That Which was Lost

by LadyRFC

An Idea

“Did you… get it?”
Twilight could barely feel her mouth move to her words as the sky, now full of stars, snapped back into place above her. She tried to sit up and found that she was lying on her side on the stones nearby and that her entire left side had gone numb with sleep.
She heard a chorus of her friends around her murmur their relief at her revival and a sharp, but clearly concerned, request from Rarity to “never attempt something so dangerous again.” Twilight decided it best to not acknowledge that one. She knew it would end up as a broken promise in the end. Instead she focused her attention on the draconiquus looming over them, his eyes more exhausted than ever before.
“Don’t worry,” he assured her, his voice a hint slower than usual. “I got it. It’s just a vague direction, mind you.”
“It’ll be enough,” Twilight assured him, rising up on shaky hooves and stomping a few times in an attempt to wake up her sleeping half. She cringed at the stinging feeling racing across her coat, but kept at. She looked up at Discord. “You should stay here and re-“ she paused for half a beat as the draconiquus glanced at Fluttershy, “and remain on the lookout for any changlings.” She gave him a smile. “The desert is big, after all. Some might still be wondering around and we don’t want this town to get invaded.”
Discord’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded. “I suppose if Princess Twilight Sparkle wishes it I must comply.”
“You’re not thinking of going out there, are you?” Rarity’s tone was high again.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Twilight. Ah mean that desert hit you real hard this time,” Applejack added.
“I think I know how to fix that,” Twilight mused, looking in Rainbow’s direction.
“But we can’t all fly, dear,” Rarity reminded her friend and blushing slightly from the sudden memory of her butterfly wings.
“Hey, yeah!” Pinkie interrupted, pushing forward, her mustache still clinging to her nose. Twilight wondered how long it planned to hang on. “When do I get wings and start flying?!”
Nearly every pony looked horrified at the idea of Pinkie with wings, while Discord gave a smile of amusement that concerned Twilight.
“Uh, well, that’s not quite what I meant,” the alicorn explained, drawing the conversation, and hopefully Discord’s attention, into safer waters. “The sand didn’t seem to affect Rainbow when she was walking on it.”
“Well,” Fluttershy murmured, “we are pegasus so…” Her eyes grew wide as she stopped herself, realizing what Twilight was implying.
“Why, of course!” Rarity spoke up, coming to the same conclusion. “It’s not just that pegaus have wings. They also have special hooves for walking on clouds!”
“That’s right,” Twilight confirmed. “And considering that the sand had no affect on them, it must mean that whatever is sucking up power around here must be unable to draw anything out of hooves that can walk on clouds.”
“And somepony here,” Applejack continued, eying her friend with a smile, “knows of a spell that can let us non-flyin’ ponies imitate them fancy pegasus stompers.”
“Is that the plan then?” Rainbow asked, excitement replacing her earlier worry. “Sweet! We can finally get back at those changling jerks!”
“Rainbow,” Twilight warned, “we don’t know for sure that they’re behind it. And besides, we still need to test my theory.”
“I’ll do it,” Rarity immediately offered.
Before Twilight could reply to the offer, Pinkie began jumping up and down around them. “Oh, oh, pick me! I’ll do it! I’ve got more energy than I know what to do with!”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Applejack muttered under her breath.
“Thanks, Pinkie. And Rarity.”
“You’re gonna test it on both of them?” Rainbow asked, shocked.
Twilight looked between the two test subjects, feeling a bit uneasy. “I don’t have much of a choice. I need to make sure it’s going to work for unicorns and earth ponies.”
“What about you, Twilight?” Applejack asked quietly.
The alicorn gave her friend a grin she didn’t entirely feel. “I’ll just have to take my chances.” At the worried looks returning to her companions’ faces she hurried to add, “But I can always fly if this doesn’t work out.”
“Um… excuse me, but…”
Twilight turned towards Fluttershy’s small voice, wondering how long the shy pony had been trying to talk.
Poking a yellow hoof into the ground she asked, “What about Spike?”
“Sp-“ Twilight immediately looked around in the dim moonlight for the small dragon. “Where is he?!”
“Here,” Discord answered, standing from his sitting position and uncurling his tail from something. There on the stony ground was the dragon in question, tucked into a ball and sleeping away.
Twilight relaxed, being briefly reminded of the time he had wondered off as an infant. She had thought she had become less protective over the years. Quickly she dismissed it as simply due to the fact that he was still a baby dragon. Technically.
"He can ride on my back," Twilight answered softly.
“That there,” Applejack said with a smile as she walked up to Twilight’s side and stared down at Spike, “may just be a sign that we should get some rest for now and resume our plans in the mornin’.”
As murmurs of agreement rose from her friends, Twilight turned to Discord.
“Alright then. Discord, what hotel are you staying at? Can you lead us there?”
The draconiquus blinked. “You’re already there.”
Twilight blinked back. “Huh?”
Discord grinned and waved his lion’s paw around them. “Right here. This has been my home as of late!”
Twilight groaned, wondering if Discord’s exhaustion was entirely the desert’s fault after all.
“Oh, oh! Pick me, pick me!”
Twilight rubbed at her eyes with one hoof. “Yes, Pinkie?”
The pink pony stopped pouncing with a grin. “When I got some food for Rainbow Dash, I saw an inn. They’re having a homemade donut contest next week. Donuts!” She began bouncing again, making Twilight feel even more exhausted.
“So, what?” Discord scoffed, once more sitting down on the stones, his arms crossed. “No amount of fried breading makes up for their obvious lack of taste in abstract decorating.”
Twilight’s hoof fell to the ground. “Wait. Are you saying you are staying in a hotel?”
“No,” he corrected with disdain, “I was.” He pouted. “And they kicked me out.”
“What a shocker,” Rainbow muttered.
“Let me guess,” Twilight ventured. “You tried to show them how to redecorate the inn.”
Discord raised his mismatched arms in disgust. “You’d think turning the staircase into dimensional portal was a crime the way they went on about it!”
“A portal?!” Rainbow’s voice held a hint of curiosity and awe.
Twilight couldn’t help being impressed by Discord’s magical ability as well. Portals were no simple feat.
“It was beautiful!” the draconiquus exclaimed, his eyes lit up, the exhaustion pushed back for the moment. “A large blue box with glass windows and everything! Some of my finest work.”
Twilight sighed. “Please tell me you put it back the way it was.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. Don’t worry, princess.” He gave her a crocked grin. “I’m being… good.”
“Good,” Twilight sighed again, using her magic to lightly lift up the sleeping Spike and set him on her back. “Well, girls, let’s get going. We’re going to need the rest for tomorrow.”

Comments

[Harwick]

Hmmm... Shouldn't Twilight already be able to walk on clouds, having the innate magic of a Pegasus now? We've seen Celestia in Cloudsdale like any other Pegasus, after all. Yet she was drained while Rainbow wasn't... Which means that its either not the cloud walking that protects Rainbow, or that there's something to Alicorns that makes a difference. (Who knows how unicorn, Pegasus and earth pony magic all tie together?).

Looking forward to more of the mystery, regardless....

[LadyRFC]

2584582 Ahaha, pony magic logic. It's a world of confusion. Your point is very much valid and I'm glad you brought it up! But I can't help but wonder if alicorns can even be in the same category as pegasus seeing as how they have magic and pegasus normally don't. I kinda wonder if it's magic holding them up? Problem is that we know next to nothing about alicorns really. Cadence seems to have been born as one, but Twilight became one. So that alone shows that alicorns probably don't follow normal logic rules.
Also, some pegasus who are very young seem to have trouble with clouds... Mainly Scootaloo (who also struggles with flying, so that might have something to do with it too). So I wonder if awareness of abilities has anything to do with it. Again, too little info to be sure.
IN ANY CASE, your point brings up a lot of questions with no clear answers so I'll prob just go back and edit stuff for simplicity's sake. I'm already treading on some heavy theoretical waters with Twilight struggling with her alicorn transformation (although that was rather unavoidable), so I shouldn't try to pick up too many other deep theories on pony logic. It'll get waaaay too confusing. lol

[Starcat5]

2584928
Well, somepony pointed out what I was going to say, so let me suggest something else: Cloud Walking spell plus boots made from clouds. It's an easy fix, and circumvents the whole "Of course Twi is getting hit hardest, her Unicorn and Earth Pony magic are being sapped simultaneously" issue.

[FoxWithAMask]

2584928 Actually Cadence wasn't born an alicorn she was born a pegasus and became an alicorn. True story.

[Razzy]

I bet a certain ponyville resident wasn't happy about the portal.