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The Elements, though most of them are content to know peace, have been lifted to a godly status. As their fame grew, as did their power. Their auras gained the ability to affect people, and their professions became something more than a hobby to them as their minds warped from the fame.
They were separated, their power manifesting itself in the more of creatures that could not be killed by metal or magic. They have been split for centuries, their mortality spiralling away. It is 479 years after the Separation of the Elements, and they are needed again.
Those who used to use the Elements have grown accustom to their solitude. When the time comes that they are needed again, the Elements must be controlled by different people. Their time is over. They must be retrieved.
Princess Celestia paced up and down the throne room, glancing out a stained-glass window every time she passed one. The images depicted in the colourful glass brought her years back, reminding her that the people she had brought together to be the Elements of Harmony had once been young women, all loyal to the cause. Even further back to when her and her sister wielded the Elements, the events that led to a time of peace so unlike how it was now. All of them had been so reliable, her sister and the girls. It had been well over four hundred years since they had returned her sister to her, in her true form, not the form of Nightmare Moon. Over four hundred years since they stopped the second coming of Discord, even the second coming of King Sombra. Their power grew, and they were forced to save towns and cities from horrible creations, which were ultimately manifestations of the negative power they held. The overwhelming strength that caused even Fluttershy to turn against her original nature. Thank god they had been forced into seclusion. Were they still together, the current scenario would have been even worse.
Once again, their world was under attack. Those things, those indescribable things that had been created during the final years of their stay in Ponyville, were back. The great shadow-like monsters that could not be killed, but only pushed back; the shadows that could have been dragons, people, or things that this world has not seen. They looked solid, with almost no features visible through a thick, ever shifting shroud of black smoke. The smaller villages of Ponyville, Appleloosa and Hoofington had already been taken and any survivors driven out to the larger cities, which had set up barricades against the onslaught, but it would not be long now before they were overcome. The Crystal Empire, now thriving, was locked off from the rest of the world, much to Celestia's aggravation. They wanted to preserve themselves, and would not offer any help. The magical power centre of the world, and they refused to send aid of any kind. In a way, it made sense. With Cadence and Shining Armour long gone, they had a much more strict ruler. One who was not at all concerned with the affairs outside the Crystal Empire. Celestia was unsure of whether Cadence would have lived as long as she and Luna, though it seemed that she had tied her life to Shining Armour, and in doing so died with him. In marriage Elite Mages lost their immortality.
She paused in front of the window nearest to the thrones, an image of her and her sister working in harmony for the first time. Raising the sun and the moon in perfect unison, before Luna snapped. Where is she? Celestia thought to herself, focusing on the window. Her sister had left some time ago in search of Twilight Sparkle, the representation of the strongest and most elusive element, Magic. That was what they needed, her magic. Due to it being her special talent, and her newly granted immortality and power, she had abilities that rivaled even the princesses. She had to have a hand in driving back the Shadow Beings.
She moved to her throne, folded her wings and sat on it, her face in her hands. She feared for Luna. Though her younger sister was a competent warrior and mage, she had been gone for weeks now. If she didn't return soon, Celestia feared she too would have to go hunting, leaving Canterlot undefended. After that, it wouldn't be long until the Shadow Beings invaded her home. The royal guard wouldn't last long against such a foe. Even she did not know how to stop them.
She needs to be back soon, I can't see how she would be gone for so long.
Not five minutes after she had this thought, the doors to the throne room burst open, startling every guard inside. The two guards that had been on the other side of the door both rushed in, on either side of a very battered and cut Princess Luna. Her hair was in complete disarray, falling over her scratched face. Her clothing steamed, torn in several places, and her quiver completely void of any arrows. Both wings were crooked, looking broken. She was panting heavily, her face red. She must have strained herself to fly back up to the castle. The only thing that Celestia could say she was thankful for, besides her sister returning at all, was that her sword was locked firmly in its scabbard. Were she to have lost her sword, it would have been irreplaceable. It was a valuable weapon in itself against the Shadow Beings.
The elder Princess sprinted forwards, catching the young lunar woman as she fell, face-first, to the floor. "Luna!" she gasped, kneeling to better support her younger sister.
"Celestia, sister, I could not find Twilight Sparkle..." Her already weak voice trailed off and she fell unconscious in Princess Celestia's arms.
"Luna, Luna, stay with me. Luna!" Celestia shook her as hard as she dared, bringing Luna out of her brief fainting spell.
"Water... I need..." Luna trailed off, but her request was clear. Celestia nodded and gestured to one of the guards, who immediately ran off. From there she proceeded to help Luna to her throne, and once she was settled took her place in hers, watching the young princess intently.
"What happened sister?" Celestia asked, her voice soft and filled with worry. Luna took a couple minutes to compose herself before saying anything, taking off her sword belt and quiver and laying it at her feet. When she had straightened up, she leaned back in the throne and closed her eyes, painfully folding her wings. As she did, the guard ran in, holding a glass filled with water. Luna took it and drank nearly the entire glass in one gulp, small streams trickling down her chin. Under normal circumstances, Celestia would have scolded her for the action, but she ignored it, simply happy to see her sister alive.
"Chrysalis has joined the battle," Luna whispered when she was done, her face contorted in disgust.
Celestia's eyes widened, fearing the worst. "I assume she is not on our side?"
"No, anything but that. She is still smarting from being beaten by the couple she had tried so hard to destroy. And the second war we had, about a hundred years ago now, did nothing to help heal that wound. She is malicious and vengeful, more than prepared to attack the centre of Canterlot, when she has the power. Though it will not be long before her forces are mustered, she will attack. The question is when."
Celestia thought back to the war, the war that Chrysalis began with Canterlot. It had been long and hard, both sides suffering major casualties. It had been devastating. For Chrysalis to be back in action and gathering the power to invade was an awful sign. With her army serving these shadow beings, the prospects of winning this war weren't looking good.
"So our only hope is the Elements," Celestia said with worry.
Luna opened her eyes and shifted her gaze to the windows, scanning to the end of the row, to the image of the most recent battle with the Changeling army. The Elements had stayed safely out of the way for that battle, ignoring the summons of both Princesses. And once again, the Elements were leaving them on their own. "We cannot put our trust in them, they have lost the sense of what it means to be the Elements of Harmony. Even Rainbow Dash is only loyal to herself now," she said.
"This is- concerning."
"More than concerning sister." Luna pushed herself out of her chair, causing Celestia to rise as well. The younger sister refused to be weakened by her injuries. She walked to the nearest window, dragging her sword with her and drawing it. "We must be prepared to enter the fray ourselves. In the mean time, all we can do is hope that those who are coming to take the place of the Elements find their way soon." She ran a finger along the flat of the blade, which shone black and blue in the sunlight.
Celestia stood next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I am aware, but you must rest Luna, you have been hurt. It will be some time before they are able to penetrate Canterlot’s defenses."
"I am more concerned about our major cities. I will not hesitate to defend them."
"I know. But only time will tell. As I said, all we can hope for is that those who were chosen to take the place of the current Elements will meet."
While the Princesses stood, contemplating the next move for them in the war, a winged young woman holding a bow with a quiver on her back knelt on a rooftop, scanning the horizon for any sign of the hoard. She shifted her quiver, adjusting it against her wings. Her eyes were hard, her blond hair pulled back into a long ponytail. Her name was Lightning Chaser, and she had come from Hoofington, a small village that had been completely destroyed by the Shadow Beings. She had been among the few who had escaped to Trottingham, losing her family in the process. There was no way for her to know if they were safe and while she wished to look for them, she had been forced into an archer squadron in Trottingham. It had been three days since the destruction of Hoofington, and she had not been grieving for long enough.
She straightened, shielding her eyes from the sun, hoping that the brightness was a sign they were not close. She so desperately wanted to look for her family, torn between her duty and her bloodline. She glanced down into the street, where mages and warriors had gathered at gates all around the outskirts, prepared for a battle they could hardly predict. In the clouds, winged archers stood ready, their bows in hand.
It wasn't long before scouts flooded back in dozens, their leader landing in front of the general and relaying the news he had picked up. The general turned to the head magician and nodded. The magician put a hand on the back of his neck, the palm glowing slightly, and the general began to speak, his voice amplified.
"They are not far off," he said, his powerful voice echoing through the streets. "We must prepare for the attack. Archers, be at the ready, we rely on you to drive them back as much as you can. Everyone else, you know your orders, attack without mercy. They cannot die, but they can be injured. Everything that lives can be injured. May Celestia sharpen your blades.”
“And Luna strengthen our shields!” was the answering roar from the troops that Lightning Chaser did not take part in. She did not know where her loyalties lied, being so quickly recruited, having no time to consider a plan for finding her family. She wasn't meant to be an archer, she was meant to control the lightning storms generated in Cloudsdale. She had learned that fact years ago, the small storm clouds printed on her palms told the story far better than she could. But here she was, an archer. It had crossed her mind that the power of storms would be more beneficial than archers, but the general thought otherwise.
It was then that she saw it, the mass of black that was the unstoppable enemy. She pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and strung it, trusting her aim, hoping against hope that it would be accurate. She did not pull the bow string back, not yet. She leapt from the building, her wings opening on her back as the air rushed past her. Flight was always a release for her, being able to reach things that no others could. Regardless of the knowledge she was about to fight for her life, she felt free for just than instant.
The general was right; the Shadow Beings could be injured. Archers had been instructed to aim for the top of the body, as it was assumed that was where the head was. If they hit in the right spot, the creatures could be injured to the point of being unable to battle. That was all they could hope for, a retreat with not too many casualties on their side. She came to a stop about fifty feet up and a hundred feet from the front lines of the grounded warriors. She was joined by several dozen other winged fighters, all of them hovering with her. One man in slightly heavier armour than the rest of them floated down in front of the lines, holding a longbow.
"On my mark," he said with a grave tone, "you will fire. Our aim is to take down as many as we can as quickly as we can. Do not try to kill; you will waste your arrows. One arrow per target, move on if you miss. Understood?"
"Yes," said the troops nobly. It was clear they were all scared, though some had a braver face than others. Lightning Chaser closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the final moment of peace before the fight. When she opened them, the head of the archery team was turned to face the direction the Shadow Beings would be coming from. It wasn't long before a great cloud of blackness appeared over the horizon, slowly blocking out the sun. "Archers, ready!" yelled the head, raising his hand and bow above his head. The archers collectively raised their bows to a firing position, pulling back the bowstring.
They held this position for what seemed like an eternity, ready to fire, their eyes fixed on the ever-growing black mass in the distance. Lightning Chaser was more than ready, though she didn't know if she would hit anything. Then again, there were so many things that it seemed impossible to miss. It was an enormous group, and those tended to take a lot of hits from archers. So intently was she watching the hoard that she didn't notice when their head brought his arm down, notched an arrow, and shouted "Fire!” making her slightly late in firing the first shot.
Sixty-two arrows whistled through the air, flying straight into the blackness. None of them were sure if they'd hit anything, but it didn't matter to them. The head notched another arrow and his troops copied his motions, once again launching a shot into the darkness. Take as many out as you can. Their ammunition was limited, at maximum the sixty-two of them could take out just over seven hundred before drawing their knives and dive-bombing the army.
It continued to advance, undisturbed by the arrows flying into their defenses. The swirling black clouds that surrounded them thickened, obscuring them completely, forcing the archers to rely solely on trust in their eye and their weapon. It wasn't long before they heard the war cry of the ground units, meaning that they had begun their charge. The shots of magic could be heard over the clash of steel and shouts of warriors. It was soon after that they ran out of arrows. The group flew upwards, breaking through the nearest cloud, leaving the fight below them.
"Draw your knives," said their head, pulling his blade out of its cover. "Prepare yourselves. You are going to fly above the enemy. The mages are trying to dissipate the black clouds around them, giving us a better shot at whatever is under them."
The group nodded, pulling out their knives. Lightning Chaser regarded hers with a slight fear. She had never used a knife before, unless it was for cooking. This knife was different, sharper, with a bound leather grip. She had heard a lot about blades being balanced, but this blade didn't feel particularly balanced. She weighed it in her hand, watching the others for the cue to go. She assumed the head would tell them, but he seemed to have left them to their own devices. The archers were starting to drop through the cloud and off the sides, and soon she was the only one left.
The head looked at her and raised an eyebrow before taking off himself, brandishing a second knife in his other hand. She took her turn and fell through the clouds, turning upside down as she did so. With her knifepoint facing straight down, she shot like a bullet towards the opposing army, the black fog slowly dissipating under her. She felt the point of the knife sink into something, waited half a second longer, then pulled up and hovered with the rest of the squad. She didn't know if she had hit anything, or if it had any effect, but it was the best she could do. The others seemed to be having the same problem, pulling up whether they hit something or not.
She glanced over at the grounded units for a second, and didn't like what she saw. The small group of units was trying their best to hold the army back, but they wouldn't last much longer. She considered joining them, but decided against it. Her place was in the air with the other winged units. She flew down again, now in time with the rest of her squad.
This went on for some time, and she quickly grew sweaty and tired. But still, the army chugged forward. The smoke had almost completely been cleared, though there was still a layer surrounding the bodies, blocking their features from view. Whenever one dropped, another would fill its place, as the wounded would fade into the ground. The entire army was well aware that this did not mean they had been killed. No, they were not so naive to believe that, but they had been hurt. That was the best they could do.
"Hey kid," said a voice behind Lightening Chaser as she rose for what felt like the thousandth time. It was a rough voice, filled with malicious whimsy. She turned, brandishing her knife, and was greeted by a sight she had only seen in pictures. A Changeling Knight, his insect-like wings fluttering wildly, so small they shouldn't be able to hold him up. He grinned, his teeth long and sharp, an evil glint in his solid blue eyes.
Lightening Chaser swallowed her fear, remembering her forced allegiance. She couldn't back down, especially not now. She lunged at the Changeling, knife first, and the blade stabbed into the things arm. There was no blood, no cry of pain. Her blade had gone straight through a hole in his arm, causing the Changeling no harm.
"Nice try kid. How old are you, sixteen? You don't know what you're dealing with."
The Changeling pulled his arm away from her blade and swung his own knife at her. She blocked just in time, her inexperience with a blade showing true. The Changeling pushed her back with ease, just as the rest of the army pushed back the small reserve at the edge of town. She just barely heard the head calling for a retreat over the sounds of shouting filling the air. She backed away as best she could, before the Changeling stopped. More out of curiosity than common sense, she stopped too, wondering what it was going to do. There was a rush of wind and the thing’s body was enveloped in green fire. Lightning Chaser shielded her eyes from the flames. When the glow died, she looked up and saw- herself?
The shock must have been written on her face, because the Changeling in front of her laughed. "You people are all the same," he said in her voice, "when you don't understand, you get scared. You're so funny."
The Changeling launched forward once again and engaged her as she tried desperately to get away. The head of the squad continued to call for retreat and she abandoned the fight, shooting upwards and through a cloud. It was in said clouds that she and the rest of the winged warriors stayed for the rest of the surprisingly short battle. When they discovered that the battle was over, and Trottingham had been taken, they abandoned the clouds, all save Lightning Chaser, who stood atop one, staring down at the city. The second city she had seen taken, and already they were disassembling it, making it their own. She decided on the spot that she was going to go to Canterlot. She was going ask the Princesses what they were planning, if they were planning anything at all.
A young man of seventeen jogged anxiously through the streets of Canterlot, unsure of why what he found made him so anxious. While searching for something, anything, in the Canterlot Libraries that would tell him something about the imminent threat of the Shadow Beings, he ran across an odd picture in a surprisingly old tome. The woman had scared him, her eyes violent and stature more than regal. Next to the picture of the woman was an image of her mark. As soon as he saw it, he slammed the book shut and sprinted from the library, his entire body chilled to the bone. He didn't know who to turn to, or if he wanted to turn to anyone. His first thought was his parents, they might know something, but both of them had gone, joining the fight elsewhere, leaving him alone. He was more than competent on his own, but he missed parental guidance.
His second thought was his friends, but they would dismiss his feelings. They always did, and it didn't matter anyway, they wouldn't know what to do about this, what was there to do? They couldn't change what he was best at. His final thought was desperate, but it was all he could think of doing. He was going to the princesses. If anyone could tell him if he was over-reacting, or if it actually meant something, it was they. He sincerely hoped it was nothing, but couldn't shake the feeling that it was something important.
He reached the gardens of the castle, running past the statues and wandering guards towards the doors of the castle. Everyone was allowed in the entrance hall to admire the decor, but getting into the throne room would be harder, and to contact the princesses nearly impossible. But he had magic; he knew he could over-power the guards. It was his 'special talent'.
He climbed the main stairs in the entrance quickly, glancing about as he did so. He was surprised the guards weren't more opposed to him entering, though he supposed they would begin to question his intentions once he got nearer the throne room.
He opened a rather official looking door and peered inside. It looked to be the right way, and he was about to go through it when he heard a voice behind him, and turned.
"Yes?" he asked, looking the guard in the eye and pretending that nothing was wrong.
"May I ask what you're doing here?" the guard asked, taking a step forward.
"I have urgent business that I need to take care off," he replied.
"Business with who?"
The young man glanced around before answering, unsure of how to proceed. This guard was going to get in his way; he had to talk to the princesses. The more he thought about it, he knew they were the only ones who you tell him what he needed to know.
He moved swiftly to the guard, reaching out with his hand as he did so. The guard barely had time to react before he was on the ground, his memories clean. By the time he hit the ground he was unconscious. The young man glanced around again before casting a cloaking spell on him to prevent anyone from finding him. He would wake up within the next ten minutes, completely visible. Timed spells, one of his specialties.
He turned back to the door and walked through it, thinking that it might be simpler just to cloak himself. Self-cloaking was difficult, but perhaps worth it. It was then that three more guards intercepted him. Yes, defences had picked up. He ducked by them, aware that he was being targeted. They much have some kind of surveillance, why didn't he think of that? They would know what he was doing, though they wouldn't know of his intentions.
He jet of magic whistled by his head and singed his hair. He turned, putting his hands side-by-side and firing off his own blot. It was stronger by far, illuminating the entire room. When the light faded, all three of the guards were sprawled on the floor. He burst through a second set of double doors, not bothering to check their condition. There were healers in Canterlot; they could heal them if their injuries were bad enough. If they weren't there was no harm done.
He quite honestly had no idea where he was going and decided it would be a good idea to try and figure it out. He ducked behind a curtain and put one hand on the wall of the building, the other on his head. He had never tried this spell before, but it seemed like a reliable one, and not entirely impossible. He felt the magic activate, and immediately his mind was flooded with images of long corridors, suits of armour and armed guards. He sped through the halls in his mind, finally coming to a very intricately detailed set of double doors that would not open. This had to be the right set.
He removed his hand from the wall, a map laid out in his mind, a track he would follow. There were guards in the way of course, but he was stronger than them, he had proved that already. All this being done, he sprinted from his hiding spot and turned down a corridor, one that he wouldn't turn down under regular circumstances. He had mapped out the fastest route with his spell, the route that had a small amount of guards. The less resistance he faced, the better.
Any guard he met along the way went the same way as the three guards he had faced. It wasn't long before he reached the enormous set of intricately detailed double doors that he knew led to the throne room. Two heavily armed guards stood in his way. He frowned at them and they frowned back, as though they were confused as to how he had gotten there. He walked forward, hoping that he wouldn't need to take them out as well. Just before he reached the door, the guards crossed their spears in front of it, blocking his path. He raised an eyebrow at them, a silent dare.
Inside the throne room, Celestia and Luna sat side-by-side, deep in conversation. The addition of Queen Chrysalis to the battle worried them. Any one of their guards could be a changeling. An explosion from the doors interrupted their conversation, both women directed their attention to the entrance of their throne room, and they were greeted with a flash of white light and a cloud of smoke. Celestia rose, prepared to fight whatever foe this was, though she hoped in her heart that it was Twilight Sparkle. She had not seen such abilities since her young apprentice had left her.
The smoke cleared to reveal a young man whose bright red hair covered one eye. Orange magic pulsed around his hands, and his visible eye glowed the same vibrant colour. He looked like a lower-class resident of Canterlot, one who had more than enough money, but did not indulge in the finer things. The glow faded and he returned to his normal condition, meeting Celestia's eyes.
"I would like to discuss something with you, Princess."
In the statue garden below them, stone cracked, and a smile crossed his face.
"Who’s that writin’? John the Revelator. Who’s that writin’? John the Revelator. Who’s that writin’? John the Revelator, Wrote the book of the seven seals."
The rest of the first verse was accompanied by the sounds of his buckled boots and cane heading down the stairs to his favourite blues club in Manehatten. Thankfully, the underground system was still operating. Were it not, he would have a couple problems with a few select people.
He pulled a chair out and pushed the red satin table cloth off the seat of it before sitting. He kicked his feet up on the table, taking care not to hit the candle burning dimly on the table, and tilted his hat over his eyes, immersing himself in the music. He was pleased to see that his favourite club was just the same as it was a few hundred years ago, although none of his favourite singers would be there. To be fair to the club though, that tended to happen when one ends up out of the time loop.
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, attracting the attention of the sole waitress in the club. She walked quickly over to him, carrying a tray with one empty cup on it. There wasn't a lot of business, only three other people in the club, and she was being fairly relaxed in terms of service.
"May I help you sir?"
"I'll have a bottle of sparkling water, ice in the glass," he said, in a voice sweet like chocolate, his hand still hanging lazily in the air. The waitress nodded and went off to fetch his drink. She returned and placed a bottle of San Pellegrino and a water glass with three ice cubes in it on the table in front of him. He hadn't shifted his position.
"That'll be two bits please," said the waitress. He reached his fingers under the cuff of a yellow glove and pulled out a small coin, held between his index and middle finger, the tip of his middle finger showing through a hole in his glove. Once he felt the coin leave his fingers and expected the waitress to be gone, but her voice interrupted the music again.
"Um, two bits, sir."
He tilted the brim of his hat up and shifted his eyes to her. "Of course, how could I have misheard?" He stood, pushing his chair back slightly, and faced her, his cane held firmly in his black-gloved right hand. He brushed her hair behind her ear with his other hand, his red eyes locking onto her violet ones, and pulled a second coin from behind her ear. "There you are my dear, two bits."
The waitress swallowed, her cheeks going slightly red. "T-thank you, sir. E-enjoy your- water." She turned and walked back to the bar while he sat back down, pouring himself a glass.
He took a sip and watched the singer on stage, a young, dark skinned man, absently wondering when she was going to arrive. He had sent her a message when he got out, assuming she would respond almost immediately. With the King off attacking somewhere, she would be the one to meet him. He was confident she would know where to find him.
He was almost completely finished his bottle of water when the door to the club opened up. He smiled to himself at its opening, knowing exactly who had come through. A woman with long, greyish-blue hair and skin like the night sky. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the room, quickly locating him. She walked towards him, her heels making high-pitched clicking sounds against the stone floor. He glanced in her direction and rose to meet her as she reached him.
"Good evening, milady," he said, reaching for her hand. She looked on him with a slight distain, though she allowed him to kiss it and straighten up.
"That would be Your Highness to you." Her voice was snide.
He snorted, brushing off her remark. "Whatever you say Chrys. Please, have a seat." He pulled out a second chair and gestured for her to take it. While she sat he gestured for the waitress once again. She walked over to him, looking slightly nervous.
"Yes?"
"Your finest champagne, two glasses." He produced a bag of bits from seemingly nowhere and handed it over, sending the girl running off to fetch his drink. He returned to his seat, watching Chrysalis attempt to make herself comfortable in the dimly lit club while trying to remain regal.
"Discord, your appearance gave Sombra and I quite the start," she said. "We hadn't expected you so suddenly, what do you want?"
"What my business always is. There was minor chaos, I'm here to turn it into major chaos."
At that moment, the waitress returned with two glasses and a bottle of champagne, which she popped open. She poured two glasses and put them in front of the two customers. Once she was gone, Chrysalis drained her glass in one shot and poured herself a second cup. Discord didn't touch his.
"Your services would be- helpful," Chrysalis said slowly. "If you can control yourself."
"I always control myself," said Discord with a wink. "Only controlled chaos is good chaos. I know how odd that sounds coming from me." He stretched his arms, his eyes on the ceiling. "As long as I keep control in the chaos, which isn't hard for me, things can get pretty out of hand for everyone else." He laughed outwardly. "Chaos is all about control in the end, and if you can't control it, well, things will get bad. Don't you agree?"
Chrysalis sipped her second glass of champagne before answering. "So your saying you're abilities are subjective to how tired you are."
"No, I never said that."
"Then what-"
"I'm saying I can create quite the storm before I have to call it quits."
"So you're saying you have a limit."
"Even gods have limits, my dear Queen Chrysalis." There was a slight sarcasm in the final sentence that Chrysalis not only picked up on, but also frowned at.
This was followed with a complete silence as the singer changed. Once the new one started up, a woman this time, Discord spoke again.
"My limits are simply a lot harder to reach than most people’s."
Chrysalis regarded him, putting down her empty glass. After a second she said, "Alright, come with me."
She stood, Discord following suit, leaving behind an empty glass, a full glass, and a barely touched bottle of champagne.
A young, pale girl stepped in front of the two bickering men who turned to face her, standing in front of a shivering mass shrouded in the shadow of the building. Her face betrayed obvious fear, though she was clearly defiant and prepared to fight the two burly men in front of her if she had to. "Look at him! Look at what you're doing to him!" She gestured behind her at the shivering mass without looking.
"He's no worse than yesterday," said one of the men.
"Yeah, calm down little girl. I have a message for my wife that I want him to deliver."
"I have a daughter!"
"It doesn't matter!" The girl looked to be near tears, though she retained her grim and determined expression. "He's not here to deliver messages! Does he look like he could even if he was? Leave him alone!"
The two men eyed her, both questioning internally why she was so verbally violent towards them. After a couple more seconds they both shrugged, joining the crowds of physical and spectral beings, and other... miscellaneous creatures in the streets. As they did, the girl gently shooed a cat with four tails away from the shivering mass, ensuring that the alley was completely void save for herself and the boy she was protecting.
She knelt beside the mass, reaching out to touch it. All this time, she had been defending a young, winged boy, who was 16 years of age. His knees were drawn up to his chest, and he was burying his face into them, his hands over his ears to block out the endless stream of sound. His entire body was trembling and he was rocking back and forth slightly, whether he was meaning to or not. His wings were tight against his back, the feathers mostly clipped from living in the streets for so long. As her pale hand made contact with his shaking one he flinched away, recognizing the feeling of a spirits skin. He let out a short gasp of shock.
"It's okay Wind. Wind Storm, it's me, Shining," she said quietly, quickly pulling her hand away. "Everything and everyone is gone, you're alright now."
Wind Storm stopped shaking, though he was still rocking slightly, relaxing as he realized there was nothing there as Shining Light had said. He uncovered one ear slowly, tilting his head to look at her. His eyes were red, as though he had been crying. Shining Light smiled at him, though she was sad. She had been unable to help him for the first few hours of that day, having awoken in a completely different part of Dodge City. It had taken her hours to find him, and when she had he was surrounded by spirits, all shouting to get his attention, all desperate to be heard. It had taken her so long to drive them all away she couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I'm sorry Wind, you know how we are. I woke up in a completely different place from where we were last night. When I went back, you had gone. I came as quickly as I could."
"No, Shining, don't apologize..." His voice trailed off, weak and cracking slightly. Now that he knew he was alone, he had relaxed much more, though his knees were still drawn up to his chest. He took his hands off his ears and wrapped them around his legs.
Shining Light sat herself next to him and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her dropping his head back into his knees, and she stroked his hair with the other hand. The hair had clearly once been a dark obsidian the same shade as his wings, but had gone grey from the stress of his almost unique ability. She knew he wasn't as relaxed as he looked, but she also knew he couldn't remember a time when he had been perfectly at ease.
"You know," Wind Storm said with slight humour in his voice, "your name is so appropriate."
"Why?"
"Shining Light. You're my shining light. I don't know what I would do without you."
Shining Light sucked in a short breath, her eyes on his unmoving body. He was breathing slowly, content in her cold, lifeless arms. She knew his story, he had told her two years ago, when he had began to fully trust her. He had come here from Cloudsdale, where his family lived. He couldn't handle it there anymore, and flew to Dodge City. That had been the last time he had used his wings. From there, he had taken to living on the streets, where she had met him.
He had a sixth sense, the ability to see spirits. The ability to hear them, and they could see him, hear him, and touch him. There was no difference between the physical and spectral worlds for him; there were both there, all the time. He could not differentiate between the two. Because of this, spirits were constantly trying to get him to deliver their messages. Endlessly tormented by the dead, both physically and mentally. His second sight also included creatures that mankind once believed in, though no longer had the patience for. He saw them all, there was nothing real or fake for him. He had expressed multiple times that were it not for Shining Light, he would have gone completely insane, killing himself to join them and end the torment. She didn't know what that made her, but she knew he needed her. And in an odd way, she needed him. She felt for him and wanted nothing more than for him to be safe.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice hardly more than a breath. She couldn't imagine how he could be as comfortable as he was at the moment, she was dead. Cold. Wasn't warmth most comforting? She had been dead for twenty years, trapped in ageless limbo.
"How do you manage?" he asked. "You see as much as I do, both the living and the dead. You hear them."
Shining laughed lightly. "But they don't try to talk to me as they do to you. The living don't see me. The dead do but don't care. I can't deliver messages, I can't make contact with the living. That's all most of the dead really care about." There was a pause and the words hung in the air, an odd gravity to them. "I wish you couldn't see all this. It's far too much, being able to contact everything. What do you call them? The dark world and the light world. Are you ever going to tell me which one is which?"
"No, I won't. I don't know which is which half the time. And sometimes I think the same way. It's hard, but if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to see you." He looked up at her, shifting so he was no longer leaning into her. "I know that I wouldn't need you if I wasn't able to see these things," he glanced out into the street, where there was a fish with horses legs that stopped in front of the alley, looked in, and continued walking, "I wouldn't need you, but I like needing you. You're so kind, so much kinder than the other dead." He shook his head sightly, his eyes closed. "When I see people your age, it makes me sad."
"It shouldn't. When you're dead, you have a way of simply accepting things."
Wind Storm blinked. "I remember being- good with storms," he said, completely changing the subject.
"That was your special ability?" This was new to Shining Light, he had never mentioned what he was good at before. She had assumed that he was good at seeing the dead, but the mark on his palm was a tornado, which had nothing to do with his sixth sense. He must have found this out before coming to Dodge City. "It must have been hard to find that out."
"It was. But was good with them. I was trying to get away from the- you know- and, it just turned into a twister. I broke it up before it could get anywhere. I broke it faster than I'd ever seen any of the weather team do."
"Wow."
"Part of me wants to go back to that. Most of me, actually. But-"
"Wind, you should rest. You look so drained." Shining didn't know if she could take what he was saying. He had never done this before; opened up so completely to her, in all of the three years they had known each other. "I'll stay here, to keep the spirits away."
"I need to learn to do that myself Shining, I can't depend on you forever."
"But when you're sleeping, resting, I'll be there. Please. For me. When you're awake, we'll discuss me leaving you. But for now, no."
He locked eyes with her, his sky-bright eyes meeting her faded navy ones. There was pleading from both of them, though Wind Storm slowly caved in. He was tired, quite drained, and emotionally ruined. It was as he felt every day, though sleep cleansed some of it. Sleep was his escape. He leaned into Shining Light once again and closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around him defensively, his breath slowing as he drifted to sleep.
Morning dawned in Canterlot, the light streaming in through the large stained-glass windows of the guest room. The guest had been up long before the sun began to rise, staring out the window at the setting moon. He had watched Celestia begin the suns progress across the sky with mild indifference. He still couldn't understand it, why they had completely ignored him, why they had ushered him into a guest room, why they had charmed the door and windows to prevent him from getting out. The charm cast an odd purple glow about the room in the morning light. As if he would try to get out, he hadn't gotten what he wanted.
Both princesses had been sufficiently surprised when he had burst in on them, though Celestia was the only one who had reacted. She immediately froze him using her magic, and it appeared she gave it very little effort. Once she had, the two sisters circled him twice each before Luna took his hand and checked it. From there, it was shown to Celestia, and she ordered for him to be given a room and a meal. He was given these things, though he was not at liberty to do as he pleased. He had been confined to the room all through that night, laying in bed awake thinking about their reasoning. And now it was the morning, and he hoped that he would get an answer to the question burning in his mind. Why did that picture give him a bad feeling?
He was jolted from his thoughts by a knock at the door, the sound of a guards voice came muffled though the door. "Firelight, Princess Celestia has requested an audience with you."
Firelight raised his eyebrows, the princess requesting an audience with him? Wasn't it supposed to go the other way around? "Alright?"
The sound of the door being unlocked could be heard after a couple seconds, which Firelight assumed was the guard lifting the charm. The large, ornate door swung open and a guard gestured for him to walk ahead. Obviously they were not about to trust him alone. The guard led him out of the castle, much to his surprise, and into the statue garden. From there he was shown to Princess Celestia, who was standing with her hands behind her back in front of an empty statue pedestal.
"Milady, I have brought you Firelight," said the guard, bowing as she turned.
"Thank you, you may be dismissed." The princess glanced back at the pedestal. "Rouse the high-mages, prepare the defence system for the entirety of Canterlot. We have had an, ah, escape."
"Yes, Milady." The guard strode briskly across the yard.
"That was quite the scene you caused yesterday, Firelight. Walk with me."
Firelight had to move rather quickly to keep up with her, though he was pleased that he was moving so quickly, it meant that she had things to say.
"You wanted to say something yesterday, though I did not give you the time. After seeing your mark, I decided I would prefer to talk to you after I had given the matter some thought."
"So my mark does mean something then? Besides what I'm best at?" Firelight asked, the conversation going in the direction he had hoped.
Celestia nodded. "It is strikingly similar to a former pupil of mine's, Twilight Sparkle."
"That was the name in the book I found, next to the picture."
"And you say that picture gave you a bad feeling?" Firelight nodded. "I knew this would happen. She is no longer suitable for the Element of Magic."
"What?"
"Sit." She gestured to a bench. Firelight hadn't noticed where they were walking, but when he paid attention he noticed that they had reached a balcony overlooking the entirety of Canterlot with a single stone bench in the middle of it. On the stone railings were vines that had pink flowers blossoming from their tendrils. On either side of the balcony was a stone statue on a lion, as though they were standing guard over anyone on the balcony. She took her place on the left side of the bench and gesture for him to sit beside her, which he did, his hands tapping his knees anxiously.
"Do you know of the Elements of Harmony?" she asked him mildly.
"Um, it mentioned it in the book, but I didn't read anything about it."
"The Elements of Harmony are six gems that have an enormous, nearly unknown power. They are, when brought together, the strongest power in Equestria. Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic. Those six elements are manifested in people, and those people are meant to wield the Elements. The first owners that history has recorded were myself and my sister. Why it was just the two of us is unclear, but from there they passed to my pupil and five others she met in Ponyville. Now, it appears, the Elements must be passed on again."
"So, what does this mean?"
"You have all of the traits that my former pupil had, if you exclude your rebelliousness. Your special skill is magic itself, you appear to be strong-willed, your mark is similar, I have reason to believe that you are next for the Element of Magic."
"But what does that mean?"
"You will come in contact with the other five Elements, whether you know who they are or not. These five will prove to you better friends than you have now. They will likely be people you have never met before. Look for the Elements expressed in their personalities. Just as Twilight Sparkle knew instinctually that the friends she made were the Elements of Harmony, as will you. As she so aptly put it at the time, there will be a spark of sorts. I have never felt this spark, but according to Twilight Sparkle it was just a gut feeling of knowledge."
"And you think I'm the one who's supposed to find these 'Elements'." It wasn't a question. The task itself seemed impossible, finding five people among billions. "This is all chance, I don't even know if I'm the one you're looking for."
Celestia turned to him and smiled before standing. "I believe that you are the Element of Magic. I am very rarely wrong, Firelight. You need to find those who will be the new wielders of the Elements, find Twilight Sparkle and her companions, and convince them to give you the artifacts that go with the power. I will warn you, the six of them have been split up. They are in the furthest reaches of Equestria. Once we have them, the Shadow Beings will be easily destroyed. I wish you luck."
"What?" Firelight jumped up. "That's it? You expect me to do this on my own?"
"The Elements are no longer mine to control. You must find them." And with that she was gone, opening her wings and flying back up to a tower, leaving Firelight unable to follow her. He thought wildly of teleporting up with her but what good would it do? She wasn't going to help him, that much was clear.
He turned back to the statue garden, looking around it. Where would he begin? He knew Canterlot well, his instincts told him to start in his hometown, but he wasn't looking for an object. He was looking for living, breathing people. He still had a hard time believing this, that he was part of the group of people that was going to end up saving the entirety of Equestria. Not only part of the group, but what seemed to be the leader of the group. He didn't understand- no, he did, but he was still confused.
He began walking out of the garden when he was nearly ploughed over by a very fast moving something that appeared to be wearing light armour. He reacted as any skilled mage would. He blew a crater in the ground. After the dust cleared, he checked in the crater, panting slightly. Nothing. "What?"
He glanced up as he heard the sound of boots hitting the pavement on the other side of the crater.
"What the hell was that for?" asked a rather adamant young woman folding a pair of wings behind her back. In one hand she held a bow, the other empty. She was wearing what Firelight recognized as archers armour, a lighter, more skintight version of foot-soldiers armour. She had a long, blond ponytail that reached down to her waist, though it was tangled, as though she had been through a few battles.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to," Firelight said quickly, attempting to duck around the crater and her.
She intercepted him. "Didn't mean to? You blew a hole in the ground! Isn't there enough destruction?"
He realized there that she had an accent. "Are you from Trottingham?"
She stiffened. "Hoofington. Not that it matters now." She pushed by him. "I need to speak with the Princesses."
Firelight watched her go, considering what Celestia had said. They will likely be people you have never met before. As she so aptly put it, there will be a spark of sorts. Did causing a crater in the middle of the royal statue garden count as a spark? "Wait! Wait, archer! What's your name?"
She stopped and turned. "Why do you care?"
"I just want to know."
She raised her eyebrows. "Lightening Chaser. You?"
"Firelight. Listen, I think you need to come with me."
"Why should I? You just tried to kill me."
"Look, it was self-defense, one can never be too careful nowadays."
"I'm trying to see the Princesses, I want to join their army. I'll have a better shot of finding and killing whatever ordered the attack to kill my parents."
Firelight was immediately sympathetic. "You lost them? I know how that feels, I've lost mine as well. They left months ago, to fight. I haven't heard word from them. Please, come with me. I'll explain things on the way."
Lightening Chaser glanced back at the castle, apparently weighing the options. He could, at least, know what she was feeling when it came to her parents. He hoped that would give her reason to trust him. She turned back to Firelight. "Alright, I trust you. But, on the way to where exactly?"
Firelight laughed to himself mirthlessly. "We'll find out, won't we?"
There was a frantic knock at the door knock at the door.
"Enter," said the King, consulting a map in front of him. The doors to the planning room swung and a messenger Changeling ran in, falling to his knees in front of the King, the two figures behind him walking in without hesitation.
"My lord, King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis has returned," said the messenger on the floor.
"Yes, thank you. Off you go," said the King without turning. The messenger jumped to his feet and fled the room, obviously terrified of King Sombra. "You took your time, Chrysalis."
"Yes, well, some people are more difficult to track down than others," came the voice of Queen Chrysalis from behind him.
"Who sent the message?" he asked, turning around. His face shifted from expectancy to disbelief as he noted the man beside her. "Was it him?" he asked incredulously. The man beside her looked like he had been picked up off the street. He was tall and thin, like he was made of bones and skin. He looked to be in his late 40's, with a wisp of a grey goatee on his chin. His clothes looked slightly ratty; a light brown trench coat that was open on top of a yellow dress shirt that looked like it hadn't been pressed in years. His pants were pinstriped, a faded grey in colour, covering the tops of black buckled shoes. A wide-brimmed fedora sat on his head, a purple feather extending out of it. In his hands was a simple-looking cane.
"Regretfully," said Chrysalis. She swept past the homeless man, causing him to smirk. Her translucent wings fluttered in annoyance. She pushed her dark hair out of her face and leaned over the map, cutting herself from the conversation. Obviously she wasn't a fan of him.
"So, you're the one who sent Chrysalis the message. What business do you have?" said Sombra, stepping down off the raised platform. His armoured boots made heavy sounds against the stone floor, his eyes narrow. The sight would have intimidated any member of their steadily growing army, though the man in the ratty clothes was not fazed by his extravagant armour, the dark power he radiated, or his pulsing red and green eyes with deep purple smoke curling off them, a tribute to the shadow power he held.
"I've come to offer my assistance," said the man. "I'm sure you've heard of me, I am Discord," he bowed, sweeping his hat off as he did so to reveal a head of slicked back grey hair, "Lord of Chaos."
"Ah." King Sombra had heard of the man, though had never considered him anything powerful. "Aren't you supposed to be encased in stone at the moment?"
Discord straightened up, putting his hat back on. "Get enough chaos in one place and stone can't hold me. I sent a message to Chrysalis, under the assumption that you would want my help."
"So you know of me."
"Of course I do. You get things when you're a god. Knowledge, wisdom, and all that."
Discord didn't look particularly wise or knowledgeable to Sombra. He didn't look like much of anything. "What do you think you can do for us? You don't look powerful." Sombra approached him, slightly irritated that Discord was taller.
"Don't underestimate me." Discord's smile grew, his eyes beginning to glow slightly. The ground around them rumbled, the stone floors cracking violently as lightening shot from them, arcing to the top of the room and bringing the glass from the darkly-stained windows crashing down on the three leaders and the guards in the room. Chrysalis activated a shield around herself and anything of importance, completely unfazed. Sombra ducked, throwing his arms about his head in defence as glass from the skylight rained down on both him and Discord. The latter glanced up briefly, noting the falling glass. Millimetres before it impaled their head, it came to a screeching halt.
Sombra looked up, genuine fear in his eyes as he lost himself for a moment. Seeing the glass just above his head caused him to stumble back a few feet as the shards began to twirl in the air, facing with their sharp points to the walls lined with guards. They all shot forward at said Changelings, spearing through the holes in their limbs and clothing. A few of them, the unlucky ones, stiffened as the shards fell from their bodies and stumbled out into the main area of the planning room, their hands around their necks. They fell to their knees as cupcakes blossomed from their mouths, spilling onto the floor below. They all slumped down, face-first, unconscious. Sombra straightened up, regaining his regal posture, and assessed the situation around him.
"I've always liked cupcakes," said Discord cheerily.
"Such a display was not necessary," said Sombra in an attempt to retain his dignity.
"Oh, I think it was. No one said I couldn't have a little fun, now did they? Now, allow me to save you a bundle in repairs."
He waved his hand and the glass shards shot across the room, rebuilding the windows that had broken. The cracked stone sealed itself, regaining the dark sheen that it had only moments before. The cupcakes on the floor melted into nothing and the guards all gasped in unison, coming abruptly back to their senses.
"So as I said before, I would be more than willing to offer my assistance," said Discord and the guards struggled to their feet and resumed their positions against the walls
Sombra met his eyes, his rage building. "Allow me to consult with Chrysalis."
"Take your time."
Sombra turned back to his partner, who was lifting the shields she had placed on various maps and weapons about the room. "You allowed this man into our base of operations?" he demanded, humiliated and angry.
"He could be a valuable weapon," said Chrysalis, turning her attention from the map. "Think about it Sombra, he can bend time and space to his will, with little to no effort. His power surpasses that of yours or mine, even if you don't want to believe it. Our best chance is to get him to co-operate with us, which he seems willing to do. Trust me, I like it about as much as you do."
"So we need to let him in."
"He's out of the stone now, so either he's with us or he's doing whatever he wants and that poses a serious threat to any plans we make."
Sombra scowled. "So we use him. But he's so unpredictable."
"We integrate him into our plans somehow."
"If he wants to lead?"
"Then let him join us. He is a god, and has knowledge beyond what we will ever have. Planning will benefit from him, if he sets his mind to it."
"So he stays."
"He stays."
Sombra wasn't too pleased with this decision but Chrysalis was right. Discord was valuable, whether they liked it or not. Sombra turned to Discord, who was leaning on his cane in the centre of the room expectantly.
"You, come here. We're planning the next attack. You must have a hand in it if you are to be involved."
Baroque woke to the smell of bacon frying and coffee. He pushed himself out of the bed and checked the clock, which read 8:39 PM. He nodded to himself, having gotten a solid amount of sleep. He tried to remember where he was going to be performing that night, but couldn't. He had it written down somewhere... Probably in his guitar case.
Throwing on a pair of pants and a t-shirt he left the small bedroom of his apartment to head for the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen the smell grew much stronger and he was graced with the sight of his fiancée, Contrabasse, preparing not only his breakfast, but her dinner. The two of them rarely saw each other, working so differently. He played night clubs, she taught jazz at the University of Baltimare. They both had to wonder when and if their jobs would waver, but for the moment they were doing just fine. As fine as they could be doing in a three room apartment in downtown Baltimare.
He sat himself down at the island in their kitchen, leaning forward on the island, pulling one of her music books towards him. "You're teaching this?" he asked, flipping through the book. It was an extremely high-level set of pieces that he knew she would be able to handle, but he didn't know about her students.
"Hm?" She turned, glancing at what he was looking at. Her eyes twinkled, a bright green. "Oh, that. I'm bringing it in to test one of my students. I think her special ability might be the same as mine. The world can never have too many double bass players." She turned back to the stove, tending the bacon.
"Aren't your students between ten and fifteen?"
"Mhm."
"She must be really good."
"It's amazing," she began laying out strips of bacon on a plate, "she's probably one of the most talented students I've taught." She poured Baroque a mug of coffee and set the food down in front of him. "This is all we have left in terms of breakfast food, this and a salad. Can you pick something up on your way home?"
"If we've got any money left."
Contrabasse frowned. "I thought you got paid last night."
"I did, but I wasn't on for nearly long enough for any kind of meal."
Contrabasse sighed. "Alright, then I guess we're both on our own." She sat next to him at the island and picked at a small bowl of plain-looking salad in front of her. "Are you alright babe? You look, anxious."
Baroque rubbed his face, then glanced at her. "I don't know. It was at the club last night, there were two people in the back. They didn't feel quite right."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. It was just, there weren't many people there last night, and there were these two people in the back who were giving me bad vibes. I don't know what it was, they were just- off."
"I think you were just tired. When was this?"
"Around two maybe? I'm not sure."
"You were probably just tired hun, just concentrate on performing tonight."
They finished their respective meals in silence, Baroque finishing his first. He took the plate to the sink and moved to the door as Contrabasse finished her salad. As he had thought, he had written down the address on a sticky note inside his guitar case. He quickly memorized it and shut his case, donning his coat and picking up the handle of his guitar. Contrabasse stood to see him off, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before he left the apartment, making his way down the dingy staircase of the complex.
Due to the war, things had changed a lot in his neighbourhood. Though it was a poor neighbourhood to begin with, the war had eaten away at whatever respect it had left, as it usually does with the poor. The streets were now lined with men and women asking for money, food, anything that could help. What made the scene worse was the children who were hiding behind garbage cans, watching people go by and hoping against hope that someone would reach out to them and give them something, be it food or money. It made Baroque sad to see that so many children were lost and hungry, knowing that he could do nothing about it.
As he was walking, he felt something nudge his guitar case. "Excuse me, sir?" He looked down to see a young girl by his side, looking up at him through curly, dark hair. Her eyes were dark orange and sad. "What have we got here?" he asked her, smiling.
"Um, I'm really hungry."
"Here," he pulled out his wallet and opened it. It was nearly empty, but he could give the girl a few bits for her own food. She could get some bread with it, which wasn't much but enough. He handed her five bits.
"Thank you mister!" she said smiling, and ran away, the coins clutched tightly in her hands. He smiled after her as she went, knowing that she would eat something tonight, and if not herself then her family. He continued his progress, his wallet and heart a little lighter.
Chrysalis walked into the throne room to see Discord lounging on one of the main planning tables. He was smoking, blowing multicolored shapes around the room, both three-dimensional and not. She raised an eyebrow and walked forward, preparing herself for the worst.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Is it night? Hm."
Chrysalis sighed and stopped walking, looking down on him. He didn't give her a second glance; instead releasing a fuchsia goldfish into the air and watching it 'swim' away. "You mean you didn't notice when it got dark out? Do you use your eyes?"
Discord tapped his cigarette, the burnt part falling to the floor, and pushed himself off the table. "I was thinking about what you two were talking about in terms of planning, and I need to ask. You are aware the Elements of Harmony are gathering, are you not?"
Chrysalis blinked. "The Elements of Harmony? You can't be serious."
"You mean you can't feel it? They're gathering. We should watch our backs, if they are assembled, they'll put a kink in the works."
"But-" Chrysalis was caught off guard, "the Elements haven't assembled in years." She leaned over the map Discord had been lying on. "They're scattered over Equestria. There is no way..."
She looked up from the map to see Discord leaning over the table with her, slightly bemused. "I'm not talking about them."
"Then who are you talking about?"
"The new ones."
Chrysalis took a step back, trying to read his face. "There are new ones? What do you mean? How can you tell?"
"My dear Chrysalis, when you've been beaten by the Elements of Harmony twice you learn how it feels when their strength grows."
"So there's new ones then."
"Of course! You didn't actually think that those ones, being as corrupted as they are, would still be the human manifestations of the Magic of Friendship?" He laughed quietly to himself. "Of course, you never actually have fought them, have you?"
Chrysalis hesitated. "No, I have not."
"That's right. You were beaten by your own power source, and Sombra was beaten, to put it bluntly, by a rock. I know how strong these people can be. We must not let them gather. Two groups have already formed, I can tell that much. Where? I don't know. I can find them, given time. But they turned me to stone. Twice." His eyes met hers, and she was surprised to see seriousness in them. "If they come together again, our chances of success will be very, very slim. I personally volunteer to track them down and deal with them, there are some old scores I want to settle."
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "The three of us should discuss the subject. If what you're saying is true, then we need to take them all out. Sombra and I are stronger than you take us for. Tell us where they are and we'll go."
Discord nodded. "Good spirit. You do the planning, I'll find them."
He left, though not through the door. There was a flash of white light, that caused Chrysalis to shield her eyes, and he was gone. Where he had gone, she didn't know or care. She sighed, glancing about the room. There were no guards yet; neither hers nor Sombra's, such was the hour. They didn't waste time on a night guard. Who would attack them anyway, even during the day? Their location was a well-protected secret.
She thought about what he had said, the Elements of Harmony gathering. He was right in saying she had never fought them. Though she had come in contact with the Elements of Harmony once, they were not the people that caused her downfall. If their power were as great as Discord had implied, they would certainly need to be taken out before they could realize their potential.
She glanced back at a map, her mind racing. They would need to take out the princesses as well, which would prove a liability. She knew she had the power to defeat the dark one herself, and would leave the other to Sombra and Discord. She beat Celestia once, but only with all the power that groom had to offer. The sun princess would be too strong for her in her present condition. She had to gain power before charging.
Though, her army could start the attack. Perhaps it was time to invade Canterlot. She pulled a map towards her, tracing a finger along the cities, formulating a battle strategy.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, stretching. She had received message that she was desperately needed in Appleloosa, but when she had gotten there she found the place surrounded by the dark magic that came with the Shadow Beings they were trying to beat back. Appleloosa was taken, and she did the only thing she could think of doing, traveling to the next nearest city. This city was clearly in the midst of preparing for a war. Barricades had been set up around the perimeter, cheap wooden carts and benches that Dodge City had never grown out of, ignoring the technological advancements of the world. Though their weapons followed the same trends as the rest of the world, shining swords and spears glistening in the light from the sun. Bronze shields glinting, almost maliciously. She raised her hands in greeting to the sentries that stood watch.
"It's Terra! I'm a medic sent from Vanhoover!"
The two sentries in their respective towers lowered their weapons, though were still suspicious. Terra had heard that the Changeling army was now at large and understood their skepticism. Who was she to argue? As a travelling medic she was used to such treatment in the first few days of her service in a new city. There would be a background check, which she would breeze through with ease. All she would have to do was explain her situation and set her to work, which she would do more than gladly. She had been a travelling medic for several months now and was confident that her clearance would check out completely. All her documents were charmed to prevent counterfeiting, which was the best she could do in the circumstances. She wasn't sure of the limitations of a Changeling.
The two sentries, having come down from their posts temporarily, cleared her for entrance. She nodded to them in thanks and walked past the barricade, the eyes of the militia assembled at the front lines following her as she made her progress through the defenses. They had every right to be nervous as well, a stranger coming into their town. There were very few people like her about, travelling medics. Most doctors had decided to stay in their hometowns, like one of her friends from medical school. When she had left, Vanhoover hadn't been affected by the war, but there was no telling what state it was in now. But she was different; she knew that there were smaller cities that needed a medic far more than her large northern settlement.
She was directed towards the medical tent, which was larger than she expected considering the size of the town. She had to wonder how many people were in there. She got her answer as soon as she walked in the door, watching men and women scrambling about, tending to various injuries of all severities on the fallen warriors. She made a quick assessment of the situation, determining that where she was needed most was by a bed in a far right corner of the makeshift hospital. She dodged through the medical personnel as she ran, swinging her backpack around to her front, anxious to get started.
The person she was running for was a young man, from what she could tell, either a Mage or Earth, but no wings. While that eliminated an entire range of potential injury, it still left rather a lot. She couldn't see the wound clearly from where she was, but she would soon enough. She reached his bed and was shocked at what she saw. He was lying on his back on the bed, pain written all over it, his eyes squeezed shut. It was clear why. The entire right side of his torso was wrapped in blood soaked bandages which, after a quick examination, looked hastily applied and unchanged. His right leg was completely untreated; making it the wound that worried her the most at the moment.
His leg looked as though it had been torn open, the flesh around it green with infection. He must have been a Mage, because as she examined the leg she began to notice signs of a self-induced healing coma. The bleeding seemed to have clotted around the wound, giving it a strange and bloated look. Being a Mage herself, she knew how to treat someone who had gone into a healing coma, but it wasn't going to be easy. This must have been his last resort.
She set herself to work; ignoring all feelings of nausea the gaping wound may have caused. She had to focus on her work. She was a professional. She propped the foot up on the metal railing on the end of the bed and began to sanitize the wound, well aware of the infection. This would begin to rot, and then where would they be? The rotten should not be the living. Whatever had done this to him must have been strong and it must have been vicious. If she was right, it was the Shadow Beings; they were the only things attacking innocents. He must have been swarmed, vastly outnumbered. She frowned to herself. There was no honour in the way the Shadows fought. She wasn't a warrior, and didn't know much about honour or nobility, but she knew that there was a certain pride that came with fighting that these things didn't possess. A hard world would be ahead of them if the enemies weren’t defeated.
She stretched her back, not realizing how stiff she was. Traveling was hard on her, but she was doing it for people like this man, who hadn't been getting any treatment until she came along. Of course, she couldn't blame the people here. They had their hands full, and there couldn't be more than five people here. It dawned on her that the militia that she had seen at the front barricade must have been all that was left of the army here. She wondered if they had lost any yet, if any of the wounded had actually died. A dismal thought that she quickly pushed aside. She couldn't be thinking such unpleasant thoughts, however likely they were; it would affect her healing. She had to think positively, if she didn't her energy would go in the wrong direction and have negative consequences on the patient.
The wound on his side was much worse, it was the first time a wound had frightened her and made her wonder how long the poor young man had been in this state. She bit back the fear as she eased off the rest of the bandages to take a closer look at what had happened. What she saw made bile rise up in her throat. Under the bandages was a very clear view of her patient’s ribcage, almost as though someone had deliberately torn the skin from the bones. This too, was acidic green with infection in the flesh around the bones. The wound was bleeding badly, considering the coma he was in slowed blood flow. This would take more than cleaning and new bandages.
She shut her eyes and held out her hands to the open wound, a few inches above it. A shimmering purple spark started up in the middle of her palms, just in front of the image of the Rod of Asclepius that represented her special talent. She connected herself to him, taking in his pain. She connected herself to his mind, fighting the murk that came with a healing coma.
There you are. I'm Terra. I'm going to help you. Can you understand?
Who...?
The voice was weak in her mind, quiet and pained. She had to keep him going.
What happened?
...Hurts...
I know. I'm helping you. The seal won't last forever, but it will be there. For now.
She opened her eyes, maintaining the mental contact with the young man. The wound was slowly being covered by a thin, light purple layer, and the infection slowly clearing out. This was a temporary bandage, meant only to clean the disease away but not to stop any other wounds. The infection in the chest was much worse than it was in the leg, and she had to clear it out as soon as possible. Having it spread to organs would not be good. Once she was done with her cleaning, she began the psychological healing.
There, I'm cleaning it out, see? How are you feeling now?
Hurts...
His voice was stronger, showing that clearing the infection was helping. Good. It wouldn't be long before she would be able to bring him out of the coma, either tomorrow or the day after.
She worked with him for the rest of the afternoon and somewhat into the evening, easing him slowly out of the healing coma, though she did not finish before she had to retire. Once in a healing coma, it took incredible willpower or another Mage to get out. A healing coma was a very challenging piece of magic, a last resort trick. She had never considered attempting one in her life; this young man must have been desperate. Though he had good reason to do it, had he not he would have likely died. Of course, if she hadn't arrived he would have died either way. It was nearly midnight when she left, exhausted but content.
She was on her way to the sleeping areas that had been designated for traveling medics. The word had gotten around Equestria that there were doctors roaming about, going where needed, and every town still standing had tents that these medics could take shelter in. She was grateful for it, rather than trying to find a place to spend the night she had these pre-set homes that she could stay in. She was on her way to said tent when she was stopped in her path rather abruptly.
A boy staggered out of an alley, his eyes fixed on something in the shadows he burst from. Fear was wild in them, though what he was afraid of she couldn't tell. She stopped in her tracks, unsure of what to do. It wasn't the first time she had seen something like this, but there had always been another person involved, and they didn't normally look like they were teenagers...
Quite suddenly, the boy was thrown backwards at least five feet, making her jump. She had no idea how he had been thrown back so far or by what. Coming to her senses, she decided that it would probably be the best course of action to help him.
He ran over to the boy, who was staring at something in front of him with horror written all over his face, and knelt beside him, reaching out a hand.
"Are you-"
She was cut off by a yelp from the boy, who attempted to stutter something out while scrambling backwards as best he could.
"Wait, no, I don't want to hurt you!"
She felt something cold pass over her, almost like a night breeze. The boy, though still looking shaken, relaxed slightly and focused on her face, but it didn't feel like he was looking at her. It felt he was looking just in front of her, an odd focus. After a couple seconds of this he seemed to focus on her face at last, clearly still afraid, but cautious. He was panting, his eyes darting about her face, taking it in. "You don't- want anything?" His voice was brittle and quiet.
"No, I just want to know if you're okay."
His brow furrowed. He was apparently considering something. "I'm alright," he said at last, pushing himself onto his feet. It almost seemed like someone helped him. Terra gave her head a quick shake. No, she couldn't start losing it she was a doctor.
"Are you sure? My name's Terra, I can help you if you need me to."
"I've heard that before."
As he turned away something caught her attention. "Your wing, it looks broken. Can I look at it? I'm a doctor."
He winced. "No, it's nothing." He turned his head sharply to the right. "Shush." A pause. "No, it's fine."
"Um, who are you talking to exactly?"
He looked back to Terra, blinking as though he had just remembered she was there. "None of your business."
Ignoring that statement she began to notice little details, not only his broken wing, which was black as night. What surprised her was that his hair was not so dark. The wing colour normally matched the hair colour, but his was grey. It wasn't a natural grey either, it reminded her of her grandfather’s hair, and it had been the same colour grey. He looked frail, but clearly wasn't weak considering how quickly he brushed off a wing injury. He looked almost- dead. Could he be? No, that wasn't possible. He had to be alive. The dead couldn't walk. It was his eyes that gave it away anyway; she had never seen a more vibrant blue in her life. They stood out amongst his ratty clothes, pale skin and dark features, the only assurance he was alive.
"Um, what's your name?"
He paused for a second. "I know."
"Sorry?"
"I wasn't talking to you."
"So- who were you talking to?"
He gritted his teeth, either out of frustration or pain from his broken wing, she wasn't sure. It was almost like he was listening to someone, and not liking what he was hearing. "Wind Storm, that's my name."
“Why were you in the alley?"
He hesitated. "Because-"
"You know what? Doesn't matter. I'm going to help you. Come with me."
"What? Wait don't- ah!"
Terra grabbed his arm and started walking, almost dragging him with her. She ignored every protest he made, knowing that he was probably sick, had a broken wing that had been untreated for Celestia knows how long and apparently had schizophrenia. If it wasn’t schizophrenia then some kind of madness. She was a doctor and a psychologist. She had to help him, she knew she could, and living in the alley wasn't helping his condition. But something bothered her. The focus shifting, it was normal for people who were schizophrenic to see their hallucinations as reality, but this had seemed like more. She couldn't shake the question, who was he talking to?
Thimble hung a large, leather shield on the back wall of the caravan and stepped back to examine her work. The weapons and armour looked perfectly set up to her, the light from the single candle on the counter reflecting off the bronze and silver metal. Whether or not her father would agree with her set up had yet to be seen. She turned to face the counter and leaned over it, peering out onto the street in both directions. People should be coming fairly soon, this was their next targeted marching route. They had been set up here so that the troops could avoid dragging armour and weapons great distances. Of course, her and her father had to be paid for their services. The troops would buy the weapons. Everyone needed food money, even travelers.
Her father walked out in front of the caravan, examining her set up from the outside. He crossed his arms, nodding. "Looks good. You ready for business Thimble?"
"You know it," said Thimble with a laugh. She backed into the caravan, trying her hair back into a messy bun. "Where are we heading after this?" she asked her father as he walked into the caravan.
"We're supposed to be heading to Ponyville," he said grimly.
"A village? Are you serious?"
"We've been told we're needed in Ponyville. They're low on supplies."
"Dad, going to a village is a terrible idea. You know what's going on in the world right now. We've got to keep moving."
"We go where we're needed hun."
Thimble raised an eyebrow. "Right. You know what I like? Not dying."
"Thimble, please. You need to be pleasant. The last thing these fighters are going to see is you, so be personable."
Thimble nodded, turning to face the counter and smoothing out her clothes. Part of her wished that she could go home, and stay there, but her home was gone now. Her mother had managed somehow to contact her and her father, telling them not to return. They heeded her warning and hoped for the best, but there wasn't much they could do in the circumstances. They had no way of knowing where she was. Her father was, of course, worried, but the humble armies of the smaller cities in Equestria needed them.
The marching of the armies could soon be heard in the distance, which had at first been a source of fear to Thimble, but now calmed her. It meant that there were people nearby, besides her father. Travelling was a lonely thing, being constantly on the road. Every time they stopped in a town, they bought what food and supplies they could, but it was getting harder and harder to find towns that had not been completely destroyed by the Shadow Beings. The two of them had a few close calls with the monsters, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.
An archer landed in front of the caravan, far ahead of everyone else. "You're the supplier?" he said incredulously.
"That's right," said Thimble, leaning over the counter. "What is it you need?"
"What do you think?"
Thimble snorted quietly. He was a rude one then. She reached under the counter, pulling out a handful of bronze arrows. "There you are. Guaranteed to fly faster than anything your leader can give you."
"How much?"
She counted the arrows quickly. "Twenty bits for the lot."
"That's two bits an arrow!"
"I've gotta eat, don't I? Besides, what are you using your money for?"
"I'll give you ten."
Thimble laughed good-naturedly. "17."
"12."
"15." Another laugh.
He joined her in the laughter, though ironic. "13."
"Yeah right!"
"Okay, fine 16."
"23."
"No way, 21."
"20. Take it or leave it."
"Deal."
He paid up before noticing his mistake and Thimble quickly passed the money off to her father. As soon as he was gone she frowned to herself. The two of them had been doing this since they started travelling. Food expenses were high, as was getting raw materials. It was a necessity to be so dishonest, and Thimble had not only an affinity for sewing, but also an affinity for bargaining that had been a complete fluke. She was good at distracting the people, getting them to pay full price. She had tried and failed to get them to pay more, as people tended to notice. The only thought that comforted her was that it was war and that meant it was every man for themselves.
"Good one girl," said her father. He dropped the coins into a wooden box hidden by a curtain to their sleeping quarters. "As usual."
"I don't like it dad," she replied, her first sentence every time she scammed someone who was ahead of the group.
"I know you don't. But it's got to be done, and you're good at it, so there you have it. People will listen to a young woman."
"That's encouraging. Make more arrows, I'll put the feathers on when you're done."
Thimble was a seamstress, at least, that's what the threaded needle on her palm dictated. Her father was a blacksmith. Her mother did not specialize in anything that could contribute to their business, and was left behind. Thimble did very well in terms of getting customers to pay, she would tease them, make them laugh, and they would give her all the money she asked for.
The rest of the army passed through without incident. Her bribery was first rate, much to her concern. They had been nearly completely cleaned out, meaning that once they got to Ponyville, they would not have much to offer in terms of weaponry. Her father could craft quickly, but Ponyville had always been weak since the Elements left, their defenses were never the strongest. Being so close to Canterlot, it was relied on for nearly everything. She couldn't help but wonder if it was still standing, Ponyville. If it weren’t, her and her father would need to be on high guard.
Firelight had to say, quite honestly, that he had no idea what he was doing.
He was walking, with Lightning Chaser flying close by, with no particular direction or destination in mind. All he knew was that they were no longer in Canterlot, and travelling east through grassland. He would have asked Lightning Chaser to lift him, but that seemed a bit extreme. He could walk. And if he really wanted to move quickly, he would grab her and teleport somewhere. The fact that he didn't have a destination in mind put a damper on that plan. He hadn't expected Lightning Chaser to come with him, going blindly with someone she had never met, but she had surprised him.
He had tried to explain everything he could to her, but it was a shabby explanation at best, considering he wasn't entirely sure of what Celestia had told him. He had to wonder what she was thinking. As soon as he came to the end of his awkward explanation, she rocketed into the sky, hovering about fifty feet above him. She had been rather indifferent to the whole deal, which made him wonder what was in her head. If there was one thing he couldn't do, it was read minds.
They were walking for a few minutes before there was a rush of air and quite suddenly Lightning Chaser was landing beside him. He shielded himself from the dust that came up with his arm, waiting for her to close her wings before asking anything. She beat him to it.
"An Element of Harmony? You think that's me?" She sounded almost flattered.
"There's no way of knowing-"
"But you think I'm one of them."
Firelight frowned. He hated being cut off, but she was insistent. "Sure. Well, I don't know. But Celestia said that I probably wouldn't know the other people who were supposed to be the Elements. I don't know you, so you could be one. You were just the first person I met after she told me."
"So you're going on assumption."
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Cheers."
There were a couple minutes of silence during which Lightning Chaser pulled an arrow from her quiver and fiddled with it. She had said he would know, just on an impulse, so where was the impulse? The 'gut feeling'? It didn't matter. She seemed trustworthy enough, and clearly capable of holding her own if they were to be attacked on the road, which was certainly a possibility.
"How can I be magic if I'm not a Mage?" Lightning Chaser said, crashing Firelights train of thought.
"I don't know. It just works, I guess. I don't think you'd be the one actually doing the magic."
"No, that's you isn't it."
"Well yeah. I'm a Mage."
"Yeah, that makes sense." She ran her fingers along the feathers at the end of the arrow. "Where are we going?"
"Uh..." Firelight glanced around, seeing nothing for miles. In the distance in one direction he could see the Foal Mountain, for what it was worth. Could there be someone in the mountains? It wasn't doing either of them any good to be wandering around in a field; he needed to get to a town, for food if anything else. They would need to eat, wouldn't they? "How do you feel about teleporting?"
She glanced at him. "Teleporting? I can fly."
Firelight snorted. "I can't though."
"Well I'm sure if you really tried you could-"
"What, make wings out of gossamer and morning dew?"
She raised her eyebrows at the sarcasm in his voice. "Is that a thing?"
He hesitated. "Yes. But I'd really prefer not to... It's hard magic."
Lightening Chaser giggled quietly. "Yeah okay, where are we going?"
"The nearest city that’s still intact. So I'm not sure where we'll end up, but I'm pretty sure I can figure it out. Here." He held out his hand to her, which she took with some hesitation. She wasn't entirely sure it was safe, having trusted in her wings her entire life. Part of her didn't trust magic, though mostly because she was not used to it. Regardless, she put her trust in him, and they were gone.
They re-appeared on the edge of a large city that neither of them recognized. Firelight was quite pleased to see that they were on solid ground rather than clouds, though it honestly wouldn't have surprised him, seeing as he had just made himself go. Lightning Chaser stumbled and he caught her arm, steadying her.
"It takes some getting used to," he said, his hand on her back. She looked rather pale.
"I prefer flying," she said shakily. "Where are we?"
Firelight closed his eyes for a second, tracking their path in his mind. "Baltimare."
"Baltimare? That's no short distance."
"Such is teleportation." He glanced around. He had come here clearly on a subconscious level, so that had to mean... "There's an Element here."
"Really? You think so? How do you know?"
"It's... A gut feeling." He laughed to himself; the obscurity of it all was so trivial.
"How do we find them?"
"We walk around. I don't know, she said that I'd know when I found someone..." He trailed off, rubbing his face. He had nothing to go on. There was even doubt that he was the Element of Magic. How could he be expected to do this?
"We need food."
"Are you hungry?"
"No, I just- yeah. I haven't eaten in a while."
"I know how that feels, c'mon, I've got an idea."
He started walking, Lightning Chaser jogging behind him to keep up. He was looking around for a food stand, a restaurant, anything. He could get food, it wasn't an honest way but he could do it. He could feel a map of the city forming in his head as he walked, his silent spell doing its work. Lightning Chaser raised an eyebrow at his palm, open towards the ground, but asked no questions. She had no interest in knowing the ways of Mages.
Their ultimate objective was far from where they were, on the other end of the city with his guitar case open at his feet, singing melodies to the passing citizens who were less than generous towards his humble songs. It wasn't entirely unexpected, though he just wished that he could bring Contrabasse something other than the bad news that was weighing on his mind.
The city of Ponyville was surrounded by shadow, a swirling black cloud of darkness. What had once been a strong and proud town was reduced to literally nothing but a home for the Shadow Beings and Changelings. It had been a week since Terra left Dodge City, with a reluctant Wind Storm in tow. Ponyville seemed like the next best place to go, considering Appleloosa had been obliterated. But she had expected Ponyville to be standing, seeing as it had once been the power centre of Equestria, being the host town of the Elements and everything. She had been wrong. As the two of them approached the town to investigate the shadows, maybe find survivors inside, Wind Storm froze.
"I'm not going near that place," he said, backing into the Everfree Forest. Terra rolled her eyes. He had been so averse to going into the Everfree Forest to begin with, and now he was backing into it. Of course, he was averse to moving at all so she should have expected this.
She switched into psychiatrist mode, turning to face him. "What's wrong with investigating the shadows? I've wanted to see what was causing everything. I'm sure whatever's in there is all in your head."
His expression shifted from fear to confusion, though he kept his eyes on the endless black in front of them in anticipation. "What shadows?"
"The shadows, those, right there." She walked over to him, turning her back on the shadows. "Can't you see them?"
Wind Storm hesitated. He had done that nearly every time she had asked him a question, and it bothered her. If he didn't open up enough she would get nowhere. "No, I can't," he said finally.
This stopped Terra in her tracks. She was close to accusing him of lying, but figured that it wouldn't do any good. She was about to say something, though she wasn't sure what, when Wind Storm yelped, leaping forward and pushing her out of the way. This was followed by the sound of impact that Terra barely heard as she fell to the ground, rolling a couple feet away. She looked up to see the boy locked in a struggle with a black accumulation that had apparently attacked her from behind. The battle itself was a flurry of dust and smoke that she couldn't pick apart. She got to her feet, unsure of what to do. She couldn't throw anything for fear of hitting the kid, and was posed the same problem when she considered going in herself.
While all she could see was a gathering of shadow and smoke, Wind Storm had a very different view. The skin of the thing was violently pink, as though raw from a burn. This particular 'Shadow Being' as they were apparently called had two sets of arms and no legs, using its second set as replacements. It was completely bald, skin leathery and wrinkled. Small, broken wings fluttered uselessly on its back as the struggle went on. Its three eyes were all different colours, orange, green, and black. Through the sounds of struggle he could just barely hear Shining Light yelling, though it wasn't helping much. There was nothing she could do.
He pushed the creature off of him and scrambled backward, jumping to his feet near to Terra. "Do you have anything sharp? Anything on you right now?"
She pulled her backpack off and opened it, pulling out her syringe case and a small bottle. Wind Storm met the thing again in a twisted game of uncle. She had no idea how he knew where its hands were but he seemed to have grabbed them and was pushing the things backwards. She filled the syringe with what was in the bottle just as Wind Storm broke away from the Shadow, flying with difficulty a few feet above it. He grabbed the syringe out of her hands and stabbed it into the top of the thing, pressing down the top of the needle.
The needle was stabbed deep into the eye in the centre of the things head, squirting black blood over his face. The creature howled as he pressed down on the end and ripped the needle out of the eye, then jabbed it into the left one. He knew there was nothing left in the syringe, he just wanted to cause it pain. Maybe kill it. Could it be killed? He wasn't sure.
The thing sunk into the ground, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Wind Storm staggered backward, dropping the syringe. Shining Light grabbed him arm, her hand in his back to steady him.
"What was in that?" he asked, gesturing to the syringe on the ground.
"Morphine," said Terra shakily. "Are you okay? Oh Luna, you're covered in blood."
Wind Storm wiped the black blood off his face. "I'm more or less fine," he said, more to Shining Light than to Terra.
"You flew, your wing. Is it better?"
"No."
Terra jumped on the opportunity to check up on him. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she knew he wasn't as 'fine' as he claimed to be. "So, that thing-"
"There was no shadow, and there's no shadows on the things over there, and this is a really, really bad place to be."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Terra finished her examination, which was a quick one, and stepped back, glancing at the Shadow Beings. They didn't seem to be doing anything violent, why was he so anxious?
"Look," he said, "I just want to get out of here, right now."
He was pale, shaking. Terra was put in a strange place, knowing that he wouldn't go back into the Forest any deeper, but wouldn't go near the town either. She had begun to question him; maybe he wasn't as insane as she thought. He had kept a level head when the Shadow Being had attacked, almost like he had been in situations like that before.
"You haven't told her anything yet, you're going to need to at some point Wind," said Shining Light as Terra retrieved her syringe from where Wind Storm had dropped it.
Wind Storm shook his head. "I don't know how."
"Hey! Help! Please!"
Terra turned immediately to face the voice while Wind Storm turned warily. Shining Light kept her eyes trained on Wind Storm, worried for him. A young woman running towards them greeted them. In her hands were two bronze knives, both bloodstained like her clothes. Her ground-length skirt was torn up to the thigh, and the sleeves of her long-sleeved shirt were in tatters. Her dark hair was plastered to her tear-stained and bloodied face. She fell to her knees on the ground in front of Terra, who held up her hands as though she were surrendering. Terra glanced to Wind Storm, who was still trying to catch his breath from the Shadow Being. He didn't seem to have anything wrong with the girl, so Terra helped her up.
"What's your name sweetheart?"
The girl didn't answer, but dropped her knives and fell onto Terra, sobbing. Wind Storm watched them sadly while Terra tried to comfort her, like he knew something Terra didn't.
"Her name is Thimble. Her father was killed."
Thimble said nothing but continued to cry. Terra stared. "How?" she mouthed.
"He told me."
Terra stroked the girls’ hair gently, glancing back and forth between the two younger people in her company. "I've got some questions Wind Storm."
It took quite some time to calm Thimble down, something that Wind Storm wasn't very good at. The three of them set up camp in the Everfree Forest itself, a safe distance away from the infested city. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Thimble into the forest, and still more to get Wind Storm to go back in. In the end they had found a small hut in a tress that was extremely over-grown but present. Inside were bottles and jars full of things that looked like they hadn't been touched in decades, accompanied by a strange, slightly stagnant, smell that none of them could place. What was odd was that as soon as they walked into the slightly eerie, dark, one-room home, Wind Storm was incredibly at ease while Terra and Thimble hesitated at the door.
"There's nothing here," he said, glancing around. "Nothing but old masks."
Terra stepped into the doorway, her arm around Thimble defensively. "This place has a bad vibe," she said, looking around anxiously.
Wind Storm frowned. "Maybe to you. But we can stay here, there's nothing hostile."
Terra, after a couple seconds of hesitation, followed him in and directed Thimble to a worn-out bed in a corner of the hut. Wind Storm watched them, and then turned his attention to the slightly rotten wood masks on the walls.
Thimble was pale and trembling, tears still trickling gently down her face, carving a path through the blood that stained her cheeks. Terra covered the heel of her hand with her sleeve and wiped what she could off. She knew the girl had been shaken, and wanted to do her best to help her, but was Wind Storm right? Was her father dead? How would he know?
"Why don't you lie down, Thimble is it? You look like you've had quite the time."
Thimble nodded slowly and leaned onto the bed on her side, her eyes still wide open. Terra decided that she probably needed some time to mull things over in her mind and figure out exactly what happened. In the mean time, Terra had a few choice words to share with Wind Storm.
She walked over to him as he put a mask carefully back on the wall and put a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, poor kid. Severe anxiety. "Would you come outside with me?" she asked him quietly, glancing back at Thimble. He blinked once, as though clearing his head, then nodded. The two of them left, walking around to the opposite side of the house so that Thimble couldn't hear them. Wind Storm stayed as close to the building as he could, for reasons that Terra didn't quite want to know.
"Okay, kid, every time we go somewhere, you freak out. When I met you, you were being attacked by something I couldn't see. You talk to the air, react to things that I don't react to. You didn't see the shadows, the hut doesn't bother you, you knew what had happened to Thimble without anyone saying anything, I just thought it was in your head but I'm starting to think I was wrong."
Wind Storm looked away. That was all the confirmation Terra needed. She was wrong, there was something up with this boy. He took a breath and met her eyes. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Terra almost laughed, there was nothing he could tell her that she hadn't already heard. "Try me."
"I can see, talk to, and touch dead people."
Okay, she had never heard that before, especially not said with such sincerity. "What?"
"I also see the things that society has forgotten about, creatures that have existed, but aren't recognized anymore. Like the flying kangaroo behind you."
Terra whipped around, but saw nothing except the trees and plants. "Where?"
"That's my point. You can't see it and I can. It's one of the- less grotesque things in this forest."
"Are you serious?" Terra asked, turning back to face him.
"I wouldn't lie about this. This sight has torn my life apart. Do you think I wanted to live in an alley in Dodge City? If I had my way, I would still be in Cloudsdale with my family, going to flight school, learning things that everyone like me should learn. But I'm not, am I? I'm here, with you and a shell-shocked seamstress because I see too much."
He sounded bitter, almost resentful. "Is that why you didn't see the shadows?"
"Sure. I don't know. Probably."
Terra looked down. She was having a few problems accepting this, after being taught that these things didn't exist, that it was likely something in their heads, she couldn't let this sink in. But he was so sincere, and it was the only way to explain these things that had happened, unless he had set it all up or something.
"So, what does that mean?" There had to be something more to this, something more believable.
"Exactly what it means."
"You can touch them, can they touch you?"
He winced. "That only makes sense, doesn't it?"
"That's why your wing was broken." Wind Storm said nothing. "You lived in Cloudsdale?" Nothing. "So, you're not insane?" The last question was slightly desperate. He had to say something.
There was a short pause before he replied. "I've questioned that. I don't think I am. But I might be. Point is, I don't generally move from place to place. I tried once, but there's no getting away from it, is there? There's nothing around here though, nothing hostile. This hut keeps things away. They're there, but they won't come any closer."
"You're sure?" Wind Storm nodded. Why did she believe him? He could be lying, he could actually be insane and be completely convinced of these things, but she believed him. "Alright, yeah, sure. So, how did you know Thimble-?"
"Her father told me. He was following her. He didn't come into the Forest though. Don't know why."
"So you saw her father."
"He wants the best for her. We need to protect her, get her through this."
"A dying wish?"
"Post-mortem wish. If we keep her safe, he can move on happily."
"Should I ask?"
Wind Storm sighed. "No, don't bother. I'm going back inside, maybe I can actually get a decent sleep tonight. Look after Thimble, I don't know where to begin."
He turned and walked back around the hut, leaving Terra confused and saddened in the middle of the Everfree Forest.
It was the fifth time that week that Baroque had seen those two teenagers outside on the street. And the last day he would be able to spend in his apartment. He had been enlisted, nearly everyone in Baltimare had. Except Contrabasse. She hadn't taken it well, suggesting running away, hiding him, going herself, he had put a stop to those thoughts. She couldn't go in his place, that wasn't right, he couldn't have her doing that. He had one week to do what was necessary, and then he would need to leave. He would be sending money back to her as much as he could, she couldn't make her own way with University funds. Rent was getting more expensive by the day.
She was reluctant to let him go, but the morning of his final day in Baltimare came, and he had to leave. She knew it, and let him go at last, though wasn't pleased about it. As soon as he was out of the apartment building and headed for the check-in point, he saw them again. He didn't recognize either of them from anywhere, though one of them looked like she was ready for war. Being the fifth time that he had seen them that week; he decided that he might as well talk to them to find out why they were there. It was starting to feel odd, seeing them all the time, he wanted to know why they were hanging around his apartment.
He walked over to them, checking his watch. He wasn't entirely eager to go off to war. "Hey, you two, what're you doing?"
The two of them turned, the girl immediately leapt into the air, hovering a couple feet above the ground. The boy was on guard; he could see magic sparking up around his hands. Baroque held up his hands in surrender, dropping his small baggage as he did. The girl, who he just noticed was holding a bow, dropped slightly, though the boy remained as tense as he had been before. In a time of war, he supposed, you can never be too careful.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I want to ask you something."
The girl muttered something to the boy, who nodded. Whatever she had said, he seemed to agree with her. He gestured for Baroque to come over, though clearly didn't trust the man any more. Baroque picked up his suitcase and walked towards them as the girl landed.
"Go ahead," said the boy. "You have a question?"
"Yeah," he was very aware of the bow in the girls’ hand and the knife at her waist. "You guys have been around a lot. Is there... Something you need?"
"Could he be one of them?" asked the girl, landing.
The boy held up his hand. "What's your name?"
He hesitated. "Baroque, why? Do you need something?"
"I don't know," said the boy.
"I like him," said the girl.
Baroque felt like a dog, and like they were trying to decide whether or not they wanted to bring him home.
"Look, I need to get out of here. I've been enlisted, and I need to go. Do either of you need something?"
The boy took a breath. "I need you to come with us. I can take care of the army; they won't notice you're not there. But I need you to come with us."
Baroque frowned. "Why?"
"Trust me?"
He had to weigh his options. Go to war with strangers, or go off at random with armed strangers. Either way he would be walking into something that involved strangers and weapons. "Who are you people?"
"I'm Firelight, this is Lightening Chaser. I've been assigned something by Princess Celestia, and we need you to come with us." He said it urgently, in a hushed tone like he was afraid someone would overhear. A task assigned by the Princess? That wasn't something you heard everyday. In fact, it wasn't something you generally heard ever.
"Sorry if I don't believe you." Baroque turned and began to walk away, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing his arm. He turned back to see Firelight's slightly desperate face.
"Look, I know it's not very promising, but you need to trust me on this."
"Why?"
"Because it can save you from going to war and probably dying, Equestria has bigger plans for you than a war. I think." He frowned. "I hope I'm right."
"Bigger plans? What could be bigger than a full-scale war on the entire country?"
"This is less a war, more of a... special task force scenario."
"Look, I don't know who you are, but I'm probably not the guy you're looking for."
"I know you might not be. But you also might be. There's only one way to find out. Are you going to come with us?"
He wasn't sure. It would probably be better than going off and fighting with things he couldn't see, but these two people, neither of them looked older than eighteen. Of course, he was only twenty-two, he couldn't be judging. "Yeah, alright, I'll join you."
Firelight smiled. "Good. How much do you know about the Elements of Harmony?"
For the third time that night, Thimble awoke to the sound of timberwolves in the forest. She was starting to think sleep was useless, after what had happened to her father she couldn't possibly sleep. She pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it," she muttered absently to herself, a question she thought wouldn't be answered.
"4:30 in the morning."
She turned to face the answer. It had come from the boy lying on the floor, the one she had seen, but hadn't learned the name of. He and the woman, Terra was her name, were lying on the floor while she got the bed. She was asleep, but he was not. He was lying with his hands behind his head, a concerned look on his face.
"How did you know?"
"Zecora told me."
Thimble blinked. Who was Zecora? "Why are you up?"
"I'm not sure. It's very- quiet. I'm not used to it being so quiet."
Thimble glanced around, hearing the sounds of the forest like they were right beside her. They were anything but quiet. "What do you mean?"
"It's just less than I'm used to." Less than he was used to? What did that mean? "Why are you awake?" he asked.
"Couldn't sleep."
He smiled. "Fair enough." This was followed by a short silence, during which Thimble lay back down on the bed. She didn't find it particularly stable, but it was comfortable nonetheless. "Your father was proud of you, you know," said the boy.
"What? Wait, I know you? How do you-"
"He told me. Or rather, his spirit told me. I suppose I should tell you too." He stood as Thimble sat up, giving him room on the bed, confused but intrigued. To her surprise, he moved to the window. "I can see, talk to, and touch dead spirits and forgotten creatures." Thimble said nothing. It seemed like it was hard for him to get this out, like he had been hiding it for a long time. "I talked to your father outside Ponyville. No, he talked at me and I listened. He told me he was proud of you, Thimble. You were a good daughter."
Thimble ignored the tears in her eyes. This was too soon. "I don't know who you are, but I don't believe you at all. No one can talk to the dead."
The boy looked down. "Yeah, people tend to think that. I'm Wind Storm by the way, I assume Terra didn't tell you."
"No, she didn't."
"Trust me, it's hard to believe but it's true. If you don't believe me, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. But he was proud of you."
Thimble blinked hard. "That's good to know. Um, is there anyone here, right now?"
Wind Storm turned to look at her, puzzled. "No, just the woman who owned this hut- but you don't believe me." Thimble opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her. "No, it doesn't matter. I don't expect anyone to."
He turned back to the window, effectively closing off the conversation. Thimble sighed quietly and leaned back down on the bed, hoping to get a couple more hours of sleep before it was light out.
They had to keep moving, and Thimble was grateful for that. Terra had wondered if it was all right for Thimble to leave the area, but Thimble had never been more grateful for leaving. She didn't want to be in the Forest, or the city her father was killed in, and she wanted to get as far away as she possible could. Going through the forest wasn't her first choice but what else would she do? It was Wind Storm that had a problem with it.
"We're going to be moving the whole time, the Everfree Forest isn't nearly as big as you think it is," said Terra as they walked. Wind Storm lagged behind, jumpy and anxious.
"Whatever shows up I can cut down," said Thimble. She had both knives in her hands, more than ready to fight something. She almost wanted something to jump out at her; it would be so relieving to kill something.
"Yeah, right," Wind Storm muttered behind them. Thimble took a breath, holding herself back. The boy scared her, though she wouldn't admit to that. What he had told her last night seemed so hard to believe that she couldn't help but be scared of him.
"Keep up," Terra told him. "I can't teleport both of you."
"Terra," Thimble said, taking her arm and walking a little ahead, "can I talk to you?" Terra glanced back at Wind Storm, who was watching the trees around them like he was afraid they would come to life. "We won't leave him behind, I just need to ask you something."
'Shoot."
"Why are you keeping him around?" Thimble hissed. "He's insane, he thinks he can see dead people, why do you have him with you?"
"Because I'm trying to help him," Terra whispered sadly.
"Help him? He's mental!"
"I thought so. Take his word for it Thimble, the three of us are a group now, we've got to stay together. I'm going to Canterlot to check on the war efforts, they might need another medic. If you want to leave, leave. But he's staying with me, he's a huge asset."
"But-"
"Shush, I'm not changing my mind."
Thimble looked down, resigning herself to the fact that he would be ever-present. She turned to face him and threw one of her knives into the ground at his feet, making him jump backwards violently. "Take that, you don't have a weapon. You're going to need it on the road."
It was bright and sunny in the meadow, just as it always had been. A cool breeze was gently blowing, rustling the leaves on the trees that were sprinkled here and there in small clumps. The flowers danced with the grass, gently weaving flora sprinkled with dew from a fresh morning. A weaving trail wide enough for two people ran through the field, dandelions sprouting here and there. It was an image frozen in time, one of peace and pure serenity, just as it had always been, and just how she liked it. Distant memories were etched in the bark of the trees, though there was no marks. Of course, he did not know any of these memories, and he payed no attention to the beauty of the moment.
His glanced about warily, though he knew there was no threat here, at least not from the keeper of this meadow. She had made a promise long ago, one she had kept. It was her 'pets' that he had to watch for.
"Fluttershy?" he said quietly, knowing his voice would carry, knowing that if he spoke too loudly she would be frightened. "Are you here?"
"I'm always here," came the answering voice. He echoed around the area.He pin-pointed the source of the sound and smiled to himself.
"Of course, where else would you be?" He turned to face her. She was clearly just touching down behind him, her wings still opened, hair slightly windswept.
"It had been a long time Discord. I have heard nothing from outside this pasture in decades."
"You've missed a lot."
"Why is it that you did not come to visit me? I thought that we were friends." Her bright eyes were filled with confusion and pity.
"Let me fill you in." He gestured to the trail and she smiled, joining him. Her dress, as yellow as sunflower petals, followed behind her silently. "I was put back into my own prison, not long after you and the others were exiled."
"I am truly sorry to hear that."
"It a shame I couldn't be involved in that lovely storm you six brewed up. It caused quite the disturbance in Canterlot. That would be why they tossed my back in the stone purgatory. I did nothing to help that. You can understand why."
"Of course."
"But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I suppose I should go out and tell all of your friends, but I never felt compelled to."
"What is it?"
"You need to know that the Princesses have started to gather the new Elements of Harmony. This means that there will be someone coming along to take you amulet and with it its power. I want you to be ready, if none of the others are."
"The amulet cannot be taken. It can only be used by the person who best represents the Element. That person is me."
"The Princesses don't think that anymore. In fact, no one does. The Elements have changed hands. Short of staying here with you, there's nothing I can do. You'll need to watch out for yourself, I know you can handle it."
"With all due respect Discord, I think you're wrong."
Discord raised an eyebrow and sighed, biting back a brief flash of anger. He couldn't stay mad at Fluttershy, she was the first one who had shown him any kind of affection. The only one who had shown him affection. Others had acted it sure, but she was his only true friend. "All I ask is that you're cautious, Fluttershy. Where is the amulet?"
Fluttershy said nothing, but reached up to her neck, her hands closing around a thin gold chain that Discord hadn't noticed before. She pulled the pendant out from under the yoke of the dress and held it reverently in her hands, a small pink crystal in the shape of a butterfly. "It has not left my possession since I was sent here."
"I thought the chain was bigger. And that it wasn't a chain."
"It seems like the power doesn't come from the amulet as an ensemble, but from the pendant itself. Angel got his hands on it and broke the original. I had to improvise. He's a little rough, but he means well."
Discord blinked. "Angel? I could be wrong, shouldn't he be dead by now?" He had been in stone for a long time, and he wasn't one to scoff at time travel or manipulation, hell, he even endorsed it, but it didn't seem right. Fluttershy wasn't one to toy with the natural order of things.
"I thought it would be kinder to him to keep him with me. This amulet has granted me wonderful power, even though I am not a Mage. He has not died." She tucked the amulet back under the yoke of her dress. "Do not worry about me Discord, I can understand your concern, but I have many friends here, all of whom will help me in a time of need. I can assure you that I am perfectly safe."
"If you need me..." He scanned the field and began to notice the smaller details, small piles of earth that had been dug up here and there, small red spots on the grass. "You say he's not dead. How so?"
"I have brought him back. I brought them all back. No one wants to die. It was kinder to bring them back. Especially Angel. I would miss him far too much, and he would miss me."
That was it. She let them die, and then brought them back. For their own good. This is what the Elements of Harmony had become? He considered the others, the other five and how they would be. He had no reason to see them, he never particularly liked them, but perhaps he would check on them. If this was Fluttershy, the pink one must be a riot.
