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The Steadfast Sky

by TheGreyPotter

Chapter 41: XLI : Overcast Retribution

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The Steadfast Sky : Overcast Retribution
The Grey Potter
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11495/The-Steadfast-Sky
http://cosmicponyfiction.tumblr.com

~Luna~

Half awake, half asleep. Everything made sense in a way that, later, doesn’t make any sense at all. I dreamed, stuffed between barrels, that I was being pressed in half. Folded up like paper. Smaller and smaller, safer and safer. Eventually I was just a little speck, a little speck that could easily be tucked away in a warm pocket. That’s eventually what happened, too. I realized I was being led off the cart, carried by other speck ponies and placed in a bed. Into the pocket where I belonged.

Discord wouldn’t stop gripping my hoof. Which was weird, because he was normal size (of course) how could he fit in my pocket? I guess my hoof didn’t fold up along with me. I was just a speck with one big leg.

And Celestia… I couldn’t see her, since it was dark in my pocket. But I could hear her. Talking and mumbling with another mare, somewhere nearby.

“Celestia…” The other mare said, “I haven’t seen you stop by my cart in ages, sweetie…”

“Been away,” Celestia replied.

“However did you wind up in the back of my apple cart?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Shining Apple said he didn’t see you or your friends get in the cart the whole ride. And you just drop on my doorstep, exhausted.” There was a small clattering sound. “Don’t you think you owe an old mare and explanation?”

“Apple-a-Day… You told me hundreds of stories about Equestria, about what’s out there… I always loved to stop and listen.”
A little laugh, like, ah-heh-heh-heh. “Yes, ever since you were just a little filly.”

“I never used to believe you. But they’re true. I know they’re true.”

The clatter of china, and a heavy weight hitting wood.

“Goodness Celestia, you left Canterbury?”

“We did. All three of us escaped, Apple-a-Day.”

“Then what in the world possessed you to come back?!”

A sharp intake of breath.“Well...”

“Celestia, dearest! You were out of this godforsaken place! Whatever crack you found in the wall, use it again, and run! Be free, child!”

“No, Apple-a-Day. We… uh…”

“Nothing in this city is worth returning for, believe you me!”

“Yes, it is worth returning for. We’re here to save everyone, Apple-a-Day. We’re… we’re here to.” Silence, followed by the hissing of a whisper.

“Sky above child! You can’t do that! You, what has possessed you?!”

“These are the Elements of Harmony, Apple-a-Day! Me, Luna, Discord… We’re all going to be Equestria’s next gods. We’ve come back to save the city, and all of Equestria along with it!”

For the longest time, only breathing. Occasionally, the clatter of a dish.

“You’re not pulling an old mare’s leg, are you?”

“No. I’m not.”

“What you’re saying is, well, I know I say some crazy things. But what has gotten into your head, child?”

“You must have heard of the Elements of Harmony. I showed you my storybook, didn’t I?”

“I know of the Elements. When I was your age…” China clicking together. “Well, that was when Magic and Generosity were around. When Canterbury wasn’t a prison” A low sigh, a long exhale. “But the Elements were lost! Or sealed, or, or certainly out of the hands of any average ponies!”

“Then my sister and I are not average ponies. You have to believe me. Or believe … I saw the sun on the day Discord retrieved Kindness. I knew then, I was going to bring that sun back to Equestria. And sure enough, I found a way. Believe me, Apple-a-Day. This is an Element. And we’re going to use them to take down the Shadow Stallion!”

Heavy breathing slowly fading away …

“Thanks for letting us sleep the day here, Apple-a-Day. But we’ve got to go. We’ve got to do this before sundown.”

“At least let me make you a little supper, darling. You can’t leave again without a nice warm meal tucked away. I won’t let you.”

“Thanks for your kindness, your generosity, Apple-a-Day.”

The scrape of metal on wood. Chopping, rhythmic.

“The Sun… And Luna too. The Moon.”

“Yes.”

For the longest time, chopping and scraping. The splash of water.

“I’m very proud of you, Celestia. And if your parents were here, they would be too. Now, rest dearest. Let me cook you some dinner.”

A deep breath and a long, long sigh. The fall of a weight. Then silence.

~Θ~

I sat in that pocket for a long time, trying to think like a piece of lint, wondering what would happen to me when it rained. Then a cold nose snuck into my pocket. Probably there to pick me up by my hoof. It nuzzled against my forehead, over my ear. Strange, how was the snout that small?

“Luna,” Celestia said quietly, “Luna. It’s time to wake up.”

“Huh?”

“Breakfast… Dinner is waiting.”

“Oh.”

It was almost like I was still dreaming. We were trapped in a little box room, a table taking up a whole quarter of it. Patternless blankets were draped on every wall, little black lines of stone peeking out from behind the cracks. It was almost like a really, really colorful prison cell. Except the door wasn’t locked and there were stairs running up the side of it.

I tried to stand, but my legs were numb. Sore and numb. I had been sleeping on straw, but it wasn’t much. Just standing up, my hoof hit stone with a pretty loud CLACK. Straw stuck to my tummy, and it itched a little. I went to scratch it, and Discord’s paw fell off my foot. Fwump, to the ground.

I followed his arm, and saw him in front of me, flopped on his stomach on his own little pile of straw. He blinked up at me, barely awake. The bags under his eyes looked puffy and swollen, like two fat bruises.

“Goo-morn-evenin’…” He mumbled, rubbing his forehead into the floor, horns clicking as they hit the floor. “Uhg… where are we?”

“I unno. Somewhere where we’re not dead?”

Discord’s face flipped up. Now he kind’ve looked sick.

“We’re with a friend of mine.” Celestia stood beside me. I dunno how long she was there for. “We’re safe.”

“For now…”

“Oh, hush Discord.”

“No need to worry, young’uns.” A green mare, the mare with the voice from my half-dream walked up beside my sister. Her smile only had a few teeth left to it. “Though I don’t rightly know what to call you, little colt.” With a jolt, Discord yanked the covers back over himself.

“He won’t hurt you,” Celestia said quickly.

Apple-a-Day turned to smile warmly at my sister. “Why in the world would I think the child would hurt me?”

“Ah… No reason. Forget I said anything.”

Apple-a-Day gave my sister a little laugh, creakily trotting away. “Alright, young’uns. Hurry and wash up before dinner.”

I think I’m awake. But maybe this is one of those dreams where you wake up and wonder why you ever thought stuff was real. I sat down on a pillow at the table after we washed our little hooves, and we drank some carrot and celery soup with the green earth pony mare. There were no spoons or anything to drink the soup, so I had to hold the bowl the Earth Pony way, sip it from my forelegs. Is that the Earth Pony way? Or is that just what my sleepy brain has convinced me is the Earth Pony way?

It’s all very confusing…

But the soup was warm and filling, so I drank it. I think I was hungrier than I felt, because it went too quick, leaving me feeling warm. All the aches in my body becoming pronounced in the heat.

“Goodness, do I have a pack of ponies on my hands, or a pack of ravenous pups?” Apple-a-Day chuckled, “You all went right through that soup! Well…” She turned away, went and opened a little metal box by a small fireplace stove. Carefully, she reached in and pulled out a little wooden plate. “Anypony want some dessert?”

In front of me, three flaky little rolls sat. Their tops were split open, a bright red filling glistening through the tan crust. I hovered the dessert over, a little line of crumbs following in its wake. I bit in… Soft, crunchy, with a melty-hot center, too sweet and a little bit sour. Cherries. When was the last time I had cherries? A sort of cream mixed with the cherry filling, and, and—

“What is this?” Discord squeaked, “What is this stuff?”

“A cherry and cream cheese Danish,” Celestia said softly.

“Um…” I looked over to him. He looked stunned, staring down at the half-eaten pastry. “Is it bad?”

“It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“Oh!”

Discord swiped his paw across his eyes, sniffing once before wolfing down the rest of the pastry in three bites. Still chewing, he licked at his paws, eying the crumbs still left on the table.

“Thank you, Apple-a-Day,” Celestia said. “The soup and the Danish were delicious.”

“Come back any time. All of you.” Apple-a-Day’s smile was broad, nodding to each of us in a slow turn. “Whenever you’d like.”

“We will, Apple-a-Day.” Celestia nodded, “Maybe we’ll make you dinner sometime.”

My sister sat quietly for a moment, smiled, then returned to her stoic stare.

~Θ~

“This way,” Discord mumbled.

We were following Discord now. Celestia kept trying to walk in pace with him, skittering forward sometimes, then falling back, glancing down at him. It was a struggle to keep up, but I didn’t ask to slow down. I didn’t feel like slowing down. None of us did. We were lucky. Nobody would stare at three little ponies in a hurry. It was the hour where all the ponies were trying to get where they’re going, glancing at the sky and occasionally breaking into a nervous gallop.

Celestia was a little winded by the time Discord stopped. He took a deep breath, glanced around the street, and ducked into the alley.

“Luna!” he squeaked, “Shadows.” He didn’t need to tell me twice. I hurried forward, helping him pull the shadows around all of us as we snuck down that alleyway. Really down, like a ramp descending further and further into the dark.

“We have to go down before we go up,” Discord mumbled. “Luna. Celestia… stick close to me. And whatever you see, don’t, don’t scream.”

We froze. Even Discord. He knew what was down there, and even he didn’t want to go. Celestia made a small squeaking sound.

“Luna can take care of that,” he mumbled. “Your sonic magic. Take away the sound. Do it.”

“Oh.” I frowned, trying to remember how it went again. Last time I had just… tried to throw away my voice, since the griffin could hear it? I tried to focus on that idea, horn and Element glowing.

It was like night out in the snow again. My spell muffled everything, most importantly our footsteps. I hadn’t noticed just how much we were jittering in place until the clicks of our hooves were gone. Discord turned to me, opened his mouth and tried to talk, but there was nothing. Or, maybe a something. Far, far away.

He nodded, readjusted the shadows around us, and began slowly walking forward. I snuck up behind my sister, grabbed the hem of her cloak in my mouth. She looked back, then did the same with Discord’s cloak. We descended a little quicker, in a silent single file.

There was one tight corner, just one turn further down in a sharp ‘u’. Discord rounded it first. From him, I heard the distant echo of a squeal.

There, down at the bottom of the road. An opening, a big opening. And sitting under the arch of it, half covered by shadows, was a beast. Heavy, huge, body like a lion. Head speckled red like it was rusting. Two horns scraped at the ceiling above it, one massive claw picking at its yellowed fangs. Its eyes flashed, reflective like Discord’s. It was an entire monster like Discord. An actual, adult Draconequus.

Celestia’s cloak tugged me forward, and I almost fell. I felt the shadows snapping away behind me. I tugged them back in place. He can’t see us. He can’t, nothing can. Even things that have shadow magic can’t see us. But it felt like, at any second, the Draconequus would look up and—

He glanced our way, and Celestia tugged me forward harder.

We went right up beside him, pressed against the wall and edging past his humongous body. Massive shoulders far, far over our heads, deep growl resounding from his body. That close, I could see his six-foot ribs shift as he breathed. I could see his skin almost spill over the ground, loose on his body. I could smell him, and smelled wrong, horrible. Like filthy fur. Like a dead dog. Like hot trash, or more.

We crept by its massive purple tail, like a fat, exposed bruise. A tuft of tan fur flicked back and forth, yards upon yards behind the main body. I watched that tail, as it slowly slunk away, so far out of sight before it then came lazily rocking back. Discord tried to hurry us by, around another corner, into a dark tunnel. But I don’t know if he noticed the tail or not.

Because, as I tried to shove my sister forward, the fat tip of his tail lazily fell over my back, sliding to the ground with an all-too-loud ‘fwump.’

The beast stopped breathing.

The front of my cloak was yanked forward. My sister had spun around and was trying to pull me forward. The cloth yanked over my nose, pinching at the sides of my eyes. I tripped, landed in something wet, the splatter distant and muted. But what if he could hear it? He had huge ears, what if he heard us?!

I felt a hot gust behind me, a rotting stink, his breath, his breath right behind me, right behind me, right behind me rightbehindme!

We ran. Didn’t matter where, we ran. Barely concealed through barely-lit black corridors. Sound around us fading in and out. Didn’t stop until I heard Discord. Right in front of me, yet sounding so far away. Stop, he said.

And we did, all facing each other, all breathing heavily, suppressed and muffled.

“Okay,” Celestia said in a far-away voice, “Let’s all just calm down.”

“Ferrous,” Discord mumbled. “Why did it have to be Ferrous…”

“What? Who?” I asked.

“No. Nevermind.” He closed his eyes. Trying to breathe through his nose. “Let’s just keep going. Please.”

I nodded. Adjusted the shadows. Brushed away the excess sound. A little headache was starting in my forehead. Too much magic was coming from me. I ignored it. With a few more muted nods, we continued on.

It wasn’t long until we started going up on a slowly circling ramp. There were rarely any torches on the walls, and the few that existed had burned right out of their brackets. But that was good. Lots of shadows to hide in. But other things caught my attention. The whole place stank of dogs and body waste. Straw was scattered all over, clumped and wet along the wall’s edge. Sometimes, another huge Draconequus would wander by, or be lying in the middle of a corridor. We always held our breaths, moved forward at a snail’s pace. None were as big as the one by the entrance. But they all had that weird, lazy ease. Like big dogs or lions laying around. More like animals than anything smart like Discord.

A weird thought came to me then. Discord said we’d have to deal with the Draconequus once the Stallion was gone. And here we are, sneaking around, terrified of one just finding us. Could we really deal with these beasts with how we were now? Why are we doing this now, when we can’t deal with the problems we know we’ll cause? I thought, frantically, as the stench grew less and the Draconequus vanished… What are we doing here?

And yet, up we went. Higher and higher and higher. Discord led us as the corridors became filled with milling Griffins. Armored Pegasi milled about the groups, and laughed at the same cruel jokes.

Finally, we turned one last corner, and the corridor was empty. More than that. It was flat. Before us was a white set of stairs. Actual stairs, going up even higher. Discord led us to them, and looked back. One foreleg hovered over the first step.

My sister stepped right out of our quiet little bubble, hooves offensively loud on the white stone.

“Celestia!” Discord hissed, grabbing for her pink tail, “What are you doing?!”

“We’re here to face him, aren’t we?” She quietly replied. “We can’t hide anymore.”

I didn’t want a fight. Not here and now. I charged up after my sister, and Discord quickly fell behind me. All three of us, side by side, ascended those steps, into a place quieter than any spell I could cast.

I felt like, in the towers down below, there was always something moving. Somebody talking, water dribbling. Stones crumbling, mice scurrying around. Up here, there was none of that. It was just the loud clicks of our footsteps, and the buzzing my ears made when it tried too hard to hear something.

Down below, everything was dark, compact, and full of shadows to hide in. Here, even though there were no windows, the bright white walls and high ceiling themselves seemed to glow, seemed to fill everywhere with light. Big suits of armor cast no shadows. And the eyes of huge oil paintings followed us everywhere we stepped. I got this scary feeling, curling up in my gut, that we were being watched. That there was no way to miss us entering this private space. And we were committing some horrible crime, just walking through there.

The Stallion had to know we were here. How could he not? What was he waiting for? Was he just taking his time attacking us?

“Over there,” Discord whispered. We had just went up another small flight of stairs. He waved to our left, at a massive golden door. “I got the Element from that room. It’s a dead end, so…” He looked right, further down a hallway lined with open doors. Celestia strode down it, still stiff with resolve. We followed.

The hall was long, cavernous with the same high ceilings. Down, far, far away from us, there were several open archways. Doors, blocked off by another kind of out-of-place invader. Plants. Dark, thorny vines, seemingly planted into the stone itself, creeping over all the entrances all but one…

The closest one. The one coated in shadows.

The one the shadows exited.

He didn't even seem to move. He just faded in from nowhere. Something like a pony, but not at all. He was long, gangly, and wrong. When I could see through the shadows that followed at his heels, his body was knotted and tense. His wings were frayed and molting. His mane was like a blanket of trampled grass. Eyes a dead reflection of green.

And that dark thing began to walk toward us.

“There! There he is!” Celestia squealed, “Blast him! Harmony Blast!”

“I—“

“NOW!”

My horn burned on my forehead, and with it, my Element blared, brighter, louder in tone than I ever remember it being. The other Elements rang with mine, screamed. And together, our off-color rainbow snapped together, shooting forward.

The Stallion watched as the beam slammed him square in the chest.

For a moment, it was just that whine. That harmonious scream of our Elements. Our own screams. The light spilled around the Stallion’s shoulders, bubbling into white. A wound seemed to sprout from the rainbow. A little line of gray getting bigger and bigger. Cold stone crept up the Stallion’s neck, down his legs. He watched us. He didn't even glance at the slowly advancing stone.

With a toss of his mane, a few of the chunks flaked off. They were replaced almost instantly. With a stomp of his leg, another chunk fell off. A shake of his body, more clattered to the ground, crumbled. Stone peeling and flaking off his body, he began walking forward. The Elements barely even slowing his trot.

His gaze fell directly onto me.

And Discord’s beam of light died.

“No, no, no no no no,” Discord squealed, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry Father!”

“Discord!” Celestia screamed, “What in thhauuuAAAUG!”

My sister’s beam of light died. She collapsed to the ground, screaming and clutching her head in her knees. Her Element sputtered, rhythmically pulsing, spewing bright yellow sparks.

I stared at my writhing sister. My beam of light died. Shadows billowed past my ankles, over my sister’s body.

“Look out!”

“huh?”

At Discord’s shout, I looked up. The Stallion stood above us. Corpselike eyes bore through my head. Horn glowing in a sickly blue-green. He silently reared up, becoming dizzyingly, impossibly tall.

“Luna!”

Discord’s claws sunk into my shoulder, yanking me off my front feet. I fell back two steps. Watched as the Shadow Stallion’s hooves slammed down in front of my eyes with an almighty CRACK. Chips of the white stone bounced off my nose.

“Luna, run!”

A black wall, crumbling like plaster, burst in front of my eyes. I spun on Discord. Saw the frightened look on his face, my sister under his arm, trying to rise to her feet as their Elements glowed in unison. His other hand was outstretched past me, fingers splayed. The black wall swelled, slamming into the ceiling and showering us in black flakes.

“Y-yes. Run!” I stammered, “We gotta run!”

I stumbled into my sister’s side. Tried to heave her up, push her forward. A nagging thought beating in my head as my Element flared blue. There was something I could do, something more I could do. We didn’t have to run, did we? Something I can do to save us, something, anything!

We didn’t get far. The wall burst behind us, a gust driving plaster needles into our skin. Another blast sent us tumbling. I fell to my stomach, cold marble sending a shock through my gut. My sister collapsed again. I tried to stand, tried to run for her.
A black hoof slammed down on my element. There was a sound like breaking glass. Shadows poured over me, lukewarm and moist, a sticky fog. I shot up, tried to stand, and my back leg bumped into his other hoof, his thin ankle. Clasp digging into my neck, I tried to look. On top of me, standing over me, there he was.

Those dead eyes stared down at me, other hoof lifting, poised directly over my head. I screamed.

My horn flared, and I screamed.

The world wobbled and cracked, sound deafening me. A hot white light burst over those eyes. A black spike burst from the ground, whizzing past my ear, slamming into his neck. He took a step back. Just a step, a single step. Element free. His hoof bit into my foreleg as it dropped. Searing, nail pinching and ripping the skin.

I didn’t care. I wormed free and ran. I ran for my sister. Ran for my life.

“Luna!” Celestia moaned. She was finally on her feet. “Your Element…”

“Not now!” I squealed.

Discord shot by my other side, tearing down the steps. Practically clawing his way down them.

“What now?!”

“We, we need to get out of this tower!” A wild idea half formed in my mind. I didn’t dwell on it. I just threw myself into my gallop. Each step of my right hoof shot dull pain up into my shoulder. “Get to the black stone!”

“Going!”

We hit the bottom of the steps, running through the corridor full of the suits of armor. There was a stretch in front of us. A long, long stretch with the exit so far away.

And a spike drilled its way through the back of my head.

The world flipped and melted, tore itself inside out as the pain ripped my brains in half. It actually hurt my lungs, dragging in enough air to scream. But that was nothing, nothing nothing nothing nothing compared to the pain rocketing its way up, down, and around my skull. Bright lights blurred the world, white and blue, searing my eyes, stabbing holes in my spine. I couldn’t breathe anymore. I couldn’t breathe I was screaming so hard, world ringing, blood beating at my ears, trying to escape the pain in my head.

And as suddenly as it came, it left. Somehow, Celestia and Discord heaved me forward. Dominating my vision, Elements blaring. I tried to find my feet, but they were lost. I could barely move. My head still throbbed, but my shoulder ached more. It felt wet. I looked at it, and it was stained with some dark color.

“Resonate!” Celestia cried, “Luna, try and Resonate!”

“I—“

“Look!”

Clattering and banging surrounded us. I watched under Discord’s arm as a suit of armor rattled, awash with the Stallion’s sickly aura. Its spear was yanked from its side. Din was coming from all directions, banging metals.

“No, no, no, no…”

“Stairs…” I mumbled.

“Almost there!” Celestia glanced back, and what little color that was in her face drained away. I tried to do the same, follow her gaze. I only got one eye peeking around my bad shoulder. One eye trained on the Stallion. He was walking towards us, casual, steady, determined, focused. Behind him, suits stepped forward, rattling bows in his wake. A cloud of spears hovered above his head, shafts rattling together as they compressed.

Discord snapped his hand up. Another wall between us and The Stallion. But with a loud whizzing sound, just one spear smashed its way through the plaster of his spell, bouncing off the stone and spinning off over our backs.

Discord squealed, yanking at my bad leg. Two more spears burst through the barrier. One bounced off the ground. I heard Discord scream, and he dropped my leg. I tried to see what got him, if he was hurt, if he was hurt badly—!

“Don’t stop!” Celestia cried. Her aura encased us, shoving us forward. “Just a few more feet! Just a few more!”

We were falling, tumbling over the lip as half a dozen spears blasted above our heads. I saw Discord fall past. He gripped his green leg, curled up in pain as blood smeared between his claws. Finally, finally I found my footing, still racing down the steps. I tried, gingerly, to bring magic into my horn. I hoped, pleaded with myself. Don’t let the headache return. Let me have enough magic left, just to do this.

My horn flared, blue sparks twinkling past my eyes. The welcoming shadows of black stones, still far beneath us, began to churn.

“Guys!” I shouted, “Get in!”

“We can’t just hide!” Celestia squealed, “He’ll know we’re there!”

“Trust me!” I screamed back, the pang of my own magic pumping through my head. “Get in! Both of you!”

Discord’s wings flared open. Still clutching his leg, he threw himself to the shadows, gliding as he dove in, headfirst. He vanished. My sister charged down the last few steps. She screamed. Her legs sunk into the shadows, her body and head quickly falling after without much fuss.

I didn’t wait any longer. With one last hop, I dove into my shadow portal. I was shrieking for joy as the world faded around me, and a different world began blooming in front of my eyes.

~Θ~

“It worked!” I squealed as I tumbled into my friends. They stood, stunned at the world around them. The portal hadn’t let us leave the city, but we were certainly out of the castle. The dark walls rose on all sides of us, and I could barely make out the shapes of the buildings in the dark. I quickly began wiping the shadows from my eyes, surprised how much my leg was shaking. “It worked, we’re free!”

“No we’re not…” Discord croaked. “He’ll come after us. We’ve only just earned a small reprieve…”

“Safe? A reprieve?! Is that what you call this?!” Celestia squeaked. I looked at her, she was shaking like a leaf, head spinning to and fro. “We’re outside. At night. In Canterbury. What exactly is safe about our condition?!”

And far away, in the distance, I heard a Draconequus roar.

Next Chapter: XLII : Overcast Run Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 6 Minutes
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