want that to happen.”

Applejack's muscle tension fell immediately. Every single muscle in her body relaxed, she even let her head rest upon Soul's shoulders. “What is this place?”

Soul let her wait again, but this gave Applejack enough time to search her surroundings. The sleepiness was slowly withdrawing, her sharp senses returned to her and let her realize that she wasn't in Equestria anymore. She felt Soul breathing in deeply underneath her tummy. “I won't explain you everything in detail, but I will try to expound it to you as well as I can. This realm is very akin to a side path. It is a shortcut to every single place on Equestria's face.”

She stared into the seemingly endless space filled with this strange liquid and rubbed the last remains of her slumber out of her eyes. “But what is wrong with the ground? It looks like we are walking over a river or somthin'. Where are we headin' anyway?”

Soul giggled faintly, his deep voice was like salve in Applejack's ears. A small smile formed on her lips while his giggle faded. “Well, you could consider this world as some kind of river. This is the flow of time and we are walking against its torrent. I'm one of the few ponies that could ever enter and move freely inside this realm. If you would try to walk here, you would probably fall through time and end up inside the eternal void. Not very recommended, I've been there before and trust me, you wouldn't like it. So to anticipate your next question, I will tell you the purpose of this measure. Since we are walking against the flow of time, the time outside this realm won't pass for us. That means that we will reappear in the exact same moment we left. This is my personal untraceable way of teleporting.”

Applejack blinked rapidly, she lifted her head to get a view of Soul's face. “Why do ya want to be untraceable? Ah didn't know teleportin' was traceable in the first place.”

She could feel a rumble in the air, it gave her a shiver. Soul's pace increased a little bit, but he didn't want to let Applejack know that something might be wrong. “In these days only very few ponies are able to track down the marks of the commonly used teleportation spell. When war was still raging over the surface of Equestria, more and more ponies learned how to do it, but since the age of peace arrived, ponies had forgotten about the art of war magic. Besides the Princesses and me, there shouldn't be any ponies alive that are able to do it. But I'm afraid that even Twilight might be able to do it. Her talent is undeniable, and her insanity might drive her to amazing acts. Like it let me became a horrible monster. Nopony is supposed to know that we are paying Princess Luna a visit. She has to know that Twilight has fallen.”

Applejack's heart ached. She was always aware that new and stronger threats could appear, but she had never guessed that it might be one of them. She could feel her eyes get watery. Her eyes slipped down Soul's back and followed the way down his leg until she met the ground. For a long time she stared past his leg on the ground until realisation hit her. “Your leg.”

Soul narrowed his eyes, hidden from Applejack's eyes. Suspicious he tried to get a glimpse of her from the corner of his eyes. “What is wrong with it?”

She carefully leaned down and let her hoof strive about the spot Big Macintosh had bitten him. It felt so soft and plush, like she was stroking a newborn foal. “The wound on your leg is gone. Ah can't even feel bite marks and Ah can't remember feeling your magic to heal ya.”

Applejack could literally feel the cold shiver that ran down Soul's spine. “Of course, you couldn't feel me using magic. You were unconscious the entire time, and we only walked in here a few minutes ago.”

The logic of the dark stallion was nothing to oppose. Applejack had to resign to him. “Yeah, Ah see your point. Ah hadn’t even noticed ya return, so Ah guess ya are right.”

Soul remained silent and just walked on. Another rumble in the air shook through Applejack's body and almost made her fall of his back, only the magical wire kept her in place. “What is that strange vibration? It makes meh feel sick, like Ah'm rode on the applecarts all day.”

He looked hastily around his surroundings and even accelerated. Applejack was now bouncing up from his back to be pushed back down by the magical wire. Soul turned slightly to the left, the change of direction was almost unnoticeable inside this monotone realm. “This world is showing some rejection reactions due to a mortal passing through. But you don't have to worry, we are almost there.”

Light seemed to radiate from to horizon, Applejack had to close her eyes firmly shut, but that didn't keep the light outside her pupils. The light burned through her eyelids. She lost her orientation completely. It felt like she was standing on the ground and falling from the sky together. Like she was swirling and standing still at the same time. Applejack had never felt a more awkward feeling.

Fortunately, the feeling faded along with the blinding light and Applejack could feel that the magical wire around her back was resolving. When she slowly opened her eyes, her sight was still blurry from the light before. The shadows and shapes around her danced around the room and seemed to point their hooves at her.

Her sight cleared up while she blinked rapidly. The shapes and shadows turned into the beings they were supposed to be. The walls were clad in fine midnight-blue coloured silken fabric. Applejack's gaze locked upon the fabulously-crafted canopy bed, the insignia of the moon was stitched into the bedclothes. The sound of a gasping pony caught her attention, she looked over to the opposite site of the room and found its source.

Princess Luna stared at them in disbelief, her eyes were widened to the size of the royal porcelain dishes. She hold a sugary doughnut within her magical grip, her muzzle was covered in icing. The doughnut slipped out of her magical grip and fell to the ground. Applejack slipped down his back and stood firmly on her hooves again. She took her hat off and bowed down to the Princess. “Good afternoon, Princess Luna.”

The Princess couldn't bear it anymore, she set one hoof in front of the other over and over again until she stood directly in front of Soul. “Please tell me that you are real.”

The bearer of Time and Space weakly smiled at the Princess. “How couldn't I be real, if I'm standing in front of you right now, Luna?”

Single tears dripped down her cheeks, small sobs escaped the mouth of the Princess. “Oh come here, you!”

Princess Luna dashed forward and tackled him down. Her tears were flowing frankly and soaked Soul's mane. She hugged her lost Captain, who was so dear to her, with her strong alicorn hooves. “I've dreamed so many times. I dreamed that you would just appear in front of my door, and that I could simply enjoy your company. I couldn't be happier right now! Not even in a thousand years!”

Applejack looked down at Soul and the Princess who had raised him since he was a little colt. She sat down and couldn't do anything but smile at them. This was exactly what she wanted since her mother died. The warmth of a motherly embrace.

Soul and Princess Luna broke their embrace and raised to their hooves again. He shook the dust and icing sugar out of his mane and cleared his throat. “Its good to see you, Luna. I can't say how happy I'm to see you again, but we have to talk later at some point. Equestria is in severe danger again.”

Princess Luna bit on her lips, the despair in her eyes was clearly visible to Soul and Applejack. The Princess already knew that something was wrong. “I guess it is about Twilight's recent behaviour. So our apprehensions were proven. What do you plan to do to stop her?”

He looked at her in the same way a little colt looked when he sees a ferris-wheel for the first time. The Princess of the Night blushed and cringed a little bit in discomfort. “Why are staring like that at me? It doesn’t feel right to me.”

Soul blinked rapidly at the midnight blue mare. “You've changed so much while I was gone. You become much more mature, my Princess. I can't believe that you have grown so much while I stayed the same.”

The Princess stroked over Soul's grey mane, a little tear dripped down her dark cheek. “Thank you, Soul. I've changed indeed while you travelled inside the eternal ether, but you have changed as well. You seem to be a very different from who you were two years ago when you defeated Lunacy. I don't know how exactly, but something about you had changed.”

For the blink of a second Soul's eyes shrank together, Applejack could clearly see his reaction, but she still couldn't read his thoughts. Soul shook his uncertainty off and put an obviously false smile on his lips. “Too many kind words from you. But in these two years, I only fell through the endless eternity. The darkness around me almost devoured me completely. Maybe, but just maybe, something isn't different but missing. I don't know what yet.”

Applejack suspiciously eyed him from behind. She went between those two and looked for a brief moment at the Princess. “Now that you mention it. How did ya manage to return?”

Soul stared at Applejack with his blue eyes like he tried to stab her. It was well visible to her that he felt uncomfortable. “Before we reunited at the Colosseum two years ago, I made a promise. I have sworn that I will save Equestria over and over again, as many times as necessary and not even death will stop me from fulfilling my promises.”

Soul's kind words conjured a smile on Princess Luna's lips. Despite his age, Soul was still a little naïve colt sometimes. “It is true, the power of what seem to be mere words can become one of the most powerful spells.”

Their little chat got interrupted by the clopping sound of the hooves that belonged to one of the Guards. He bashed the door open and stumbled inside the room. Face first, he hit the ground in front of the Princess. Hastily, he reorganized his armour and saluted to his Princess. “I'm Lieutenant Blazing Night, something terrible happened around the area of Los Pegasus and...”

The breath of the guard stocked when he recognized Princess Luna's guests. Astonished he threw himself to Soul's hooves and kissed them. “You are back Captain. You really made it back! All this time I was waiting! I even bet that you would return, I always doubted that you would be gone.”

Applejack carefully leaned over to the humble guard and offered him a hoof to help him stand up. “Sorry, but ya seem to be a bit young for a guard.”

Blazing Night raised to his hooves again and smiled genuinely at the farmer. “You are right, Miss. Officially, I'm under-age to join the guards. But the Captain had personally brought me in after he saved my life.”

She eyed the young unicorn stallion suspiciously, besides his young age, he looked pretty well trained. The midnight-blue armour covered the majority of his body including his cutie mark. His coat was coloured in a friendly looking hue of beige. Even his eyes showed his obvious friendliness, their light green colour would even melt the heart of the coldest pony. They perfectly matched his vigorous orange mane. “He saved your life? When did this happen?”

From her right side she could hear the old stallion laugh melancholy. “Of course, I remember you Blaze. It was shortly after I graduated from Luna's Military School and joined a special unit of the Nightmare Legion. Rumours went around that a small group of dragons were scavenging in one of Equestria's outside districts. So Luna decided that a special selection of Guards able to fight a dragon should go and check. We were three unicorns and two pegasi. While the pegasi checked our surroundings from the air to keep any surprises away, every unicorn was specially trained. Iron Hoof was our physically strongest member and capable of powerful shielding spells. Midnight Veil was our medic, she had a wonderful character and was willing to help anypony that was hurt, regardless if friend or foe. And then there was me, tactical leader of the operation and only capable of destruction. The travel was long, at that time I wasn't able to walk through space like I'm able today. We headed for a small village near the border called Ponyham. But we never reached it in time. When we arrived the village was bathed in the blazing fire of a single dragon. His scales were coloured in a pitch black. Today, I doubt that this was his real colour, I believe he was bathed by darkness from all the blood of the ponies he killed and homes he burned.. There were no screams or ponies running around anymore. We dispatched Midnight Veil to search for survivors, while Iron Hoof created two magical chains and gave them to the pegasi. We fought dragons before, but this one was certainly different. They tried to wrap his wings, but the dragon noticed them and struck them to the ground with his tail. I can still see the blazing fire and hear their screams when the fire burned them away. The buildings around us collapsed and Iron had to shield us. It simply took too much time, the dragon dived down and struck through the shield and beheaded Iron Hoof. I had luck and was thrown into the crater where the corpses of the pegasi were lying. The dragon continued to rampage through the village. He probably thought I was dead. Soon after, I heard Midnight Veil scream. The silence afterwards was the most terrifying moment in my life so far.”

Applejack put her hooves on his shoulder and offered him a warm smile. “Ah'm very sorry, Soul.”

The stallion returned the smile, his eyes were bloodshot and sore. The pain was still there. “This was the first time I noticed that I was different. I was all alone against a fearsome dragon, but my fear was suddenly gone. Pure rage and hatred pulsed through my veins. I felt my body turning but couldn't think of the reason. The heat formed around my body and matched the darkness of the dragon. I felt a pair of wings on my back. I looked back and saw these blazing pair of wings that I used so many times from that point of time on. It didn't matter to me how and why they appeared, I only wanted to take revenge. I rocketed to the sky and headed for the dragon. He turned around, but it was too late for him. My wings cut neatly through his neck and his dead body fell from the sky. From high above, I saw Midnight Veil lying on the ground. I landed and the flames disappeared. She was still alive, she quietly coughed and was lying on something. Her lasts words were to protect him than she died just like that. I gently lifted her and laid her to the side. Underneath her was a little colt with beige coat and orange mane. She had shielded him with her life, so I had no other choice than take care of him. This little colt was you, Blaze.”

Tears ran down Applejack's and Luna's face. For Luna it didn't matter how many times she heard the story or remembered it. Every time she was touched by tears. Applejack walked over to the little stallion and eyed him carefully. “Ya are barely older than mah lil' sister. And yet ya are a guard of the Princess. Such terrible things have happened in your life and still... ya’re smiling.”

The grin on Blaze's face got even wider, he hadn’t noticed the sad underlining in her voice. “It is not like I don’t miss my parents sometimes, but Soul always took care of me and made me forget my pain. He used to play with me almost everyday and taught me many things, like some magic and even how to fish. Ever since he became Captain, his visits became rare, but I still watched him from the distance, and I was sure that he did as well. I look up to him and want to became exactly like him!”

Even the stallion that had murder thousands in the past without any reaction was touched. He slowly went forward and wrapped his hoof around the little guard and held him in a fatherly embrace. “You stupid little brat. Don't ever say that again. I pray for you that you never have to witness the death of your family and friends like I did. Everypony is gone, except of Luna, you and… her.”

Soul turned around and faced Applejack. She slightly blushed immediately and looked away in embarrassment. Blaze followed his gaze and ended up at the shied away farmer. He walked over to her and looked at her with huge eyes. “Excuse me, Miss. I forgot to ask for your name. Are you another one of Soul's friends from the past?”

Applejack took down her hat and lifted Blaze's chin with her hoof up. “Ya could say that we know each other from the past, but I belong to this time. I'm the former Element of Honesty, Applejack.”

Blaze smiled and hugged Applejack immediately. He was still a little child, a very good-hearted child. He even seemed to have forgotten why he came to the Princess in the first place, but soon he was soon reminded. Another Royal Guard burst inside through the still opened door. The white coated and blue-maned guard bowed down quickly and firmly before he hastily began to speak. “Your highness, I've sent Blazing Night to you to bring the news, but it seems like he didn't carry out his order.”

The guard shot an evil glare over to Blaze. The Princess stepped forward and cut through the guard's field of view. “Then speak, guard.”

He cringed under the fearsome glare of Princess Luna, he gulped one time and continued. Sweat began to pour down under his golden helmet. “We got word from Los Pegasus, the grains, vegetables, and fruits around this particular area are rotting away. The ponies will soon starve if we don't take counter measures.”

A cold shiver ran down Princess Luna's spine. Within her reign such a situation never occurred so far.. “This is terrible! We have to do something, any options so far?”

The guard gulped again, it seemed like he wasn't used to bring bad news. “I'm terribly sorry, but that is not everything. One of our biggest cities Manehatten is infected with the sickness. The black death is haunting the resident population. I'm afraid that many of them will die since there is no known cure. Furthermore it seems like the griffon kingdom is showing aggression toward us. They openly assume war against us. From one moment to another, our situation looks bleak. What shall we do, Princess?”

Princess Luna couldn't bear the imagination of so many loyal subjects dying. The adrenaline pumped through her veins and her eyes shrank to small dots. She closed her eyes tightly shut and tried to focus. “First of all, consult the ambassador of the Griffon Kingdom. Despite their natural tense, we always had a good relationship with them so far. For the Los Pegasus problem, every city that can dispense any of their food will send it to Los Pegasus immediately. The pestilence in Manehatten is the worst problem. We have to isolate them until we have found a cure, send a team of unicorn's able to built a barrier around the town.”

Applejack had still the little colt in her arms, she squeezed him tightly to her chest by this horrible news. “How horrifying. How can somethin' like this happen so quickly?”

The Royal Guard was still shivering. It wasn't over yet. “Additionally... Discord's statue has disappeared from the gardens.”

The room temperature seemed to fall, they could already see their breath in front of their eyes. Their eyes wandered over to Princess Luna, but it wasn't her magic, it was Soul's. His eyes were faintly glowing, it looked like he was ready to burn the whole population of Manehatten to death to prevent the spread of the plague. “Guard, carry out your order and leave now.”

The guard saluted and left the room immediately, too big was the fear of the old stallion. Nopony wanted to make him angry. Soul walked over to the window and pointed his gaze towards the sky. A single cloud was hanging in front of the sun. The others followed his gaze and focused upon the lone cloud. “I bet I know where Discord is. I just hope Shadow and the others don't go into Twilight's basement.”

From far above, a mare watched them. Invisible to the eyes of most of them, she sat on the cloud. Her white top-hat was pulled so far down that only one of her light-grey eyes was visible. Her mane was grey as well, matching her two-toned grey-coloured coat. She wore a necklace with a black ribbon and a skull pendant around her neck. The same skull decorated her flank. A wicked grin was scarred into her face. “Why are you staring at me like this? Why do you think would I offer you such a deal, my dear? You will catch my brothers for me and bring this mad mare down. Then you will pay the price for protecting everypony dear to you and your body and soul will belong to me, my delicious little stallion. I'm really looking forward to it.”

The pegasus mare licked her lips and faded into thin air, always under the watch of Soul's vigilant eyes.