Chapters Part 1
Within the earth, its soft dark soil or it’s deep and solid granite stone making this simple prison, with five statues standing around the lone figure. The body, curled up into a ball while his prison solemn and quiet. A gentle dripping sound filled the room, as water from above dripped gently.
This cavern; and its prisoner, was in a deep slumber having not been roused by the world above and beyond the mountains and caves. Everypony above knew not of this locked cell, even with their great gods leading them, as they themselves had no knowledge of its presence, hidden from their magikal sight. Its prisoner had done this, feeling it nessecary to protect the world from the evil that was him.
A soft hazel brown was his coat, with a muddy brown socks running up his hooves, with dark brass shoes. His eyes, which were gently closed in his sleep, were a faint and distant brown; softer then his is coat of hair. His mane was a soft sandstone colour, shifting from browns, to reds and yellows, back to the browns.
His wings, that they were, were formed of stone and gems. All along the stone was written runes of ancient and forgotten by all but him who wore them. Below the stone wings, were others, making it two pairs of wings, just as ornate and powerful as the other. However, again below it, were two small and weak natural wings, far too weak to even flap without risking them breaking asunder. He was born this way, while his sisters grew strong powerful wings; his were to be made to allow him to do such a feat common to alicorns. His horn, long and straight like his elder sisters, was strong to mould and shape stone to what he thought would be good for beauty.
Slowly, his eyes opened, lids peeling back from his eyes as he looked around. He only looked at the hooves of the statues, as he could not bear to look at them, for his heart was broken to do so. Each was a creation of his magik, and each he felt terrible sorrow to look at, for he caused so much pain to each of the forms. He slowly roused himself to stand, horn lighting the room gently, keeping his eyes on the ground. He slowly walked forward between two statues, where a sixth statue should have been. He walked slowly about his cell before stopping, looking at one of the walls.
Several long scratches dug into the ground here, each marking a century of his slumber. There was four there, soon to be five.
He started to walk again, eyes looking around the room with genuine lose and mystery, as his eyes vaguely remember building the chamber anymore, and the markings he had now placed on it. He had spent years on end filling the walls with images, cleaning it with magik to start again. As long as he didn’t look at those statues.
It was his own punishment, feeling that it was just and fair to the world around him. He had caused nothing but pain, or as he could only remember painful memories. Sure, there were some good ones, but those were so ancient he felt they were fleeting moment in time.
Then came four soft clicks, and the alicorns ears flicked softly, standing up straight, and then twitched to more clicks as they seemed to move towards him, the sound growing closer. A strong and repugent smell started to fill the room, but the brown Alicorn fought down the urge to gag, as he turned to face the new member of the room.
“Hello Death... or should I refer to you as Uncle Thanatos?” the brown alicorn asked the form, which hid the statues with a black shroud of energy, while its black wings quietly folded against its body, while a dark and forbidding cloak flowed around him. Visible were two green piercing eyes that glowed gently beneath the hood of the cloak, which stared into the alicorns eyes.
“You will be polite young nephew. You should already know your place with me ,” a chilling echo of a voice filled out room, drowning out the dripping water.
“I’m surprised, that you feel that it’s necessary to try and fill me, your Nephew, with fear,” he responded to the voice, walking towards him.
“Indeed I do find it necessary to talk to my brother’s son in how ever tone I believe is proper, ” the voice replied, walking towards him, “And right now, I find it necessary to speak to you with this voice. You must return to the surface... your rotting away down here within yourself imposed exile Terra. ”
The Alicorn looked down, “Do not force me to leave uncle. I will only return here...Anyway... every creation I’ve made has turned away me to the darkness...”
“You mean Discord? And everything else? ”
“Please.... don’t remind me... I feel responsible for everything around me.... everything that fell to darkness...” he said. He mind began to flood with happened all those millennia ago.
= = = = = = =
He sat on a small stool, horn glowing as in front of him, made of soft malleable clay was a statue of a dragon, or what he called a dragon. He began to mould a arm for the beast when a soft pink alicorn walked up behind him, grinning softly, and leaning to his ear.
“Hello little brother Novae,” she whispered, making him jump forward knocking the clay statue down, making him turn and panic.
“MY STATUE!! AHH!! TIA!!!” he said turning to his older sister, who’s mane was a mix of colours, but still hair. She chuckled gently at his dismay and panic.
“Oh I’m sorry little bro, did I make you screw up?” she asked, looking at him collecting a bunch of parts without paying attention. As he began to assemble the pieces he stared angrily at his older sister, the sun.
“Tia, what the bucking hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be studying or playing with girly things like a normal girl does?” Terra respond with, eyes angry, not paying much attention to what was forming with his magik. Slowly a form took shape, shifting and changing, while it began to spin around on the pedestal. Celestia looked at him, frowning.
“I’m just coming to say hi little brother,” she said, her voice raised up slightly in anger, “I guess that too much to ask of an artist like yourself, isn’t it?”
That made him feel a tang of pain, and anger swelled up.
“Shut up you! You haven’t the right to do that to say that!” he said, he horn flaring up as the pieces began to collect and complete. There stood the draconequus, who stood proudly with its head held high and its eyes looking off somewhere. Celestia was about to respond when she looked at it.
“Hey... what did you just make?” she asked, walking past him.
“Don’t you change the subje-“ he said stopping before looking at his creation for the first time since the angry yelling began, “I.... I don’t know... I was trying to craft something like it but... not this...”
Both brother and sister walked over circling it, Celestia using her wings to blow some dust of it, walking around it slowly. She was 600 years older than her little brother, and she was much taller.
“What do you call it?” she asked looking at it straight in the eyes. Terra rolled his eyes, sighing with an annoyed tone, “Oh don’t take that tone with me. You know I can wipe your flank any day of the week.”
She was right, he thought, and she could easily do it.
“I’m not sure... I was trying to make something I called a Dragon, a beast of the air and land, who breathed fire of both magik and doom... but... I don’t know what to call it...” he replied looking at it up and down.
“Why not... call it a draconequus?” she said, walking around it, eyeing it slowly.
“Why that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow to her.
“Well... it seems approitate doesn’t it?” she asked, turning to him, “What to cook it and see what comes out?”
“I don’t know... last time I cooked something like this, well... you remember what happened to the bear...”
“You mean Ursa major?” she asked smiling, “Relax, we’re both here this time, so we can easily stop it!”
Terra stopped and thought for a moment, before giving in. Within no time they had moved the statue to the kiln, something Terra and his father, Star-Dust, has built together. As the fires roared, Celestia walked outside of the room and sat down on the patio, looking up into the dark empty sky.
“Hey Terra... I’m sorry I ruined your creation,” she said, staring as her little brother walked over and sat down next to her. He looked up too, before back down to the earth below. His domain, his home, was that of dirt, stone and water, and it was strong. He could feel it shift with some times, while other times, when he forced it to be shifted with his magik he felt it rumble and groan around him, contorting to his desires and shapes.
“Its okay... it wasn’t complete,” he said grinning, before looking inside and floating over a item he was working on for the last three hundred years. Sure this wasn’t the first pair but it was most advanced. He started to lay out the two wings, each made of heavy stone, carvings cut onto it with his magik, making the wings look hard and painful, as well as the possibility of flight slim. He groaned and he started to work on them only to hear his sister chuckle.
“Still working on those?” she asked staring at his work. He nodded to her, looking up to her with gentle eyes.
“Ya... I want to fly like you, and mom and dad...” he said ears dropping down, his eyes following as he looked down as well.
“Well... maybe when you make those work, we can go for a test flight?” she said teasing him gently with a nudge. He groaned, fiddling with the stone slowly, trying to make it more effective.
For a good hour they sat there, Terra and Celestia alone.
“Hello?” a voice crept up behind them.
Chapter Three
Terra’s eyes slowly opened, viewing a white world around him. Where was he? It wasn’t the stone house he and melded out of the stone on his world. It was pearly, and eerie, with no noise beside his breathe. He rolled his head slowly, his vision blurring for a moment as he did so, looking up towards the ceiling, or what he hoped was the ceiling. It was white and nondescript as the wall, and far taller then he imagined it too be. He began to raise form the bed, or what he assumed to be a bed, only to be forces back down by pain from his back.
Now he started to remember. The attempt to take off with his new wings, how he failed miserably at that flight, how he could have killed himself and Discord. How his uncle was going to scold him when he came to see him.
He has seen Celestia cry, and he hated it. Sure he had attempted flight before, with many different means before but this was the first time EVER he had nearly killed himself with the attempt, and how it was the first time he ever seen her cry. He never wanted to see it happen again. Ever.
He looked slowly around now, trying not to blur his vision at all with quick turns of the head or spins of his eyes. It was painful to even move his head, and it was heavier than normal. He guessed that was normal, since he figured the magik had feedback up his spine and scrambled his sense.
Carefully his eyes looked down towards the end of his bed and a doorway appeared in his sights, door open. The door was predictably white, with the handle being a dark metallic black, with an icon of a blackened skull hanging from the door.
It was his uncle’s home. Thanatos domain of power, where he knew everything he touched could be changed to what he wanted. He had heard his older sister talk about it several times before. He always wondered what it was like. Now he was lying in a bed, pain shooting through him whenever he tried to move to get up.
He just laid there, eyes looking forward at the ceiling. What else was able to do? Get up and go see his uncle? This was his first time in the home, so even if he could get up, he wouldn’t know where to go to find him. Call out? What were the odds of someone being close enough to hear him, some 1-in-a-number above ten?
He sighed quietly, before trying again to sit up, getting to a near sitting position, before his muscles and nerves finally forced him down. He grunted, frustrated he couldn’t get up to look around for a batter idea on what this room was. For all he could tell it was a large room with just a bed in it. He finally groaned out loudly before slamming his hooves into the bed on either side of his body, causing him to wince in pain form the bounce cause by the motion. He sighed and looked down again towards the door. He stared at it, for what seemed like days on end, before he fell back into slumber.
He awoke later, from a nudge of a familiar paw on his shoulder.
“Terra?” the voice asked out load, barely above a whispered. Terra slowly opened his eyes and looked beside him, seeing Discord.
“Hey.... Discord...” he replied to him, make the creature smile happily, his toothy grin filling his mouth from ear to ear.
“Your awake finally... that’s good. I was starting to get worried about how much you were sleeping... So was Tia,” he commented eyes gleaming with happiness. Terra groaned gently, rolling his head to lying so he could look straight up at the roof again.
“How... how long was I... out for?” he proceeded to ask, seeing Discord frown at him gently.
“A good week, bro. You been just... lying there eyes closed and...” he said, surprisingly weak for the draconequus. Terra smiled softly, trying to sit up once more, this time being stopped by Discord, “Oh no you don’t Nov, your to stay laying down to your wounds fully heal. Your uncles orders.”
He nodded, laying there. He had a long time ahead of him.
Two Weeks Later.
Terra stared at the roof, sighing loudly. He had another few days in bed before he could get back up and start tinkering again. Even though he had a lot of time to think of new projects and items to make. He gave a long and drawn out sigh before sitting up, wincing slightly as a rare shot of pain came in.
“Ow... sat up too quickly...” he said, rubbing his bandages. He sighed gently looking around the room. Sketches, designs and drawings littered the floor around the bed, making him think he should probably clean up soon. His parents were suppose to be arriving soon, tomorrow he believed he had heard his uncle comment.
He moved some papers on the small desk next to the bed and grabbed a new piece of paper as well as other several others. All the sheets were to his next set of wings, each different and possible answers to is problem. Gem for the feathers while the stone made the wing main structure, while the point that connected to his back had a gem-stone to absorb any back lash or magikal feedback from his wings. That was pretty much what back fired on his back last time, too much energy being spun threw the systems of the wings, which had no other way out but his spine. He had been lucky, as his uncle explained, if he had attempted to fly off and away from the patio, then he would have crashed and recived a larger and stronger magikal feedback and it would have killed him instantly.
He was happy he was lucky too, and thanked whatever made him not go and make the first attempt of flight as a complete launch.
He sighed softly, grinning as he started to design new stuff for the wings, thinking a lighter stone would be better. It would be, but meant that he lost strength and stability, so he was going to have to figure out how to balance it out, which meant more possibilities of it failing mid-flight. And that was something didn’t want happening, especially with early flights when he was learning how to fly with his parents and sisters.
He began to think of Luna. Who was she, and was she like Celestia? Was she polite and kind, rude and brash, shy and distant? Would she like painting, the sky, reading, playing, or would she be a young little studying machine.
Poof.
His ears perked up at that sound, looking around the room with a worried look taking to his face as there was a very high possibility on someone in the room with him now.
‘Okay so there’s a poof in the room, and it sounded really close. Strong, magik current came from outside, so it’s not me accidentally discharging a piece of paper like I did last week when I lifted one up. The poof was a teleportation poof... ’ he thought to himself slowly looking around the room. There were really possibilities of him getting hurt or worse, and he now moved his ears slowly, aim and directing them to see where somepony was.
Then came a very gentle whimper. It was exceptionally soft, but it was also extremely close.
‘Okay there was a whimper. Really close, and it sounded like it was right... under... ’ he thought. He looked to the edge of his bed, and softly moved to the edge of the bed, grunting as he leaned over and looked under.
There was a pale blue alicorn, her teal eyes locked with his hazel one. First thought, on her mind, which was easily read by how she squeaked with the appearance of the new face, was just complete and immobilizing fear. She looked at him and he looked at her before moving back up and sitting on top of his bed.
‘Okay... so there is a filly sitting under my bed... and I don’t know why... ’ he thought, slightly panicked. He looked at the door, just to see Celestia and Discord arrive there panting.
“Have you seen anything out of the ordinary fly or run past here? Mom and Dad showed up and I scared Luna away,” she said between breathes. Terra thought for a moment and shook his head no.
“Nope. Not seen a thing other then my new sketches,” he said, before both nodded and took off running aimlessly around for her. Terra sat there for a good two minutes making sure they weren’t coming back to check on him for some reason or another before he leaned over the bed again and looked at the filly again, with a plastered grin on his face.
“Hello Luna. Its call clear now so you can come on up and say hi if you want,” Terra said smiling. She blinked several times at him, then her horn glowed with a gentle and strong blue light, and with a loud poof she popped up on the floor looking at him.
He sat back and smiled, patting the end of the bed for her to sit on so she could be comfortable, which she complied with, sitting softly on the end of the bunk. Terra smiled at his sister, realizing that she may not know who he was yet.
“W-Who are you?” she asked, almost appearing smaller as she spoke, trying to hide away from Terra.
“Oh my name is of no concern right now Luna,” he said waving a hoof at her, “I know who you are with great ease don’t I?” he said with a soft chuckle. She looked at him, scared and confused.
“I-I-I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to disturb you...” she said eyes looking at the ground. Terra smiled sweetly at his little sis.
“My, my Luna, relax, your with good company right now,” he said, floating up some designs to his left looking at them, then back at his current design, sketching in a new idea for it, “I won’t hurt you, you shouldn’t be scared of someone who save you from Celestia.”
“You know who my elder sister is?” she asked looking at him, soft voice gentle and sweet.
“Well of course,” he said rolling his eyes gently, “She’s bugged my quite often in fact. She can be annoying indeed...”
“Ya... I had literally walked in thru the portal and... I was tackled hugged... and I don’t know... I just panicked and teleported...” she said, “She’s... so forward and quick to get in your face. You know what I’m talking about right?” she asked eyes locking on him as her hooves planted in the bed fabric. He looked up at her and grinned.
“Yes... but she loves you. She is your older sister and she has never met you before... so you have to understand her enthusiasm. Right?”
Terra’s point was firm and thought out well which made Luna stop and look at the ground, sighing ever so softly.
“Ya... your right... she’s my big sister, and I’ve only met her just today and I fled from her. What kinda sibling am I?” she asked, looking ever so sad.
“A normal one?” Terra retorted with a chuckle. With that Luna laughed softly, her smile also appearing. Both were lovely, her laugh light and soft to the ear while her smile was more of a gentle and lovely grin.
‘Okay she’s gently, shy and polite. I like her more than Celestia already,’ he said smiling back at her.
“I guess you’re right. So what’s with all the drawings of wings? You’re an Alicorn so you can fly so why need more wings?” she asked, lifting up two of the older designs then looked quite interesting at the time. Terra smiled and twisted his body a little, showing is small weak and pathetic wings.
“Too small, and they have the possibility of breaking should I even attempt to fly with them,” he commented, before returning his body straight towards her again. She nodded looking at his body with pondering eyes, before looking forward.
“That means you can’t go flying or into space right?” was the next question she asked, sounding depressed, “What kinda life is that? Stuck on a rock or have to be magikally towed by someone else and taken were ever they want to go.”
“Being stuck on the rock has its advantages. Though I don’t know what they are yet...” Terra said smiling.
“There you are!!” Celestia’s voice echoed out, Discord standing beside her. Luna head shook over panicked look on her face. Terra saw her horn glow and he stopped her from transporting away, his horn glowing gently. She became more panicked as the two appoarched the bed, before she moved and hid behind Terra.
“Don’t come any closer! O-O-Or this n-n-nice colt with h-h-hurt you!” she threated, Terra looking at her with a little be of a surprised look on his face.
“Will I now?”
“Will you now Lil’ Novae? Would a little brother actually believe that he could hurt me now?” Celestia respond sitting next to the bed, grinning stupidly. Luna eyes shrunk and looked at Terra.
“Little... brother?” she asked him. He just gave a simple nod. Celestia chuckled at her expression and smiled.
“That is a big brother to you little Luna,” she said smiling genuinely. Terra chuckled and looked back at his papers and smiling at the thought that she was no prettified by the thought that she was in the room with her siblings.
“O-Okay... so... I have a hyperactive and overly-active sister with a straight-forward crafter for a brother?” Luna finally said. Terra nodded softly, moving some papers to the side.
“It’s nice to meet you too Luna, shy as you are, and you’re welcome for me keeping you company while you hid from Celestia,” he said. Luna just sat there while the other two, both of which just smiled at her, before Terra looked at Luna with a grin.
“Welcome to this crazy family.”
Author: Sorry about the long wait guys. Work got busy and Time was lost to friends. But here it is. Chapter four.
Chapter Four
Terra's Gift
Luna, Celestia and Discord stayed in the room for a good two hours before Discord fell asleep leaning on Celestia. Celestia talked on and on, before looking at Discord as he slept and chuckled.
“Such a cute little monster when he’s asleep huh? I will say Terra, you know how to make them,” she commented smiling stupidly. Terra looked at her with a puzzled look, curious in what she meant by that.
“What do you mean Celestia?” he whispered quietly.
“Well... since you were in bed, me and him... hung out and talked and played... what else? I think he’s kinda cute... is that a problem?” she asked, blushing slight looking away from her younger brother, looking at Discord, who softly nuzzled into her. She covered him softly with her wing, to keep him warm.
“Oh my word, you have a crush on-“ he started, receiving a swat from Luna.
“Brother. Be nice. Even if she does enjoy Discords company, we are her siblings after all,” she commented, reminding him of what he had said earlier to her. He smiled and nodded, looking back at his sheets of design, and before he could say anything else a loud cough was heard from door. He looked up and saw a tall purple and blue alicorn.
“Hello children. How are you all getting along?” her voice asked, filling the room with her heavenly voice.
That was Nebula Wing, their mother. She was tall and her mane was beautiful, which made Terra smile every time he saw it. Last time was just over two hundred and thirty years ago, since she was called away with their father to see grand-father Chrono. She walked in and smiled at her three children, who all smiled back, and welcomed her into the room.
“Well Solis, Luna and Novae, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone of us in the same room to be a family. I so happy to see all you getting along,” she said, that gentle smile appearing on her face. Luna had her smile, Celestia had her eyes, and Terra got her smarts, so it was fair in his eyes.
“Yes mother,” Terra said to her, “It’s really good seeing you after so long. I would get up and hug you but...”
“Don’t worry dear. I’ll come to you,” she said walking around Celestia and Discord and hugged him, “Though I am a bit upset about your little experiment with those latest set of wings you built. I want you to promise me Terra, to never, EVER do that again... understood?”
“But mother-” he started.
“EVER! I know you want to fly, but never ever do it without one of us there to make sure you don’t get yourself killed. You maybe be immortal. But you’re not invincible,” she said smiling, before kissing his forehead gently, “I’m just worried about you.”
“Okay mother... I’ll make sure I have someone around to watch over me,” he replied, looking down, “I promise. Sorry if I scared you.”
She smiled at him and looked at Celestia, then at Discord.
“My dear, you know you have a little monster sleeping on you correct?” She teased leaning her head down to Celestia’s, “I’m sure you have a good explanation for this?”
Celestia’s face started to turn a deeper red, eyes looking away from her mother nervously, “Well... Discord is Terra’s first creation, and well... I like to play with him and talk with him... and he kinda just fell asleep there...”
Nebula smiled gently, then chuckled, “I am teasing you my dear, relax okay?” Celestia smiled and nodded, still not looking at her mother, fearing that she would see the blush on her face.
Terra nudged Luna, who wiped the grin off her face and looked at him.
“If I’m not allowed to bug her about it you’re not allowed either. Understood?” he said, which made her roll her eyes.
“Bro, I’ll tell you what. If you don’t tease me or bug me, I won’t bug her about that,” she suggested, a wicked and evil grin stretching across her face with genuine glee.
“Agreed,” he replied, an equally wicked and evil grin across his face.
“Agreed on what?” another voiced piped up, and Terra’s face shot to a giant and strong smile as that oh so important stallion appeared in the doorway.
“Hello honey. I was just talking to the children about what they have been up to these last 250 years. Apparently not much,” Nebula said with a soft smile and chuckle.
In stepped a tall, bold and strong faced stallion who wore a smirk with pride, who’s coat shimmered with a soft grey and his main flowed magikally in the forgotten wind of this home, Star-Dust Amor. He walked over and kissed his daughters forehead gently and then looked at Terra.
“I heard you used Spirare Vita for the first time? And I saw him already, so don’t try and avoid it Terra Novae,” he said, his voice a strong booming voice, yet how he spoke it was soft and gentle.
“Sorry father...I won’t do it again, I-” he said looking away.
“I’m proud of you,” Star-dust said, cutting him off as he spoke. Terra looked up at him, surprised and happier then what ever heaven there was, “But you know, you are responsible for him, right?”
“Yes father. I promise I’ll look after him. I promise,” he said smiling, his eyes sparkling with pride.
For the next few minutes they talked, all of them listening to what had happened with their parents while they were away. Terra listened internally, while Celestia dozed off, resting her head on Discords head softly eyes fluttering shut.
“Good morning and evening my good family,” a voice said walking in. There was a soft yellow alicorn, whose symbol was there, what Celestia and Terra called a cutie mark. It was a scale, brought to balance by some unknown force, one side a black mask frowning, while the other a white mask smiling.
“Interdum. What are you doing here?” Nebula asked looking at him, with Star-dust stepping between them.
“Just... coming to see the little ones,” he said, his voice sliding through the air like daggers and pieces of clothe. Terra already didn’t like him.
“You mean to examine them? Right?” Their mother asked with a stern tone in her voice. Star-dust glared at this other alicorn, eye boring through this one’s skull if they could.
Interdum however smiled gently, hiding his true intentions.
“Indeed. I intend to find their balance,” he replied grinning slyly, “Why else would I be here?”
“To harass me like you did that the grand junction?” Star-dust retorted, unpleased with this alicorn here.
“That was different.”
“No. It wasn’t.”
“Well... still I must do it, it is law by Chrono, and you know this.”
Both were silent, before moving out of the way, letting Interdum get further in to look at the four young children. His grin never went away, and before long, his eyes started to glow a soft and gentle hue of yellow. First he looked at Luna, examining her slowly.
“You my dear Luna, have things to fear and things to come, and for now that is all I can say,” he said his grin turning to a smirk.
“What does that mean?” she replied, curious eyes looking at his. That smirk disappeared almost immediately.
“It means nothing to you dear, for me, it means everything,” he said looking down at Celestia, again examining slowly and purposefully, “This one, the eldest Celestia, will become a great thing, but will face many hardships and challenges, some harder than others.”
“Why did you say that and not tell me?” Luna whined gently, forcing Interdum to make a frown on his face and look at her, before sighing.
“You will become something great as well Luna dear,” he said, making Luna’s face brighten significantly at the thought of greatness, while Interdum turn his head, craning it softly to look at Discord beneath Celestia’s wing, “This one however will fight for freedom and world without laws and ruling class.” Discord yawned and snuggled to Celestia, who snuggled back and made Interdum smile gently.
“Though things are always hard to fight for,” he finished.
He finally turned to Terra, eyes scanning him slowly. Terra could feel that, as the vision washed over his head, down his neck, slowly across his body then back up the same route. A puzzled grunt came from Interdum though.
“You’re a puzzle though. Not just balanced but balanced will, both moments of greatness and moments of doubt, joyful and saddening, while... balancing like myself. You are a grey and strange thing to me Terra Novae, but I will figure you out,” he said, making Terra raise an eye brow puzzled, with a general worried look on his face.
“What... What do you mean?” was all he asked.
“Hmmm oh nothing... though I may speak to you in the future young lad,” Interdum said turning around an walking away, “Thank you Dust, Nebula. I will leave you now, as I am finished.”
With that, he seemed to fade out like dust in the wind disappearing to wherever he came from. Terra looked at his father, who had a worried look on his face.
“He’s not a kind Alicorn is he, father?” he asked, to which his father nodded.
“Interdum is... somepony you should never, ever talk to again Terra. Never.”
Terra hoped that to be the case himself.
One Month Later
Terra stood in his room, stretching slightly, smiling. It was good to be home, espically since mother and father was there with them, which made it all the better. He looked around his room, smiling stupidly. Several desks all cluttered with tools, paper, and small projects that he was working on, which was currently ten, possibly eleven. He wasn’t too sure himself. Then there was his bed, which was comfy as he remembered it when he left two and a half months ago, though it was lumpy on one side. That often kept him up at night if he sleeps on the wrong side of the bed.
Then there was the kiln, the Spirare Vita, which was what he had used to make Discord. He walked over to it and rubbed the side of it, sighing gently. It was still warm, even after all that time. It never really did cool down; something he had noticed a few weeks after it was built. It kept him warm, comfortable and relax on cold and harsh nights, and as such often brought Celestia into the room to sleep on the lumpy side of the bed. Which was closer to the kiln, meaning he lost some of that warmth, and which meant he was going to sleep with an extra blanket, which made hi-
“BROTHER!!” Luna called from down the hall, before fly in at full speed. She was panting heavily. She glared at the door, eyes locked there as if a beast or something was going to attack her.
“What is wrong Luna?” he inquired, looking at the door. She looked at him, then blushed, embarrassed about something.
“C-Can I sleep with you... I-I’m scared of the d-dark...” she said looking away. Terra eyes widened, then shrugged at her. He knew it was night, but even he wasn’t afraid of the dark. Nor was Celestia or Discord, but he didn’t mind.
She fluttered down and landed, nerviously looking around, softly sighing as there were several light sources, “C-C-Celestia told me a s-s-scary story a while ago, and its n-n-not helping,” she said, shaking from the thoughts of Celestia’s little story.
Terra knew exactly which one Celestia had told her, as she told him it when he was younger. He shuddered at the thought of it. It was about Rainbows...
“Okay, okay, I don’t mind if you sleep with me... just... don’t snore like Celestia does,” he said. That made his younger sister smile softly and chuckle.
“Okay... s-sorry if I do...” she said walking over to his bed and climbing onto it, laying her head so she faced the kiln, “Sorry if I’m a b-bit of a b-b-bother bro... I don’t know why I’m scared of the dark so much...”
Terra smiled at her, and walked over and ruffled her gentle blue hair atop her head. He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.
“It’s okay, you’re not a bother, you’re a younger girl, but still have some fears. Everyone does, as do I,” he said. Luna looked at him and happiness shone from her eyes.
“You have fears too? Do you fear the darkness too?” she asked. Terra chuckled shaking his head.
“Not in a long time, Luna. Mine are more... personal then that, but I will share them with you all in good time,” he said chuckling, “BUT. Right now you should go to sleep. You will be up early tomorrow since you, mom, dad and Celestia will be seeing Nomen tomorrow. I will be stay with Uncle Thanatos to work on the house to make sure you have a nice comfortable room.”
She nodded and yawned laying down, dreary eyes watching him before ultimately falling asleep on the lumpy side of the bed. He chuckled and looked down at the stone, using his magik to craft some wings from it. Before too long, he heard something he loathed to hear.
She snored much like Celestia did, though it was softer and gentler. But it was still there.
He also thought about the present he owned his younger sister. Celestia, had crafted up a small beast, an Owl, to stay up with her at nights, which was sweet, as it rarely slept at nights. He had yet to make her anything.
He sighed gently, getting up and lifting a stone slate with is magik, getting on it and riding it into the night sky. It was as manoeuvrable as a pair of wings was, but it let him climb to good heights to look around. And before too long he climbed to a great height looking around and pondering what he could make for her. He looked up, seeing the black sky above. It was empty and devoid of all light. He sighed very quietly looking around. Nothing to really help him.
Then something sprang out to him, making him look down at his world, and with his magik he used the slate of stone to climb higher and higher, before his domain was a large ball that took all his vision up. He looked around at it. There was several vast areas’ he had yet to work, and in others great green plant-life was abundant. He looked at the great un-worked areas again, and then smiled. He stood on his hind legs, reaching out this is front hooves, gently grasping his world.
He could feel himself touching it, though it was far beyond his grasp. He smiled and moved his hands gently, before coming to rest atop the worlds un-worked realms. He slowly gripped at them, and began to tear at them, ripping the out. The world would tremble yes, but he steadied it with is magik, making it a very soft and omnipresent. With that he pulled out a good eightieth of so of his world, which felt surpising light in his grasp, and as it pulled away from the world below he closed the grand and gaping wounds of his work. Much of the rock was a soft grey to a very darker touch, which he examined slowly, before turning around, facing away from that world of his. As he turned, the rock, stone and dust flew past him, some nearly hitting him.
There in at its distance he noticed something as well. Rays of the sun’s light reflected off the whiter and softer greys, giving these clumps of rock and dust a beautiful white glow to it. He started to form something in front of him, rolling a large ball of the darkest stone and minerals he had pulled to the middle, before rolling roughly another layer atop of this. He repeated this, keeping the white and soft grey dust and stone in reserve. Before too much time had passed, he began to form a large object, spherical in shape, like his world below. A smile crept across his face as he created hundreds of larges stones, much of the grey and white stone and dust he had reserved.
With what was left from that he painted across this object, giving it a beautiful and soft white glow, before looking at the boulders and objects that remained. With a strong twist of his head he flung them at this white world, virgin and new from his magik. The grand asteroids flew undaunted at it, gaining speed, and while more than half had missed, he pulled his head back and slammed the rest into the back of the orb of light. He could feel the impacts from that great distance. With that he was done.
He flew to it, great speed atop the stone slate and circled around it, looking at the great and grand mountains and canyons he had made with a simple throw. On the back was mountains created by the impact of hundreds of stones, but still white and clean. He noticed it did not rotate, and reached forward, tapping it gently. It began to turn, though far slower than his domain far below its resting place.
That’s when he noticed he was panting, sweating and plain just exhausted. With that he turned to his home, flying slowly atop the slate to his home.
As he descended he saw his father flying above the home looking up at the new object.
“What is it for my son, for it is quite a beautiful rock you have floating above our heads, and every white and new. It also lights the sky of the night, though a fair bit less than your elder sister’s sun,” he said landing with his son outside the home. Terra looked up, staring at his greatest if not most unforgettable creation. It was going to be there every night, every evening, lighting it up the sky to keep Luna company in the dark and foreboding nights. He could feel a part of his world there, floating far above and beyond, while his body felt as though a piece of him and his soul was gone. He knew why.
And he loved the reason for it.
“It is my present to Luna. It will be hers to command and watch over, and it will watch over her, as will I. She will fear not the dark nights, and will bathe in its soft and eerie glow. It will give her hope and strength, while also reminding her who loves her,” he said smiling looking at his father, “I call it a moon, and I all my love and soul into it so she could feel happy.”
Author: OKAY SO!! I have been busier then ever this past week, with Christmas being only three weeks away, and with work getting more and more hecktic from the lack of staff and supplies. It will be longer periods between posting chapters as I have more and more work coming my way, including two christmas presents I have to write... yes WRITE a story for friends.
ANY WHO!! If you do start spotting problems in this chapter or see something that interests you, post it in the comments. I would like any thing you guys have to say.
Now on with the show!)
Chapter Five
Terra groaned as he fell on his bed.
It had been a long day....
-Earlier That Day-
“Terra,” his mother said looking up, Celestia and Luna next to her, Discord standing with Celestia, his lion paw around her leg. That all stared up, looking at the white realm above their heads, all crafted the night before, with Star-dust looking up and watching gently from the ground as his son created something grandiose. The four gaped with awe up at the new white sphere in the sky.
Terra on the other hoof was laying on the ground, head resting on a rock, exhausted. He had been up all night apparently; using a lot of his magik and might to craft it, and what felt a few minutes was actually hours of work. He grunted as he looked at his mother, eyes dreary from the night with no rest for him.
“It is... amazing. Well done Terra,” was all she managed to say.
“Ya. Nice job little bro,” Tia commented smiling, before looking at him with a silly grin, “Bravo.”
Discord nodded gently, “A wonderful addition to the oh so bland sky of the night, if I say so myself. And that is indeed saying something Mon Captainé.”
Terra smiled weakly, as his body was extremely sore and strained. He was not going to ever do that again.
“Big Bro?” Luna’s voice echoed out as she walked over and nudged him gently with her hoof, “Is that my present?”
Terra gave a soft and slight nodded to her, body screaming at him to try and move as little as possible. Suddenly a soft caring embrace happened as Luna hugged him, without even realizing how much pain she was putting him in. She cuddled up to him smiling goofily.
“Thank you big bro. I love it,” she said, as she let go, “I’ll make sure it’s kept well looked after and loved by all. I promise this!” she exclaimed with a silly grin yet again.
Terra smiled, before pushing himself into the standing postion, moving to the house behind him, “Thanks... but I’m tired and I would like some sleep...” he said, lazily walking towards the home, with Celestia, Discord and his mother in tow going inside. Luna on the other hand sat outside, staring up at it, before a half-hour later the sunlight began to hide it from sight.
“My first duty. Ever. I will not fail,” she whispered.
-Several Hours Later-
Terra grunted as he and Discord lifted a desk up, him in the front and Discord grasping the back.
“I cannot believe you roped me into this,” he said from rear, pushing forward, while Terra slowly walked forward, grunting and panting. His uncle, Thanatos, walked up the stairs carrying a mattress for the room while they were giving the desk. Terra himself was still sleepy, since he just lay awake on his bed, staring at his roof, with his mind racing with thoughts of projects, and great new ideas.
“I’m sorry Discord... I promise I’ll make it,” he started, grunting as they started up there stairs with the desk, “up to you... okay?”
“You better, or else!” he said, as they both proceed to climb the mountain ahead of them, a single step at a time.
“Or else what? You’re not as firm with your magik as Celestia is, not as fast a flyer as Luna is... so what?” Terra asked honestly curious about what Discord meant by it, before grunting as he climbed up another step. Only another two flights after this one... Only.
“I’ll get you when you least expect it,” Discord replied, he himself grunting as they climbed, “And you will never truly expect when it will happen.”
“You mean when I’m asleep?”
“Yes... wait no.... yes... I don’t know!” Discord yelled out as they reached the top of the first flight of stairs. The let shte desk down, looking down the stairs, which was maybe twelve to fourteen, but the others were far longer than this set. Terra groaned loudly, looking back at Discord.
“I’ll just not sleep for a few nights if I have too,” he commented, before yawning, “Come on let’s get this done and over with. I’m tired, hungry and exhausted at the same time, and I really don’t like that combination of feelings.”
Discord just nodded before Thanatos floated down the next flight of stairs on his wings.
“By the way boys, there is another desk and a set of shelves waiting for you after this desk. You may want to hurry up, I hear that Luna will be coming back within a few hours,” the god of death teased, flowing down the next set of stairs, receiving strong and angry groans as the two started working again, as well as to argue the rest of the way up.
Finally, after another good two hours, they were done, after setting up Luna’s room; they came down sitting within the kitchen, Terra not even touching the food that sat in front of him. Discord floated a small fruit over to him and proceeded to eat the peeling and not the fruit itself, humming a gentle tone as he did so.
“I’m curious, Discord, as to why you do that and not eat the fruit,” Terra asked, raising an eye brow at the draconequus. Discord smiled at him and offered the fruit to him, which Terra took with a soft touch smiling, beginning to eat it slowly.
“The peel is more nutritional in my humble opinion, sire, but in your mouth it is disgusting and repulsive while in my it’s beyond delicious,” Discord told him, “Its backwards and forwards, all from ones point of view.”
Terra rolled his eyes, and sighed, “Sometimes, even when I make sense of you, it makes no sense at all.”
“Really? Trying to make sense of moi? That is quite boring and plain in the world that has no real order and rules, so why bother? It not fun at all,” he replied, a toothy grin smeared on his face.
Terra sighed again, this time stronger, before chomping down on that last bit of the fruit. He chewed as he looked Discord over. He had grown a fair bit in the last eleven weeks, now easily taller than Celestia whenever he stood up, though he tend to lean head forward and seem slight slouch to keep around the same height as the others. Over time he could grow pretty big, since it seemed he was growing a fair bit faster than Terra thought he was suppose too. Guess this was a learning experience for him. His horns were no different, his paw was far heavier than his eagle talon. He was growing faster than ever now, possibly because of the effects of the kiln.
Terra shook his head softly, trying to get those thoughts out of his head. He shouldn’t worry and he knows that, because that tends to lead to doubt and distrust.
Within no time they had finished eating, and then rushed to finish the last of the room for Luna. Discord didn’t help much, by causing some trouble, trying to have some sort of fun while working, which made Terra panic at times since they were dangerous at points.
It was getting later in the evening when the rest returned from their day with other alicorns, Terra was sitting down, rubbing his sore shoulders then Luna popped out of nowhere, proceeding to tackle him.
“BIG BRO!!! BIG BRO!! How was your day?” she asked, bouncing up and down, pinning him to the couch accidently. Terra chuckled and smiled.
“Good, sounds like you had a good day,” he replied, “But can... you get off me... I was trying to relax.” As he finished she moved and sat on his chest smiling.
“Nope!” she said with a cheerful ring in her voice. Terra groaned as he layed his head back and grunted, before rolling over onto his side. The sudden move made Luna tumble off him, near face-planting herself into the table in front of the couch. She sat up and looked at him with a frown while he sat back up and patted his hoof on the cushion beside him. With an angry grumble and a rough motion getting up, she walked over and sat next to him.
“Tell what happened today?” he asked smiling, as he leaned back, sighing softly as he laid his head on the soft cushions of the couch. Luna put her one of her hooves to her mouth, thinking about the past day’s events.
“I met other alicorns, played with a nice one,” she thought, “Then came home.... really that’s just it for today.” Terra looked at her, surprise to hear about other Alicorns on his world.
“There are others here?” he asked sitting up curious, receiving a solid nod from Luna, who was now curious about his reactions.
“Ya. They arrived today, about eight or so,” she said, making Terra put a hoof to his head, rubbing it, “I think they plan to live here.” To that Terra looked like he was going to throw up.
‘Okay... okay calm down. Its just... eight other beings beside my family, living on a w-w-world I made... and... they are going to... Judge me on my creational skills and...’he said, eyes wide and is coat losing color.
“Excuse me Luna, I think... I think I need the wash room for a-” Terra said getting up only to start running and get to the window and throw up there.
-An hour later-
Terra laid on his bed looking out the window, sighing softly. Other Alicorns, living on his world, probably really close by and always there. Now he was terrified if he screwed up.
“Novae?” a soft voice came from the door, making him raise his head and look. There was his mother, who was smiling softly at him.
“Yes mother?” he said getting up and walking over to her, who just smiled at him being polite as ever with her.
“I take it your nervous there are others here now I take it?” she asked, her knowing eyes washing him with comfort, as only a mother can, “You’ve never gone to bed this early since we’ve arrived, so I knew something was up.”
“Y-Yes... I just not sure I’m really ready for this...” he said looking down at the floor, shuffling his hoof against some dirt, before looking back up at his mother, who wore a soft and warm smile.
“You are, you just don’t know that yet. Trust me on this,” she said, putting a hoof on his shoulder to comfort him, “Solis is going to take Luna to teach her how to control the celestial body and you have the day to do whatever you want. Discord will be with your uncle, for... obvious reasons, that or with Solis.”
The obvious reasons was cause of all the pranks and jokes he had started to do as of recent, and only Celestia really seemed to get them at times.
“Yes Mother. Thank you... I think I’ll take a good long rest before I do anything tomorrow,” he said walked over to the bed and flopping back down onto it. She chuckled and walked away, smiling at her son’s worries.
There he sat for a long time, thinking carefully. He was going to have to make things, alot of things, and create a lot more creatures for the world to become inhabited by, while also creating areas and weather for the world. He then need to create areas for the alicorns to live, to settle in, while also making them close to each other.
He had alot of work to get done, and that meant there were going to no days off for the foreseeable future.
“Big Brother?” a soft voice came from the door making him sigh with anguish.
“Come on. If you’re going to sleep in here with me then get in,” he said moving over. Luna jumped in, thanking him and going to sleep rather quickly. Then the snoring started, though it was soft as ever.
It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Six
The next few months were quiet as life could be with Discord, Celestia and Luna running around in the house. Most days were rather busy with the three all drawing Terras eyes away from little projects and his attempts to make his wings work. Luna would get scared and come to him to have him comfort and calm her down. Discord would pull pranks, make bad jokes and often just simply distract him by talking about Celestia. Celestia was the worse, pulling him away from his room to listen her talk about Discord, plans to scare Luna and being a plain older sister to him, often bugging him about his ideas.
Time seemed to move by slowly when they were not around, either off with his parents or out with the other alicorns. Sure he had met some, but he didn’t really enjoy being around. They were all bigger, stronger, and seemed to bully him about not being able to fly. He didn’t really care for them, as he preferred his stone of a world they were now living on to the open sky.
Some were kind to him at times, like Alexander Bellum, and Athenus Legem. They often sat with him and just simply talked, and often walked with him on the earth he loved and cherished. Alexander was a stallion who was big, strong, often calling himself the prime example a stallion should be made to be like, with a red coat of hair and while his mane was soft amber yellow colour. He also had his cutie mark; two crossed ‘swords’ as Alexander called them with a flame erupting behind them. He stood taller than Terra, and though did pick on him for lacking the ability to fly, often said he sucked at magic, and at times hated it. He also walked instead of flew when he had to go somewhere when he was with Terra, out of respect for him.
Terra admired that about him.
Athenus Legem on the other hand was a blind mare, and Alexander’s twin sibling. She had a blue coat of hair with a soft grey mane, and seemed to be quiet, often being silent completely through their encounters. She seemed to have no emotions and whenever she displayed them, it was only very primal and simple; joy, happiness or anger. Terra guessed because she really didn’t display emotions that she wanted to keep her opinion until it was completely necessary, and she never really took sides, unless it was what she knew was good or proper. Her mark unlike her twins was a scale brought to a balance over a shield.
She unlike her brother was also rather polite, and didn’t fly because of her eyes. Terra also enjoyed just having her around since she wasn’t overly rambunctious and or loud, and when she did spoke, her voice was rather soft and polite.
Another Alicorn Terra had met was Amor Plantarum, a crisp green mare who often came around and asked if a new plant was a good in his opinion. She was soft, polite as well as straight forward, though she tended to apologize ever so often if she felt she was in the wrong. Which was almost never.
However, today no one was around, not even his Uncle, which allowed him to just focus for once on those wings. He floated over several beautiful stones and implanted them onto the wings, using them as conduits for magikal energy and to prevent that feedback that happened last time. He looked over his work and examined it, before sighing.
“It’s not big enough to give me proper lift, though they are the same size as the last set,” he said to himself, “and even then, there’s the possibility of the wing just crumpling away from the extended use of several years.”
He groaned and layed his head down on his desk, before grunting in anger at the wings. Damn them, as they made him want to drink.
“Trouble?” a voice came from the door. His ears stood up and he looked over, to see the green mare of the plants. Amor stood there smiling, almost a mocking smile before she entered, towing in another Alicorn. Terra sighed and face-hoofed as he rolled his eyes.
“Hello Amor. Yes. I am having problems,” he started, “No I would not like to use plants as my wings, and yes I’m sure about that.”
“Oh such a spoil sprout you are at times Terra,” she said, voice rather soft for her age, “And even then, you wouldn’t really enjoy having wings made of plants anyway... the leaves would rot away.”
Terra had to give that and looked past her, seeing a sky blue mare standing there looking around, almost lost. On that, she was really standing, her wings flapping gently as he hovered around the room. She never seemed to touch the ground at any point.
“Um.... who is she?” he asked Amor, who looked over and coughed, getting the other mares attention.
“May I introduce, Cloud Restio, the mare of the storms as I call her,” Amor said, coughing gently at the other mare, waving her hoof to inform her to land. When she did, the dust that laid atop the floor flew away from her hooves, forming micro dust devils that scurried away from her.
“Pleasure to meet you miss Restio. I am-”
“Terra Novae, the one who crafted the world into what it is now,” she commented, not letting him finish, “Though I think there should be more mountains.”
Okay. Terra never once heard anypony complain at him for having too few mountains. Many complain there were too many at times. He frowned at her and stood up.
“Oh why’s that?” he asked, a little more aggressive then what he intended to be, “To much time in the clouds to come to ground below and explore it?”
She frowned back and took a step towards him, the micro dust-devils leaping to get away from the mare.
“I’m sorry I don’t do well with ground grovelling dirt shifters, I figure mountains give me some practice to fly and allow me to have fun!” she replied, “But then again an earth shifter is all you’ll really be, since you can’t fly.”
Terra took a step forward, “Done pushing clouds around air head?”
Cloud again responded likewise, “Had enough fun in the mud, dirt-boy?”
Amor stood there and watched as the two argued back and forth getting closer and closer. Then there head were basically pushed against other. If it weren’t for the horns, they would be.
“Cloud for brains!”
“Ground baby!”
“Sissy wind!”
“Coward!”
“Little filly!”
“Baby colt!”
Amor face finally took the expression of, ‘This is getting ridiculous,’ and stepped forward, a tree growing up and jamming and apple into each one of their mouth.
“Wow... I figured you two would be nice to one another. But then again, I was wrong. Looks like I’m babysitting two little foals again....”
“HEY!!” they both said in unisons, taking the apples from their mouths. They scowled at each other and were about to return to their argument when another apple was jarred into their mouths. They looked at Amor, who giggled and walked out, “Play nice wittle babies.”
With that she was out of the room, making both stare at each other grumble.
“If you going to be here, then go with her. I don’t even know how you two got in,” Terra commented, turning around and away from the mare, going to his stone wings and fiddling with them.
“Well for your information mister, your uncle invited to come over and watch over you while he went to talk with someone important,” she said.
“Great. I’m old enough to give my little sister a moon, but not be left alone for a few hours... that speaks soooo much for the confidence my uncle has in me,” he said groaning. He could hear her sit down on his bed groaning.
“Doesn’t help you complain a lot. You know you complain a lot right?” she asked him. It was rhetorical and he wasn’t going to play her game. There was a long, and rather awkward silence in the room as Terra moved some more stone over, floating it gently on his magik.
“What are you making anyway?” Storm asked, floating on her wings invisible flaps.
Terra nearly dropped his stone and looked at her, a frown on his face and displeasure in his eyes.
“A set of wings,” he said turn away and starting to form smaller wings with the new stone and crisply forced several gems into them as well.
Storm, as curious as she was now, looked down his back and grabbed his small wings, pulling them open, “But you have a se-”
It was at that moment she realized her mistake, and Terra’s magik suddenly stopped and a very painful and strong cringing sound could be heard as he pulled in air between his teeth. He didn’t move as she let go, his wings immediately folding back to their previous positions, with a gentle grunt from him.
“I’m sorry! I just di-” she started.
“It. Is. Okay. I’m fine, just help me get to the living room...” he said through his teeth. She moved quickly, grabbing his front left leg and pulling it over her back, walking him to the living room. There sat Amor who looked back at the two, with a pleasurable smile.
“OH ho getting along that well now?” she said, getting up, assuming he was putting his hoof around her.
“NO!” stated both of the alicorn’s with put that idea to bed, before Terra took his leg of storm and lay on the couch.
“Clouds for brains there got the brilliant idea to open my wings,” Terra said groaning.
Storm looked away, both embarrassed and worried, “I didn’t know.”
“Okay... stop bitching at one another... I swear you’re like an old married couple,” Amor said, walking over and touching her horn to his wings, using her magik to dull the pain and heal anything broken. As she did so, the room began to fill with a lovely smell of rose and other flowers, much like how her cutie mark, a set of floors that had vines wrapping around her rump to the cutie mark on the other side, much like how Luna’s was the night sky. Terra finally sighed relief as she pulled her horn away and smiled, “Better?”
“Much... thank you,” he said getting back up, “I didn’t know you were so good with magik.”
Amor chuckled, “Well I am the person who grows plants for fun.”
A loud hmmpf came from beside them, making Terra look at Storm and seeing her with a look of displeasure.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t need to be rude about it,” she comment turn away and walking back to his room. Terra frowned and sighed, following her, Amor in tow.
“Why did you bring her?” he asked Amor, who smiled. She didn’t speak a word though, making him even more curious. With that they went to his room, Amor to keep an eye on both the ‘children’ as Terra returned to his work and Storm grumbled about being bored on the ground and having nothing to do. Anytime Terra would say go fly about in the clouds, Storm would respond with some stupid reason not to. This proceeds all the while Terra worked on his stone wings.
“Done...” he said stepping back and hoisting the four wings with his magik. He looked them over and smiled, seeing some runes he had put into them to make it lighter, then floated them over his head and put it on his back. The two mares looked at each other, eyes narrowing at Terra.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Storm proceeded to ask, looking at the wings, as well as trying to hide the sense of worry in her voice. Amor didn’t really hide is as much be completely in trawled with fear and doubt. Terra grinned as he finished strapping them on.
"What could possibly go wrong?" he asked.
A/N: As of right now, I'll be trying to get more chapters up next week, and hopefully make some good character development or... I'm hoping the anyway.
Chapter Seven
Terra stepped to the balcony, the two young mare’s right behind him, watching him uneasily as he sighed gently, letting his thoughts to the wings. He opened the larger pair first, and they acted much like actual wings, and were about the same size as Celestia’s were, with the second pair opening out and backward, towards the back and bottom half of the first pair, tucked neatly there. The tried flapping them, discovering quickly that wasn’t going to work, as they jarred his back roughly with each flap. He held them out to a good sixty degree angle and twisted them so the tips of the wings were out from his body, discovery that it was greatly more comfortable to wear them like that.
“Um... Rocks for brains?” a voice said creeping up from behind him, making him sigh roughly. Then beside him stood Storm, seeing her smile, “I take it this is your first time correct?”
He nodded gently, only to see her shoot off into the air with blinding speed, then floating a little distance out. From where he stood he could vaguely make out that she was smiling, no, taunting him.
“I promise I’ll go easy on you!” she yelled out, hovering with her wings flapping gently. He gritted his teeth is a wicked grin, as he saw Amor fly out past him hovering extremely close the balcony to help him. Soon he began to circulate magik through the gems in his wings, giving them a faint glow around them, and he felt the wings become incredibly light, softer then a feather this time when he flapped them. They also moved more organically then before unlike the unenhanced from a few moments earlier, and he lifted himself off the ground, grunting as he started to work them quickly, trying to get use to the effort. As he did, he could feel the ground become less precedent, as and as he looked down, he could see himself slowly rising, making his lips form an uncontrollable grin. He slowly gained distance from his beloved ground and welcomed himself to a new world of the sky above.
Terra looked Amor, and she smiled with happiness, fluttering over and offered her hoof to him.
“Need a hoof?” she asked, that soft gentle smile across her face. He nodded.
“Fillies... teach me how to fly.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It was two hours later that he landed for the first time. And boy did his back hurt.
“You okay rock-head?” Storm asked landing next to him, grinning happily, “Love hurts don’t it?”
“Okay... yes it does. BUT it is totally worth it,” he said, feeling the magik drain out of the wings as he took them off, groaning as he stretched his back. Amor landed next to them as well, looking pale.
“DID WE HAVE TO FLY SO HIGH!!! I mean... you know I’m scared of heights, Storm,” she responded with, eyes filled with the fear she just had from the height they were at. They both chuckled at her, grinning happily, before Terra walked away to his bed and fell on it, smiling.
“Still it was amazing right?” he said with a tone of him dreamily imagining going for another flight. Oh he couldn’t wait for tomorrow now, but now he had to relax and get rested.
“Oh well. We’ll leave you be,” Amor said walking out, shaking slightly, to be greeted by Celestia, who walked off with her talking about something. Probably Discord again.
Terra closed his eyes and fell asleep, slightly snoring as he just laid on top of his soft comfortable bed, though he was on the lumpy side.
Storm strolled over to his balcony before stopping looking back at the snoring form atop the bed, then rubbed her hoof against the ground, and smiling, “Later sweet thing, and I expect to see you in the sky...” she commented, before her wings flared open and she thrusting herself into the sky.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Terra took off again, smiling as he launched himself off the balcony into the lovely morning sky. As he took a long and very strong deep breath and enjoyed the smell of the morning sky around him, delicious as it was. He banked hard right, tucking his right wing in against him, aiming himself to the ground and did a strong spiral dive at it, grinning, pulling out a moment before impact and landing with a skid. Oh today was going to be good, very good in fact as he took off with a long gallop and took once more into the orange sky that the sun rose up into. He could see if father watching him, and waved his hoof at him, a silly grin on his face. Star-dust just waved back at him, before returning inside. He couldn’t help but enjoy this now, and began to climb higher up into the sky with a great vigour the winds higher up rushing against him.
With each flap, each stroke of his wings, beating the near none existent air around him, before he levelled off, and looked down, floating gently above the clouds. No matter what could happen today, his smile was not going to leave him, not at all. He moved to rise a few hooves only to roll over and dive, both wings tucked to his body and gaining speed.
Then he saw it, and impacted it. A pale blue form with a soft greyed mane and a-
“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!” it cried, as the pair tumbled into the air, spiralling downward to the ground.
“Sorry! SORRY!” Terra called out.
“ROCK FOR BRAINS YOU!!”
Now he knew who it was at that instant and tried to regain his control, only to receive a kick to the face. He cringed, and looked at her, trying to figure out where he was, but couldn’t.
“Calm down. Calm down,” he could hear her say, “Grab on to my, and I’ll take control!”
And that is what he proceeded to do, wrapping his arms around her, and closing her eyes, his heart thumping in his chest. He couldn’t breathe because of how scared he was.
With that they rolled slightly, feeling the air rush past them.
“Close your wings!” She called out, which he complied with, not opening his eyes. They then gained speed, realizing she was making them dive, trying to gain speed. With that he clenched tighter to her not breathing any more.
“OPEN YOUR WINGS!” He flared them, feeling his body being wretched back from the sudden deceleration and pulling up motion, and then a tumble, letting go but bumping into her on the ground. They were on the ground. And as they came to a stop, he felt her come to rest on top of him, thanking who ever watched over them, that Storm was there for him.
He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked several times and looked downward to his chest, but stopped and blinked again. Storms rump was right in front of him, and from he it looked, her head was close to hi-
He blushed furiously as he felt her take her upper body weight off his belly, and groan. She was only raised up alittle when she looked down.
“Oh.... Oh my...” was all he could hear, before she rolled of him and sat down facing away from him. He did the same and turned away, so red in the face that he could be the same colour as Alexander. He was beyond nervous now, and he looked over his shoulder at her, quickly looking away. They sat there for a while, too embarrassed to really do anything.
“T-T-Thanks,” was the first thing he managed out, body still rigid with pain and embarrassment from what happened.
“Y-Yeah no... no problem, lug-nut,” was all she managed to respond with. Before too long they finally got up and started to walk, not looking at each other from their rather intimate accident. Terra felt he had hurt her with how they fell, and couldn’t help but look at her before back at the ground and furiously blush. He could tell form his peripheral that she was doing the same, and chuckled.
“Um... let’s just... forget what happened at the end there?” he said coming to a stop and offering his hoof to her, which she blushed, nodded and shook it with him.
“D-Deal... should we... fly somewhere, ya know... t-together?” she asked him, not looking at him. He blushed slightly and looked away, rubbing the back of his head softly, nervous.
“Sure... you lead the way,” he said. Without a moments hesitation they took off, keeping a safe distance apart from one another, but close enough to talk.
That didn’t matter since the awkward silence that enveloped through the flight was damning and ever present. But before too much time passed, and the silence finally forced someone to leave, they started to fly towards dark grey mountains.
Chapter Eight
Terra landed quietly next to Storm, slowly looking around the landing she had directed them too, with his stone wings folding against his body softly. He smiled as she walked down a path, gingerly motioning for him to follow her closely while lead them down a small path. As they walked he couldn’t help but look around, seeing how each of his mountains grew up and out of the stone earth that was twisted and broken below. The mountains formed massive and grey ridge lines, each a different layer within the whole of the mountain, from the strong sturdy granite to the weak and sliding shale counterparts, allowing the mountains to look both weak and insurmountable at the same instant. Another mountain, one that seemed out of place was a brownish red one, with massive cliffs and faces that twisted the red and beige colours of sandstone together in a swirls and shattered walls. He knows that this world, shift and changed by his mind and magik, still holds secrets and beauties he will discover, and he will always be in awe at it.
He looks back at Storm, who has walked further ahead, towards a large cave opening. He couldn’t help but admire her right now, since Celestia’s charge was sitting the in perfect position to highlight her beautiful wings, luscious hair and gorgeous bod-
He shook his head roughly and looked away from her, not believing he was thinking that. His face was slight red now even though he stopped himself, embarrassed by the ideas he was thinking of. She looked back at him and smiled, then walked inside of the cave slowly, making him follow, and before long he could see that the cave had something important within it.
It was her home.
“Welcome to my little palace among the mountains,” she commented finally, sitting down on her fun and waving to the room around her, only being a small bed, a few wooden benches and a table. He just looked around, surprised how little she had and how much of it seemed so quant for a mare like her.
“My father didn’t leave me with much, saying that with my head up in the clouds in the sky so much I would probably end up living there someday,” she said, drawing Terra’s eyes back to her, seeing a saddened look, “He left me with an important task though, so I won’t leave the cave. Ever.”
That ‘ever’ made him look around, trying to see this important task. Nothing came to mind, as each area of the cave was void of anything of value, and even then the tasks that could be given for protecting such a task maybe something she only wants to mention to him, and not talk about.
He drew his vision slowly back to her, and smiled.
“Um well... where is your father? Who was he anyway?” he asked walking up to her slowly. She got off her rump slowly and sighed gently.
“His name was Harmonia. No last name so my name is Storm Restio,” she commented, putting his question to bed, “He left me with this cause he said its all I need, and nothing more. I guess he was right in a way but...”
“What did he leave you to protect?” Terra asked, trying to change the topic quickly and in a hopefully good direction. She looked at him, giving him a look of surprise, and concern.
“He wanted me to guard some stupid gems apparently,” she said, an eyebrow raised, “One fell off a few weeks ago, and I remember the names of all of them. Apparently mine was called something like positive energy or something rather.”
As she spoke she pointed to a wall and there were eight gems, each perfectly cut into great gems of beauty. The top one was a deep shade of purple, sparkling with great power and wisdom, while the one to its right was a smaller pale blue one, almost perfectly in tune with the first. Below it was a deep apple red one, again tune perfectly to the previous as the last, however it radiated out, almost seeking something. However below this one was an empty slot where a gem of the same cut use to be, and to the left was a faint diamond colour gem, again tuned to the one’s around it. The final one was something that made him feel puzzled to look at as the gem of a tranquil pink, like the last radiated something, this time calming and kind.
From the from the three to the top right came small gorges in the wall, all drawn to a deep and sharp green gem, this time cut to an eight sided pattern, imposing, yet important in its presences. On the other side, for the two gems and missing participant, came three lines as well, out and to a beautiful blue gem, again cut to an eight sided stone of deep and brooding yellow, radiating out a precense like the other one, more selfless and kind in its importance.
However, at the centre of the first five gems and the slot, was a pearled white gem, that seemed to shift between the colours ever so often, was a six pointed star, with great energy expelling out from it with each passing moment. From all six points drew out towards the six gemstones, and from the tips reached out groves to the stones themselves.
“The top two are Empathy, the soft pink one, and the purple one is Love. The ones next to them,” she started to explain, point at them, “Are Selflessness for the diamond like one, and Grounding for the sky blue one. The red one is Zen, and the one I have is positive energy.”
He nodded slowly, listening to the mare with the upmost interest.
“The two on the outside are Honour, the green one, and Duty, the yellow one,” she explained, “They draw power from three different gems each, Duty being Selflessness, Empathy, and Positive energy, while Honour takes from Love, Grounding and Zen. Finally we have the center.”
With that she pointed at the center gem carefully, smiling.
“My father called it balance and perfection, The Element of Harmony,” she said grinning gently, “I draws on all six gems power, required to keep the world in complete balance and unity. Or so he says.”
Terra nodded slowly again, looking at them slowly. Each one he examined slowly again, before looking at her, and smiling happily.
“Well your father gave you this task for a reason right?” he asked offering to move away but she stood there. He waited for a moment, feeling some tension for that instant.
“He never did tell me the reason why... nor did he tell me I was to guard them forever,” she said looking at Terra before at the floor, “At least... I hope not.”
Terra gave pause for a long while, eyes looking at her worried, before sighing softly and turning around, looking at the gems again. He reached up with one hoof, moving over the gem called Grounding, staring at it intently. It seemed locked in place completely immobile to him and his efforts, while his body felt more loyal to his family and friends suddenly. He moved up to the gem of Love, feeling a small burst of magik leak into his body only to be pulled out again. He then moved to Empathy, and felt it was his duty to do kindness to all alicorns in the world, before his hoof fell to Selflessness, feeling he wanted to give everything away to help others. His hoof moved over to Duty, only to feel it move suddenly.
Terra flinched, suddenly realizing that none of the other stones moved for him. Again his hoof moved over the stone again, the stone being drawn to it. It shook for a moment and popped off, floating up to his hoof and almost clinging to it.
“Did... did this happen to you?” he asked surprised by all this. Storms head slowly raised up looking at what was happening, just as surprised.
“No for me I found the gem resting on my back when I awoke on morning... I’ve... I’ve never seen this before,” she commented eyes wide. He drew his hoof back, feeling a sense of pride he had never before, but suddenly the same feeling to be dutiful to anything he was asked for. It he felt stronger too, body more keen to help the others and to be kind, doing it all with a happy smile.
“Well its... interesting if you asked me,” he said smiling happily looking at her, “What could be so wrong with this? I feel strong and happy too. Like whatever I shall do for anypony won’t feel wrong or incorrect.”
He looked back up at the gems and reached up to touch Zen softly, feeling he wanted to spill out th-
“I think you are cute,” he suddenly blurted out. His hoof launched to his mouth covering it, and his face shown with an embarrassing red hue, eyes looking at the wall, shot wide open with the fear of what he just said.
Storm looked at him, eyes just as wide and her face redder then an apple. She looked away suddenly and coughed gently.
“Um... you r-really think so?” she asked, making him jump a little, though she pushed him roughly with a hoof, “Nah you’re just messing with me.”
Terra nodded slowly face just as red, “Y-Yea your right I’m just messing with you.”
There was an awkward silence, to which both did not move in anyway. After a few moments Terra reached up and touched Honour carefully, and again he felt it move. It was surprising to him say the least but it seemed right. He had Duty. So why not Honour?
He took it back with him, looking at it. Everything seemed more defined and he seemed to wish for others first before himself. Duty and Honour.
“Why did they-” he started.
“I’m not sure. Maybe they chose you for something?” she said with a stupid grin on her face making him realize it was a stupid question to be asking her. He looked at both gems and sighed softly before looking back at Storm, curious about something now drew his mind to a point.
“So what now?” he asked curiously, before she grinned at him, and walked away.
“I’m not sure. But maybe fly some more?” she suggested, before rushing out of the cave and spreading her wings. She stopped at the edge of cliff and looked back at him, the sun highlighting all her features, light faintly shining through the feathers on her wings. He smiled and followed suit, seeing that it was near noon. He took the sky before her, grinning stupidly at her as he dove downward and kept a constant speed to keep away from her for a moment, before beginning the duet of flight.
_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _
Terra landed several hours later, walking into his room slowly, and the light of day dimming away from the world behind him. He had spent all day with Storm and eventually found his way home from hers, and he was completely smiling. Happy with today he felt a dash on inspiration, walking over to his table of tools and craft and sat down on his rump. He hoof extended to the wall and he rubbed along it.
His horn glowed madly for a moment and as he pulled back is hoof; three larges metallic stones came out. The largest of the three being copper, while the others were roughly the same size, all of which floated in front of him. In moments he reached up with his hooves and ripped the copper stone into two even stones. With that he reached out with his magik and turned on the fire with in the kiln.
He felt the air flare up with heat as he cracked it up to a high temperature, in which he was intending to melt the metals and form them together. After a good twenty minutes of preparing the metals and letting the fire grow, he floated the metals over and into the swirling fires. As teh fire heated them, making them softer, more maluble and eventually a near liquid from, he began to force them together. Copper with tin and Copper with Zinc. As they mixed in front of him he kept them constantly forming and shaping, before simply floating them there in a pot of his magik.
He walked away, his mind keeping and ever vigilant watch on the two new metals that were just form. Again he walks over to his desk, placing the two gems on it, and grasping out for the some designs, looking at them as he brings out one of the solutions. He looked at it, smiling at the newly created brass; beginning to form it with his magik while also encasing the magik as he wov crafted it into a chest guard.
Before too long it began to harden and made it difficult to form, and as Terra worked, he made the majority of the chest guard before replacing the unused solution back into the fire as he hovered the metal guard to his body, checking it with some space between him at the still hot metal. Next he brought out the next solution, which he called bronze and formed it to the guard, making two spots for the gems he had received at Storm’s home to be placed, and before layering the metal over it, creating elegant patterns. The bronze whirled and twisted, highlighting the brass beneath it as he formed it with elegance, while he worked its quickly and steadily.
Finally, after an two hours of shift and shaping the metals he laid it down into some chilled water, steam shooting form it and cooling the metal before he set the guard on the ground. It was done, but he was too exhausted to really admire his own work and collapsed onto his soft bed falling into a gentle slumber.
_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _
Blackness of a void, and Terra stood at what seemed the center of it. Never in his time had he ever experienced something as this, and with that he looked around, trying to spot something of interest.
At first it seemed useless and he looked to his back, seeing that his stone wings were not with him, and even though this may be a dream, he could not change the fact of his pathetic wings being there preventing him from flying to look.
Nothing to really look at though, since the black void is ever reaching and even with this presence of a floor, he can’t help but wonder why he even bothers with his attempts to see anything.
But he looks again, this time surprisingly spotting something. It was far and distant but he could make out two dots. A strong green and a vivid yellow, and as he rushed towards them with a hurried pace, assuming them points of exit or release from this strange void.
They weren’t. As he drew closer he could see they were the gems of his charge now. Duty and Honour.
But they were far larger than in the world beyond his dream, both towering far of his head and their faces looked down at him.
He watched them slowly, looking between them, when with a crisp face they both began to play images. Terra turned to watch honour first, eyes looked at the passing images.
There stood seven alicorns, each with a stone and gem, crafting objects and placing them into the world he had created, smiles and happy tears upon the faces of his counter parts and himself. The gems that each alicorn represented flashed brightly, sending these creations across the realm of his world and begin something new.
He looked at duty, seeing that the alicorns left the world to watch from a far for a great amount of time, admiring and examine the world below, the black silhouettes representing each, before they all but one turned a ethereal white. The one who didn’t though stood watching the world below, clearly worried for some reason, but with two glowing orbs within his chest glowed faintly.
He looked back to the other gem, seeing a terrifying figure crafting the world, destroying and terrorizing the creations for only to have a smile plastered across his face before the gems and alicorns appeared, facing it down. It twisted and fought back, enraged at the attempt to bring it down. Before long the seventh appeared, and unified the other six in their attempt, trapping the beast. However, this horrified Terra as he watch, and felt something was wrong with the image.
His head twisted back to duty, only to see more horrors play out. Another beast, destroying the creation with twisting and turn magik and power, and again the terrifying beast was stopped by the alicorn with two orbs within his chest.
Then another appeared, red with rage and anger, clashing with the two stones again. Again the two stoned alicorn stepped in and defeated this beast. Then as he looked back at the honour, not seeing and image, but heard a voice.
“You are to blame for my misery!”
Then another.
“I will destroy all who stand in my way!”
Then the voices swamped him drowning out the world of his vision. Then they stopped, and with petrified eyes he looked at the gems again. This time he saw two, monstrous eyes, the pupils appearing like feline eyes and a teal iris around them formed, staring at him.
“Join me. And I will help you achieve peace and harmony...”
The voice twisted and sickened his head madly, and he closed his eyes, turning his head away.
“I will make sure of this. For you and I are too much alike...”
The voice was there and that meant the eyes were too. It continued to speak, the voice beginning to cackle and wrap around his head.
Then silence. He looked back up, and there in front of him... was himself. His mane was different, and his eyes were feline as well, and the soft distant brown enthralled them.
“W-Who are you?”
“Tis us.”
“Who is us? What are you? Why are you in my head?”
“We’ve always been here. Tis our home, our birth place, and our shelter.”
“What do you mean? This is my head, and my mind, so how can there be two?” Terra’s voiced cracked as he said two, portraying his fear.
“If thou cannot understand this, then we will explain better. Thy’s mind, is our mind. Thy hopes, are our nightmares. Tis but a small thing, and only your nightmares are our dreams!” the voices changed, subtly at first, but it became more menacing as time when on, “Thou’s is us, and we are thou. Understand.”
The ‘understand’ hung for a moment as the beasts eyes began to glow with ethereal white again, Terra beginning to back up away from the feature.
“What thou has seen is the future as we have fore-saw. And what we fore-saw was anguish and pain. Though, this is what we saw and not what thou saw,” a grin appeared across its face, twisting and curling unnaturally around its jaw.
“You could be showing that to me just to scare me... that is what you did!” Terra explained, his body feeling incredibly cold and tense.
“Did? No. If we did that just to scare thou then we would have just appeared before thee and killed you within a happy dream.”
“Then what?!?”
“We will not tell you our telling. We will wait,” the voice commented, the grin remained as the figured disappeared.
“We will wait.”
-Authors Word-
Sorry for the long wait guys, but I had writers block and a lot of work on my hands.
Also I intend to keep up the pace of writing now so Hopefully it will be a weekly thing.
Also! Those who are about to commented on the elements of Honour and duty, the idea is they are the over watching elements that don't contribute to harmony. And to the ELEMENT OF HARMONY, well, given that we all know of the elements, why would the elements not all have a central point to unify on?
This is my thoughts and I do welcome any angry rage directed at me. Though I hope nothing too... violent...
Chapter 9
Terra shot up in his bed, eyes wide.
That grin was still there, but he shook his head roughly from side to side.
“We will wait.”
He twisted his head roughly to one side, seeing nothing.
“Terra?” a soft voice rang out from the door making him look to that entry way and see his younger sibling standing there with a soft worry look on her gentle face. He rubbed his mane with his hoof and sighed loudly.
“Ya... Ya just a rough night’s sleep I guess,” he commented falling back on his bed. In a matter of moments he could hear Luna walking in slowly and over to his table, looking around it.
“Well we all heard you awake last night and what was happening, and we were kinda worried something had made you upset in a different way than usual,” she commented looking at the armoured chest plate slowly, “Is this what you made? Where the gems from?” she asked.
“From Storm’s home, and yes, Luna, I did. Their called Honour and Duty though I’m not sure what their significance is... there are six others like that, each with a name and propose...”
“Maybe Celestia and I should pop over there and say hi?” she said looking at him curiously, “Though we don’t know the way.”
“I could maybe talk to Storm at some point and see what she says. Is that okay?” he replied getting out of his bed. He looked up at her.
She wasn’t her. She wasn’t the normal deep blue but she was pure black and armoured, and with hat she looked over at him and smiled, seeing sharp dagger like fangs in her smile and feline like eyes instead of her normal gentle and kind eyes. He took a shocked expression and cringed his eyes.
When he opened them again he could see the normal Luna and he shook his head softly from side to side.
“Terra? You okay?” she asked looking at him worried. He nodded a moment later, looking at her with a worried smile.
“Y-Ya, I’ll be back in a while I’m gonna go get Storm and I’ll be back okay?” he said floating over his wings and latching them onto his back. Before she could speak again he raced off.
He flew longer then he should have, the image still in his head, portraying Luna as a monster in so many ways. That black of her coat seemed to leak off her, the fangs almost vampiric. He could still see those eyes that cut blackness to find the darkest of desires. Each was more vile then the other, with the wings seemingly twisting the energy of the blackness around them, filling the room with dark energies.
He couldn’t shake the image of her, and was going to tell Storm what he saw.
_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _
“Baaaaaahahahahaha!” she cried out laughing incredibly hard at the idea of Luna being evil or dark, “Luna. Our little tiny and ever forgiving Luna? This dark and mysterious monster?”
“You’re not helping me in anyway Storm...” Terra said, feeling his ears drop down in embarrassment, “I mean... I saw it right?”
“No offence Terra but that just absurd in so many ways it’s just incredibly funny,” she said smiling, walking with him down a short path and stretching out at the sun above, “Anyway, what is it that you wanted to ask me?”
“Well I wanted to ask you if Luna and Celestia could come see the gems?” he asked, putting his thoughts of Luna away, believing them absurd and wrong in anyway. Storm thought for a long moment before leaping off the cliffs edge and diving away from him. He groaned and followed suit, diving right after her, following through a twisting and ragged canyon below where they were just standing. He began to close the gap on her, keeping close and politely above her, taking the wider portion of the canyon.
“I guess they could. Heck maybe even Alexander, Amor and Athenus could come too, see if the gems respond to them too?” she suggested, smiling up at him as Terra glanced down at her. He nodded and pulled up, going to leave the canyon as it got tighter. He flew just above it, watching as the mare weaved in and out of the canyons dangerous turns, just smiling at how graceful she was in her element. He dove to rejoin her as the canyon widened back up and flew alongside her gentle.
“Do you think any will?” he asked her, fly steadily next to her. She nodded and looked at him.
“I think Amor and Athenus will get one, but...” she started, speaking slowly as she lead to the ‘but,’ eye rolling up and away from him.
“But?” he replied staring at her, making her look at him and give a false smile.
“I don’t know about Alexander, since there’s the possibility that he might get, well, ignored by elements,” she replied, looking forward, rolling away from him. Terra rolls closer to her looking at her worried at the thought of Alexander getting ignored.
“Why do you say that?” Terra asked, rolling over her and flying on her right side now. She followed him giving him a stare that could make anyone know the reason, “Seriously. Why?”
“Alexander is a greedy self absorbed flank-ho-” she started, making Terra flinch with every flustering name she could describe him as.
“Okay ya but still, he never turns his back on his friends and stands with me back when I couldn’t fly. He never lies and always keeps to his sister making sure she’s safe, even if she is capable on her own,” Terra replied. She sighed and slowed down, heading to a landing spot, Terra right behind her.
As they landed she looked at him and sighed again, “You know you are completely gullible?” He smiled and nodded at her.
“But it’s so much easier to act that way when no one around here really cares!” he said, causing Storm to face-hoof quite roughly, “So tomorrow morning let’s say?”
“Sure. What’s the worse could be the worse-”
_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _
“-that could have happened,” she growled at him looking at the group of five ponies and Discord standing in the doorway. She stared at him, clearly not impressed, receiving an embarrassed and apologetic look from Terra.
She sighed and invited them in, and the first to speak up was the blind mare herself, Athenus Legum.
“This place seems so nice and gentle. Welcoming path in,” she commented, rubbing her hoof against the floor and smiling, “Worn down by constant taking off and landings, as well as pacing of recent.”
All the group looked at her, as she continued into the home, “The walls, hmmm, hold truth of an importance and delicate love, for the prize within the main chamber,” she walked into the main room, unguided.
“I tho.... I thought she couldn’t see...” Terra said, Luna nodding as well.
Amor just stared as Alexander sighed loudly, “She can’t see and see at the same time. She has this... weird sense like thing. It’s so.... strange I don’t even understand it and we share a link. I never want to understand it either. It’s her little thing after all,” he replied, Terra looking at him with a raised brow, Storm just growling and Celestia and Discord just giggling to themselves in little gitters.
“She’s our seeing eye prophet?” Discord asked, chuckling, “Seeing the scene by being unseen with no seeing sight?”
“Who glances to the walls with blank eyes and forward thought of a third eye?” Celestia asked, giggling alittle.
“I do actually!” Athenus called out from the other way, making the two become silent at their little jokes. Amor sighed and walked forwards, some lichen beginning to grow where she stepped.
“Well at least I understand why we’re here... i think... What are we here for anyway?” she asked stopping and looking back at the group, Luna rushing forward to see what Athenus doing now. Celestia followed smiling, while Alexander laughed whole heartily.
“We are here to see if the elements will take us. I know one will take me!” he exclaimed happily, walking past Amor. She made a small sigh, almost too cute for her, and looked at him as he went by.
“Well... I don’t know but I would like on to choose me I guess,” she said, following him slowly, making more lichen grow where she stepped. Celestia moved quickly going with the group as they entered the main area. Terra looked at Storm and smiled.
“Should I?” he asked grinning, having shown her the guard he made. She nodded and floated it over softly to him sliding it on, then floated up a chained necklace around her neck and smiled at him.
“You look incredibly dangerous. It really doesn’t suit you,” she said happily walking past him. He didn’t reply having a silly grin on his face. He was thinking that the beauty didn’t suit her style of life.
Chapter Ten
Terra floated over the armoured chest guard and slipped in on slowly, as Storm helped with the others in the other room. Discord floated over and smiled at him.
“You know love is a strange emotion?” he said, leaning on Terra’s back softly, who looked at the draconequus with a surprised and easily visible blush.
“W-What are you talking about?” he asked him, looking away. Discord laughed the laugh of a satanic joker, grinning.
“You. Have. A. Crush~. And you don’t even know it,” he said tapping his nose with each word he said, then stood back up, “Oh just think, You and Storm, Me and my sun, of how glorious it is,” he said teasing him, making Terra drop his ears in embarrassment.
“I-I don’t have a crush,” he grumbled, but that made him chuckle beside him.
“What about the Gems? What about bringing everyone here to see-”
“That has nothing to do with it! Just... come on let’s just leave this alone,” he said blushing madly, his face changing to the same colour of the red sand stone he loved to shape. Discord chuckled and walked a head of him.
“Okay,” he agreed, “Lover boy~.”
Terra stood there after Discord entered the room, complete embarrassed. He looked down at the chest guard and the beautiful gems with in it, and sighed. Why did he do it if not to impress Storm? Why wouldn’t he want to do that?
He looked up and sighed very slowly, then walked into the room, and spotted the crowd around the gems, Storm explaining them to them, and how they were to be chosen. Discord was at the back of the group arms crossed and listening close to what Storm was saying. Celestia was nodding as she spoke while Luna’s eyes were just wide with awe and amazement at what the gems were like. Athenus was blankly staring at the world, listening but showing no interest in what was going on before her. Amor was the same as Luna, eyes wide, but a more demeanour and polite. Alexander stood straight and tight, his chest push out and forward smiling for his chance to take a gem.
“And that the gems. Seeing how as Terra got the two Gems of Honour and Duty, I’d be surprised if any of you get two gems,” she said, waving a hoof over to Terra, making everyone but Luna and Athenus look. Alexanders eyes widened with surprise at what Terra had while Amor and Celestia looked him over quickly then back to the wall, both grinning a little on the inside.
“Dude. You got two!?!” Alexander asked, slightly yelling, making the group wince, “That awesome,” he said, “Can I go first?”
That question was directed towards Storm who looked at Terra with a face that clearly read ‘told you so.’
“Yes you may Alexander, you may go first,” she said, correcting him, and as she finished he stepped forward, chest stuck out and proud as ever. He started at the top with love and drew his hoof back from it.
“Something wrong Alexander?” Athenus asked, tilting her head.
“No... its.. nothing,” he said, hesitation in his voice, moving to Grounding, which fell off with a small nudge, making him jump panic and try to grab it with his hooves. It bounced between his hooves before he caught in his teeth, turning back to the others and smiling happily. They all groaned, before smiling at him, applauding the little show he gave.
Alexander looked back at the wall then at the gem in his mouth, and moved out of way, making Storm look at Terra, slightly surprised.
“Told you so,” he mouthed, grinning, making her roll her eyes. She urged Amor to go next but she kept declining, causing Athenus to step forward and feeling around for the stone, groaning as she fumbled into some of the lines. As she did she began to feel down the lines, finding the gems, and mumbling something to herself as she moved about them, finally nudging Zen. Before anyone could react, the gem dropped and bounced off the floor, sending a finely tuned sound through the room. Alexander walked over, looking at his twin feeling around the ground for the gem and rolled his eyes, reaching down and grabbing the gem between his teeth and placing it infront of her hoof, and going back away from the set. She felt and lifted it up with a soft glow of her magik and waited, being moved by Storm slowly to stand next to Terra.
Next was Luna, who grinned happily and followed the same procedure, touching all but the gem for Selflessness. When none of the others moved, her face contorted in fear she would get one, but she sighed gently walking away. Terra and Storm raised an eyebrow at her action, seeming disappointed to the thought that she wasn’t going to get a gem like the others. Terra was concerned what this was going to do to her self confidence.
Luna sat down on her rump softly, a heavy sigh deflating her chest in disappointment before smiling, “I’m okay with this. I really didn’t need a gem to hang with you guys anyway did I?”
“Maybe?” Alexander said with a soft smile peeled gently across his face as he teased Luna a bit, before putting a hoof around her and hugging her softly, “Your right, you’re still cool enough to hang with us anytime of the day Lulu.”
This made Luna smiled, though a somewhat disappointed look on her face. Terra kept watching her before a loud tuned pitched was heard. Everyone’s eyes looked too Athenus, who’s gems was still floating in her magik gently, making everyone look at Alexander, who shook his head. Terra looked around before spotting the diamond cut gem on the floor. His eyes widened as he looked at Luna, who didn’t hear the sound, then grinned.
“That was pretty selfless of you there Luna,” he said smiling at his little sibling. She rolled her eyes at him and looked at him, smiling.
“Well... I don’t need one at all if I can be around good friends,” Luna said, that smile even brightening Terra’s day.
“And what if being selfless was something that was important in harmony?” he asked her, causing her to pop an eyebrow up at him, somewhat confused. Before she could reply, the gem was floated over by Storm, making her eyes light up happily, and hugging Storm with a crushing grip.
“OH MY! REALY!” she yelled, her voice cracking between her normal pitch and the high octave voice, making Alex, Terra and Athenus cringe at the switches. After Luna calmed down, they could all see Celestia pulling off the wall Love, while Amor was finally pushed up by Discord.
“Come on, it won’t hurt. They all did it and their not hurt,” Discord said twisting his head around to look at her face, “And there’s nothing wrong with the gems. You know that right?”
Amor’s head nodded slowly, and reached up and tried humility, a loud pop being heard, and the gem floating there, doing something interesting. Before Terra could ask what was going on, all the other gems began to float, moving to the chest of the Alicorn that took it and floated to their chest, before glowing madly and forming a small chain that reached around the pony’s neck. In a flash all the gems returned to normal, now a necklace around the necks of their owners.
Love did something different, shifting up and forming a small band of a tiara, and gently landed on the head of Celestia, gem faintly glowing to the world around it. The grin across each face was contagious, and not even the end of the world could take this moment away from them.
Discord clapped happily at the group, an impressed grin on his lips that curled up to show one of his fangs.
“Well done, and now there’s,” he said looking at the pearled gem, and rubbing his tuff of a gotee, then looked at everypony in the room, “Harmony right?” he said. Celestia chuckled and walked over to him, putting her hooves around his neck softly, and kissing his nose softly.
“Maybe it’s meant for you?” she teased, getting down after Luna made a gagging sound behind them. Terra chuckled and looked at Storm, who shurged.
“Why not give it a try?” she said.
With that Discord ushered Celestia back, smiling silly like as he cracked his knuckles. He reached forward with his lions paw and chuckled.
“Come to pa-” he started, however as he touched it his hand became latched to it, and he writhed in pain, screaming sharply. Celestia’s eyes widened with horror as Alexander and Luna tried to pull him off, being shot back by energies unnatural and wrong, before the bolts began to jump and shot at every other member of the room.
First struck was Amor, the energy crackling through her body and causing her to launch out the door. Following bolts struck at Celestia, who tried to put of a shield of magik in front of her, but all it did was amplify the damage, shooting to her horn and into her body.
Terra watched as the energy bolt struck Athenus and Storm, causing them to be crunched back, Storming being launched into the wall, while Athenus was knocked over into Storms bed.
However bad all the others had it, Discord had it worse, screaming a writhing in agonising pain, his body cracking and jolting into unnatural positions, while his eyes began to flash white and black. Terra couldn’t do anything, but watch in terror.
“HELP ME!!” Discord finally yelled out. Or what seemed to have been a shout for him. He moved towards him, but a bolt of energy catapulted him back, into the wall not far behind him. However the chest guard on his body absorbed most of the power, and seemed to direct it into his two gems of harmony.
He got back up, seeing the seething white energy leaping around Discord in complete disarray and causing all the bolts to intensify. Terra felt the need to do this, to help Discord, while looking out for Storm, Luna and everyone else he brought along for his stupid idea.
He launched forward again, grunting as the energies hit him, but he wouldn’t be stopped, while the bolts jumped and leaped, simply dancing around him with Discords painful screams as their loving song.
He got closer, seeing Discords eyes begin to tear up with black liquid, with his body flickering and twisting, while his painful snaps and twists caused the body to become surreal. He looked at the element of Harmony, seeing it snapping between smoky black and the ethereal pearl it was before, with Discords paws beginning to turning a slow and dull grey while becoming of stone.
Terra moved back behind Discord, wrapping his hooves around his body and pulled hard, electing a screech that didn’t seem at all possible. He let go seeing that it wasn’t helping and felt a jolt of incredibly powerful energy enter his chest, nearly blasting it open. He grunted, and was thankful that the gems were on his chest currently. He moved back forward seeing the stone crawl up his arm, making Terra begin to panic. He looked at were Discord was touching and pointed his horn directly at it. He hoped this was going to work.
Within his body he began feeding energy to his horn, feeling the power building up slowly and turning around in his. He began feed it quicker, the ball of energy appearing at the tip of his horn, swirling in and around, while the energies Discords writhing body shot directly into his body again, searing pain leaping about his body with completely no direction.
He had to save his friend and that’s all he was thinking about.
Terra built more energy up, feeling the power being drawn to his horn, while more shoot of the damning energy shot into his body. He kept steady, his heart racing now.
In the last instances he let the power of his magik catapult out the horn a top his head with coursing energy that it pained him to release it.
At first it seemed to do nothing, but Discords paw returned to normal as the Element of Harmony began crackling and jarred out into angry fit of rage. Discord collapsed back and Terra turned around, catching him moving him back quickly, hoping he could stay standing for long enough to get him away from the six pointed gem.
He heard a loud crackle, and look over his shoulder, eyes widening.
From the Crystal leapt hot white wires of energy with endless violence that whipped out at Terra. All he could do was flare out his stone wings out and shield himself from it.
The impact was fierce and throws them across the room, Terra shielding discord as best as possible. He felt long sharp cuts running up his back and down his rib cage, a warm and wet substance weeping out. Discords body fells limply on the floor, as Terra looks back at the Element of Harmony, and coughs roughly.
The whips of energy pull in as the gem starts to crackle louder, only to become silent. Terra began to sigh when it shattered, releasing a wave of energy he could barely describe as powerful, causing him to collapse onto Discord.
He heard something, a voice, twisting into his ears. He looked up, seeing Celestia staggering over, her hair different from before. He couldn’t keep his eyes open, as when she reached him the lids lapsed over and drained into the blackness that he had the night before.
(A/N : Hey. So I kinda felt bad about the last chapter not having much juice to it and I wanted to make it up too you so you get your next chapter today~!!! Um again if any problems just point 'em out and I'll correct it as soon as possible.)
Chapter Eleven
Terra looked around the blackness, eyes adjusting again to it.
“We told you we’d be waiting for you, ” the voice said again, the form appearing, appearing as smoke would from a fire, twisting up around him. The form remained as smoke, slithering around Terra’s body with terrifying presence, feeling more like a serpent then fumes of a fire.
“I remember. But you are only here to gloat, and you have no right to tr-” Terra started before the voice cut him off with cruel twisting laughter, filling the empty space with thousands of voice laughing at once, each different and distinct.
“Thou believe we are here to gloat at thou for thy having such a weak will and pathetic excuse of an existence. We do not gloat, for there is no honour in that. Though tempting it be, ” the shrilled form said its once solid chest and head collapsing into smoke once more, only the dulled muddy brown eyes remaining.
“Then why are y-”
“Thou should know that thou dies, we die, and if we die, well... no true fun and adventure could be had, ” the voice stated, sliding around Terra, cause the stallion to crane his neck around to follow the eyes.
“Then why wouldn’t you take over then and abscond from what was happening?”
The smoke stopped and slid back, eyes narrowing onto Terra’s face, locking into a grim stare, “To have let us out, darkness would have come .”
Terra’s frame felt a pressure on his chest, crushing onto him, “A darkness that thou would bring, and that would never let its hold release upon thou’s soul. Thou could never be allowed to repent for its damning influence it would bring. ”
The pressure explodes as the smoke clenched tighter to his frame, strong enough that if it were real, his ribs would have shattered. His grunted as the slithering eyes turned up, the echoing laughter announcing its presence again to Terra, before falling silent once more.
The pressure was gone and he looked down, seeing the reflection of himself standing facing away from him.
“That is what thou would have unleashed. We would have been released, and we would have been glad, indeed. ”
“You mean to say that you are a monster of pure darkness? My dark half or twin?” Terra questioned, hoof rubbing his ribs. The booming laughter appeared once more as the other Terra catapulted himself over into his face.
“A monster of Pure Darkness? Pish posh and lies is that. We are the really you. Terror Quake .”
“W-What?” Terra’s hooves leapt backwards from the other, only to feel no ground beneath them, making him tighten his stance to a little distance between the front and rear sets. The creature began to laugh at Terra’s terror, turning to smoke once more only the head remaining as it began to wrap around him, clenching him again.
“Drop and we take your soul, and body, and we will never let go. ”
As the smoke dissipated and what solid floor began to break away, Terra’s mind raced with a way to escape the fall coming upon his little territory.
A flash of white light and Terra’s eyes shot open, seeing a pair of familiar faces in front of him. One one, pair of horns that didn’t match, while a long tuff of hair came from his chin, with one long fang extended out the right side of his mouth, as he grinned happily to the Terra’s confused expression.
Beside him, stood a different image then he had ever seen before, with glowing coat of hair, and a magikally flowing main that shifted through the colours of the dawn sky. The magenta eyes flared open, before beginning to well up with tears, soft sniffles coming from her nose.
“T-Terra... you’re awake!” she exclaimed throwing her hooves round him, crushing him with the power force that she had never had before.
“Where am I? Tia? Dis?” he inquired, eyes leaping between the two as Celestia sat back on her rump smiling and nodding, while Discord face of shifted as well, appearing in his eyes as well.
“What’s wrong? Why are you two crying?”
“We and you and...” Celestia began, trying to fight the gasps of air that she was taking in now.
“You were...” Discord started as well, unable to really finish what he wanted to say.
“He’s awake?” A sky blue mare exclaimed excitedly, pushing past the pair in front of her to get to Terra, her mane now soft fluffy clouds and rolled over her back. Storm suddenly gasped, throwing her forelegs around him and crushing even more so then Celestia did, making him cringe, “Terra I was so worried, please, oh please never do that again. Got it?”
“What... what happened?” he asked confused, only to see a dark navy blue mare appear and do the same, her face matted with tears and she sobbed happily, clinging to him. Luna, gasped weakly nuzzling her head against his body, held her grip firmly, the desire to never to let go of her older brother quite evident to him.
“Oh thank goodness and whatever else there is in this world,” a soft voice said from beyond the four, and Amor appeared, mane now flowing like Celestia’s, though of flowers and meadows. She smiled at him while beside her stood a stone face Alexander, hiding his emotional closeness to Terra.
“You okay?” he asked, no a hint of pity, though a pinch of pride. For pride for what Terra could only guess.
“I will be once I get told what happened,” he nodded, Luna now preventing him from getting up, though Storm removed herself from his body, worried.
“We really don’t know... Discord said you shielded him, and for an instant, when I awoke, I saw that your body was, well... weeping out blood, so I believed him at first,” Celestia began, “Then as I got to you, your eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, before closing again. I began to panic and tried waking everyone else, only to get Amor to wake up next. Before I knew what happened next, she started trying to heal you, only to find that the wounds weren’t healing to her magik.”
Terra listened intently, and as Celestia began to explain, he began to realize how dangerously close to death he had become. What was all the stranger was what had happened between the explosion and the moment he fluttered his eyes opened. Celestia had discovered that the world was filled with luscious life, of all great forms while also working on its own with no one to moderate it like they had done before Luna’s arrival. When the rest of the group she took flight flying to the old home they had built, only to find it deserted. And almost any other location she could think of that alicorns had been.
As she rambled on, she told him that she found Uncle Thanatos walking across a meadow with black cloaking him, surprised to see her. That’s when she told him.
“You didn’t pass out for a second. We blacked out for twelve hundred years.”
The statement was to the point, and the evident truth cause Terra to shiver with a new fear he never felt before. He was now scared out of his mind. The flashing instant, what he thought was a second, was really more than a thousand years. The news got worse. Their parent’s; with many of the other alicorns, left the world years after the disappearance of Terra and the others.
Terra’s chest began to heave, shaking his head at the news of their parents having left. Again. They had thought that their children had died; causing them too much grief to remain here where the three had created something beautiful. Only to be deadly.
Luna was still crying on Terra’s shoulder, making him pull her closer, tears rolling down his cheeks in anguish.
“They couldn’t bear to be here. They couldn’t bare the memory of us being lost to them, and they left to relieve the pain...” Discord said, standing up straight, looking away.
Terra shook his head now, not liking the news anymore. He began to shut them out of his world, holding onto Luna, tears streaming down. He could still hear them. Something about the forge and the few alicorns who remained were only there to keep the life of the world in check.
Then it all fell silent as they stopped talking, and most just reflected, Terra rubbing Luna’s head as he cried herself into a slumber. She must have been crying for a while cause Terra didn’t know how much time had now passed. Easily could have been an hour or a few minutes.
“So what do we do?” he finally asked, causing the other six members of the chamber to glance at him, “I mean... we’ve been missing for twelve hundred years or so right? So shouldn’t we, well do something about it?”
No response came from the group, most unsure if even to answer that question. Discords paw came to his chin, rubbing it slowly, while Celestia gave a defeated shrug. Alexander, the most forward of the group looked at the ground when Terra’s gaze fell on them. Amor and Athenus both shook their heads unknowing.
For the first time he had known his friends and family, they seemed so lost, and with that, defeated. Terra looked at Luna again, rubbing his hoof against another tear that formed, whipping it off her cheek. She sniffled and cuddled up to him, causing him to fain a weak smile.
How could he blame them? They were now coming back to a new time in their lives, no one around they could truly turn to for guidance or leadership. How could they really survive here on their own? What were they going to do?
Terra felt something nudge him from his right, turning his head to see Storm looking at him with a soft grin.
“We live,” she started, “And we make a world for ourselves that we can be proud of.”
At first, Terra didn’t understand what she meant, or by how she meant it. But the gears in his head began to turn slowly, and he started to form a thought.
“What if we,” he started looking at Discord with a grin, “used the Spirare Vita? I mean, we could create a world imaged in ourselves and our ideals right?” he suggested, and with that Alexander nodded suddenly flaring is wings out.
“With great spanning... um,” he started letting is wings drop a bit before returning with a firm thought to it, “civilisations that bowed to our whims!”
Amor smiled, “Or great creatures who roam where ever they please.”
“Great Flyers who rule the sky!” exclaimed Storm, and so rattled on the rest, starting to get more and more excited with the thought of making this world a place if life once more. As they grew louder Luna awoke, and was told the idea, who seemed to shy away from it at first, but began to nod slowly as they threw some ideas at her. Terra started to grin happily, proud at the thought that Storm had given him, hear ideas like Manticores (whatever that was) that Discord had suggested, while Celestia began to think of creatures wielding power of her magic, while Luna and Storm began to poke at the idea of flying creatures.
Everyone seemed to begin to get into it as Terra forced his body to stand up, allowing him to finally getting a good look at himself in twelve hundred years.
His mane flowed like Celestia’s did, though more like the Sandstone that he had formed a hund- a thousand and three hundred years ago. He was easily now full hoof and a half taller than Celestia, though she seemed to glow with radiance. On that Terra had also developed long and rather tall muddy socks around his lower legs, speckling up his legs like mud and dirt would. It must have been something to do with the breaking of the Element of Harmony, maybe cause the cave to become forgotten by the world outside, and even causing them to grow with the-
“I’m never going to get use to time...” he suddenly stated shaking his head softly, before twisting his head around to look over his stone wings, seeing they were damaged enough to cause some concern, but not enough to keep him from flying with them. His gaze moved down his back to so a large patch of dried blood, and a healed over wound from where it had come from, discolouring his coat of brown.
He reached up with one of his hooves and touched it softly, only to wince a little at it. Still hurt, which could mean it was still sensitive, even after all that time. It worried him immensely but he was going to have to ignore it for the most part, since everyone was starting to turn to a better mood.
He turned to his friends who had now all bunched together and looking at them with a grin, coughing softly to get their attention. Once they all looked at him, he nodded softly, “Let’s go make a world full of life.”
(HOLY SHAT ON A BRICK I'M POSTING A NEW CHAPTER AFTER A GOOD MONTH AND A HALF!
...
Anyway, sorry about delaying so much guys. I figured, hey, you guys deserve a new chapter, and I didn't think it was fair to you guys that I had to make you wait on the POSSIBILITY of me getting an editor. So, I figured why, lets get this back on the road, as I hope to do with EGK, though there will be some... well editing done to that title.
THANK YOU AGAIN for your Eternal patience and devotion.)
Chapter 2
Both the Alicorn poked their heads back into the room. The kiln was shut off and there stood the creation, though a fair bit smaller than the original statue was. The creature stood there looking around, dazed, confused and in complete awe of the workshop.
“It... works...” was all Terra could manage. This was the first time he had ever really used the kiln, surprised that it did such an amazing job. He slowly walked forward, eye the creature, which eyed him back.
“Are you... daddy?”
Terra was taken aback by this. He was only 433 years old, and he was being called a father. On top of that, it was a statue that he just created just over a few hours ago. He smiled at it and shook his head.
“No... I’m Terra Novae and this is my older sister, Celestia Solis. We’re alicorns,” he said, introducing himself, making the little creature a little confused. However it gave a very slow and unsure nod.
“Do you have a name little one?” Celestia asked examining it slowly. The little one looked at her and thought for a moment.
“I... I don’t think so... you’re cute though,” he said, making Celestia blush and Terra break out in laughter.
“I love him already,” Terra said, smiling, “Now I have a new tool to make you feel uneasy.”
“Oh shut it you...” she responded, her blush still prevalent. The little creature jumped down and walked over to the two, his head just leave with theirs.
“Okay... what do we do? Do I get a name?” was its next question to the two. They both looked at each other and sighed, thinking gently. Finally Celestia piped up.
“What about Discord?” she asked, “None of his body parts are the same so it seems appropriate, plus it’s easy to remember.” She moved back a little hiding her eyes behind her hair, as well as her blush. Terra raised an eye brow at her smiling.
“That sound good to you?” he asked the little one, who smiled like a stupid little child and nodded quickly.
“Qui Qui mon Captainé,” Discord responded before looking confused and surprised at what he had just said, “What does-“
“Don’t ask us. That’s the first I’ve ever heard that and Celestia probably doesn’t know any better either,” he replied turning around to the door into the room. Then he froze, “Oh... s-“
“What’s wro-“ Celestia started before looking back and freezing at the sight of someone who was watching over them while their parents were away.
“Hello you two or should I say three,” a pale white alicoron stood there looking at the three little children, his wings large and angelic which were pitch black as the night sky. His eyes were a soft emerald green, which moved from each member of the room to the next. Celestia’s face was turning an unnatural white, while Terra’s face was an image of doom, gloom and despair.
“Un-Uncle Thanatos!” the both said at the same instant. Their uncle was the god of death, and his eyes reflected that easily. Over his body was a dark and bleak cloak, hiding him from everypony other than the ones he came to see and to take to another world on the other side.
“That is my name... you should have called me before using that devices, it’s so... unpredictable,” he said walking over and tapping the kiln with his hoof, before looking at Discord and leaning down, “Hmmm... maybe I should deal with him fi-“
“NO!” the two little children responded with, fear in their voice, grabbing him and hiding him away from their uncle. He raised an eyebrow at them, as they protected Discord. He sighed gently and face-hoofed, before looking at the three. Terra and Celestia looking so heartbroken with expressions of dismay and fear.
“Fine. Novae, Solis, he is your responsibility to take care of, should he get any trouble, it’s your problem. Both of yours, so no blaming each other, understood?” he said, voice sound condescending and respectful. They both nodded in the instant he finished, eyes turning from their previous expression to now happiness and joy.
He smiled at them and rubbed their hair, gently chuckling, before walking to the exit of the room. He stopped and turned around, “Oh and by the way you... three, your mother and father are returning, with another traveling with them.”
“Who?” all three asked in unisions, making the older alicorn smile gently.
“Her name is Perfectum Luna, and she’s your little sister,” he said grinning, making Terra smile stupidly and Celestia giggle uncontrollably, bouncing as well, “She about 203 years old, and your dad, Star-Dust wants you both to give her a present when she arrives with your mother and him. Nebula’s Reach seems excited for you two... three I mean, to meet her.”
All three nodded.
“Uncle?” Celestia piped up and stepping towards her uncle, which made him look directly at her, “Why did they keep her from us for so long?”
Thanatos thought a long moment, thinking of how to explain this too them as appropriately as possible with them.
“They figured she needed some time to build up confidence and strength before meeting her older siblings. She’s exceptionally shy,” he stated smiling, “But for now, I say we go get something to eat something and get back to studying.”
There was a groan form the two alicorns while Discord grinned, knowing he wasn’t going to have to work on any such thing.
FOUR WEEKS LATER
Terra walked to the ledge and smiled looking at his stone wings, then at Discord.
“Ready?” he asked him, grinning stupidly. Discord nodded, smiling and giving him a thumb up with his lions paw.
“Ready mon captianè! Your clear for lift off!” he said. The wings felt nice on his back, though a bit heavy, but this time he was sure he could get off the ground. He could feel it in his body.
He smiled, letting the magic flow down his spine, into the wings. They started to glow softly, unfolding form his body with surprising speed. The runes across them glowed gently, making the stone become lighter. His eyes faintly changed from hazel to a crisp purple, his tail flicking as energy leeched off it, before it jumped and struck the ground. Discord sat on his side watching with a happy grin sipping his chocolate milk.
He began to flap the wings gingerly, smiling. The energy began to collect, helping him lift off the ground, and he pulled his legs slowly to his body, the wings now flapping solidly. He grinned happily.
“Its working! IT’S WOR-“
He spoke to soon. An energy feedback shot up his spine to his head making him scream out in pain, and land on the ground violently. Discord jumped up but stood back as a bolt of reddish-purple struck in front of him, making him look at his friend with shock. Another spike made him cringe painfully, as he tried to shake it off.
“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFFFAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” he screamed, Discord trying to get close and pull it off only to have a bolt of energy strike his chest and send him flying back into some boxes of tools and supplies.
“DISCORD!! NOOOAHHHHHH!!” he said, once more another spike jumping up his spine painfully making him collapse to the ground. Then it happened.
It detonated on his back, shooting shards of rock across around the room. He collapsed, panting and cringing ever so often, body barely responding to anything else but the pain on his back.
“Terra! Terra! Stay awake!” Discord said, running over and shaking him roughly, Terra grunting painfully at him.
“I... am... just... need so-“ Terra started.
“What happened?!? I heard an explosion an- TERRA!” Thanatos yelled out rushing over. He had Celestia with him, making her eep with surprise at what happened. Celestia looked around then at Discord, pulling him back. Terra grunted softly, before cringing as his uncle touched a point on his back that was still smouldering form the explosion of the wings.
“What did you do?” was the next question, Terra seeing Discord and Celestia weeping. He had never seen his sister cry, not even when the hurt herself. She was too prideful for that.
“I-I was... trying to test... my wings... for the first time... and... and I geuss... I guess that won’t ever... ever happen... a-“ he said, speaking through painful and drawn out pants. He could smell the singed flesh and hair on his back.
“Relax boy. You should have made sure I was in the room, or at least told me what you were doing,” he said, his voice cold and quiet as ever. He ran his hoof over his head, before Terra began to feel a powerful energy course his back, healing energy.
He passed out moments later from the shoots of pain that came with the healing spells.
So as you all noticed, I have been very lacking in my updootes. I'm terribly sorry but I hit not just a bad case of writers block, but a bad case of looking a new job and life for the most part. I intend to have the next chapter up in may at some point, and hopefully there will be something good in this. I know this is kinda late and I have probably lost some of your interest, but again, its appreciated that you are here to read and wait.
Again i am sorry and I thank you for being here to listen.