Fallen

Chapter Nine

Plotting Shadows

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Twilight awoke with a start, her heart pounding inside of her chest and her eyes darting around the room. She was in her bed in the library, spike was curled up in the basket by her bed, and everything seemed normal. But something was bothering her, why was she so worked up?

Twilight rolled out of bed and landed on her hooves, she briefly shook her head in hopes of calming herself down and waking up completely. She must have had a nightmare, but she could not remember what it was about. Twilight lifted a forearm and sniffed, as she suspected she had been having cold sweats during her nightmare.

"I should take a quick shower..." Twilight mumbled with a yawn.

The purple librarian trotted into her bathroom, and let the water run as it began to fill up the tub. As she began to wake up fully short pieces of memory came back to her.

"At Azrael's house..." Twilight mumbled as she climbed into the tub and settled into the soothingly warm water.

"Applejack was looking for him..." Twilight continued on, a thoughtful look on her face.

"We went into his basement, it was so dark..." Twilight said quietly to herself as she blew a cluster of soap bubbled off her nose.

"And we saw... Something horrible. He was dead in some glass case!" Twilight exclaimed at the horror of the thought.

"But when I turned to leave with Applejack, something was holding her. Something tall and dark with glowing... Red... Eyes." Twilight said her eyes widening as she began to think it was not just a dream.

The purple mare noticed something in the corner of her eye and she slowly turned her head to where the bathroom mirror lay fogged on the wall. Twilight climbed out of the tub to get a better look at what she saw. Somepony had wiped something across the glass, and the fog was not sticking in the places it was wiped, showing a message for the librarian as if it knew she would take a bath first thing in the morning.

'Don't Snoop'

Twilight lost the will to stand and fell on her rump as she stared at the writing on the mirror. She did go into the house after Applejack, and something was in fact down there with her friend and herself.

"Oh no Applejack!" Twilight exclaimed as she ran out of the bathroom and teleported outside of her library, breaking off into a full gallop toward Sweet Apple Acres despite her coat still dripping with moisture from her bath.

As Twilight galloped she attracted a few confused stares as she went, but these barely registered to her as she hurried to check if her friend was alright. With hopes she had been given the same warning Twilight had and was in her own bed or already working on the orchard. But if she wasn't, Twilight dared not even think of it.

As the purple mare drew closer to the farm she noticed immediately something was off, it was a Saturday and nopony was in sight, Granny was not sitting in her rocker on the front porch like she always was, Big Macintosh was not in sight and his apple cart was parked by the barn, still loaded full of apples that needed to be taken into town. And Applejack's market stall was sitting next to the cart, untouched yet for its weekly market trip.

"Where could they be?" Twilight asked herself out loud as she looked across the vacant apple orchard.

Twilight checked inside of the house and the barn hoping for a clue, but not a single apple pony could be found, not even young Applebloom. Twilight finding nopony on the farm raced back into town towards the manor. On the way she heard the sound of flapping wings approaching her and she looked up to see Rainbow Dash hovering closer to her with a concerned look on her face.

"Everything alright Twi'?" Rainbow asked her friend.

"Rainbow! Good thing you're here! I may need your help when I go to Azrael's manor. Applejack and I went in there yesterday, but something happened and next thing I know I'm waking up in my bed a day later. None of the apples are on the farm and I think something might be wrong!" Twilight belted out as fast as she could, hardly taking the time to take in breaths.

"Woah,woah. Calm down Twilight, I'm sure everything is fine. But if it makes you feel better I'll come with you." Rainbow offered with a small smile, but Twilight could tell Rainbow did not believe her story.

The two hurried to the house and Twilight knocked on the front door as hard as she could, the sound getting the attention of the ponies in the streets. Twilight waited a few seconds before giving the large door another series of blows. Twilight waited a few seconds longer and was about to knock again but the door slowly swung open revealing Applejack with a confused look on her face.

"Oh hey Twi, whatcha up to?" Applejack asked with a smile forming on her face.

"Oh Celestia... Applejack you're okay!" Twilight said pulling her friend into an embrace.

Rainbow shook her head at this while Applejack shot the pegasus a look that asked what was going on.

"She had a nightmare that something happened yesterday, must've spooked her a lot because she ran out to the orchard and then here." Rainbow explained.

"But... Something must have happened... Azrael was-" Twilight started only to be cut off.

"Shucks Twi, don't worry none. 'Fact mah whole family is here having some grub with Azrael. Granny cooked him up some more stuff cause she thought one pie wasn't enough of a thanks, so he invited us all over to eat it with him." applejack said with a smile.

"But Applejack... We found Azrael's body in his basement. He was dead..." Twilight said with a sickened look on her face.

"If I am dead then you must be psychic to talk to a ghost." Azrael said as he trotted up behind Applejack.

Twilight's jaw dropped as she saw the large stallion, alive and well. Azrael gave her a knowing look however and raised a hoof to his lips and 'shushed' at her. Twilight then knew something was wrong.

Twilight was about to speak, but Azrael beat her to it, "Don't forget the message I left you Twilight, and have a good day."

Azrael then gently shut the door with a wing, the last thing Twilight or Rainbow Dash saw of the interior of the manor was Applejack smiling warmly to her friends, and Azrael with a smug look on his face.

"See Twilight, everything is fine. Maybe you should go check with Fluttershy, maybe you have a fever or something..." Rainbow offered her friend with a sympathetic smile.

"I don't think I do, I have some research to do..." Twilight said as she trotted back towards the library.

"Do you think her delivered the message by now sister?" Luna asked the princess of the sun.

"I do not know, they are definitely hidden if they have not been seen in over two thousand years... Perhaps they are even on another continent." Celestia offered.

Luna paced back and forth, neither her sister or herself had given the angel instructions to tell them when the task was done, but there was the possibility he did not know where the others were hiding.

"Perhaps I will contact him tonight..." Luna offered her sister.

"Well, if you feel it is necessary... Be careful though, he is dangerous." Celestia said with a small loving smile.

"I do not think he wants us harmed, when he was talking to his sister he talked as if you and I were the first gods he approved of." Luna said quietly.

Celestia thought over this briefly before responding, "Yes, first impression aside he seems to be quite passive towards us, at least he is willing to leave us alone. It sounded like from what you tole me the other angel gave you a longing look when she heard you were a goddess."

Luna shivered at the memory of the fiery and bestial thing staring wide eyed at her.

"Those angels seem so powerful, why would they crave to serve a god so badly..." Luna asked her sister.

"Perhaps when you check up with Azrael he will tell you, but be careful he did not seem to like questions about his past." Celestia warned.

"Perhaps..." Luna mumbled.

"You did well Applejack, your friend knows something is wrong with me but she seemed willing to accept that you trusted me for the time being." Azrael said to the orange farmer.

"Shucks it was nothin'. Sorry again fer' snoopin through yer' house like that." Applejack said bashfully.

"Just don't let it happen again, you were lucky I had forgotten to erect any defenses or traps. From now on I may have to however..." Azrael said as he shooed Applejack out the door.

Applejack waved to Azrael as he closed the door with a wing, a small smile on his face. Azrael then turned away from the door and trotted over to the kitchen where he sat down in front of an already prepared cup of tea. Next to his cup was another cup, both emitting steam into the air. Azrael regarded the cup with mild interest, for the enchantment he had put on the kitchen would prepare meals and drink for himself and any company he had over.

"You can come out now, your little ponies are gone." Azrael called to his seemingly empty house.

From the shadows stepped Luna the princess of the night in all her regal glory. The dark mare trotted over to where Azrael stood and noticed that there were two cups of tea waiting on the table.

"Well, you even had some tea prepared. And I was sure I had hid my presence perfectly..." Luna said, dejected slightly over her skills proving useless against the angel.

"Actually you had me fooled, my enchantments not so much..." Azrael said with a small laugh.

"Pardon?" Luna asked confused.

"The enchantment I placed on this kitchen is to prepare meals and drink for myself and any guests. There were two cups waiting, so I had company in the house. And you are the only one who would visit me so late." Azrael explained.

"Ahh, I see... So, have you managed to find the other angels yet?" Luna asked as she levitated one of the cups over to herself.

"The message has been delivered." Azrael said as he levitated his own cup over and took a sip. Azrael scrutinized his cup and looked at Luna's.

Luna took a sip and nearly spat it out, giving a disgusted look at the cup in her magical aura.

"I think you have my cup, it prepares our favorite blends, and I know for a fact that mine is a little stronger than this." Azrael said offering over the cup in his possession.

"Is this filled with alchohol?!" Luna nearly yelled, her chest still burning from the sip she took.

"Yeah, its mostly absinthe..." Azrael said, taking the cup form Luna's aura and downing it in one go.

Luna stared at the stallion for a moment before sipping the cup that was offered to her and smiling.

"I did not think anypony but my sister and myself could cast an enchantment that could not only detect someone's presence, but also act to their specific preferences..." Luna said offhandedly.

"That is because it is divine magic, something only the gods should have access to, and angels to a minor degree so long as it pertains to their special talents." Azrael explained watching his cup magically refill itself and downing it again.

"But... Then you should not be able to cast this kind of an enchantment should you?" Luna asked with a concerned look.

"I am... A little more than a mere angel. Turns out when one kills a god you inherit some of their power. If I wished in all honesty, godhood could be mine. But I do not wish that, for I value freedom above all else. And I know for a fact that if I ascend to godhood I will get followers who will throw their freedom away to my so called 'glory', and then I will be nothing more than a hypocrite." Azrael said bitterly.

"Oh... So..." Luna said trying to change the subject, "You found the other angels so soon, did you already know where to find them?"

"I had a hunch that turned out right. They decided to take residence in what our old lord called his 'promised land', a place on the continent across the vast ocean to the east. They must have pooled their efforts and they made a giant marble Dome, might have even been a sphere that was half buried... But inside of it they have created a new heaven to reside in." Azrael explained waving a hoof sarcastically.

"So it is done then? We can count on you to stay out of Equestria's business, and the angels will leave us alone?" Luna asked with hope in her eyes.

"Well... About that. They know I have a few things they need. And they suspect we are in league with each other no doubt... Do not let your guard down, and come to me if any show up on your doorstep." Azrael explained.

"Oh... That is what my sister and I feared..." Luna said somberly.

"But above all else, if an angel by the name of Abaddon, Samael, or Asmodeus appear do not listen to anything they say and contact me immediately. Those three were ones I once called friends, but i suspect they are up to no good. Abaddon I met in new heaven and something was wrong with him, he seemed... Darker... Nothing good can come of those three." Azrael warned with a stern tone.

Luna nodded at this, ingraining the names into her memory. The princess of the night then finished her tea and departed from the house. All the while Azrael kept a leveled stare on the princess, as if measuring her up for something.

"This is turning out to be quite the mess if those three decide to act up..." Azrael said looking down at his once again full cup.

Azrael thought back on when he saw Abaddon the angel of destruction last. He was living in new heaven but Azrael could see evidence of taint on his essence. His halo seemed dim as well. Azrael then subconsciously lifted a hoof over his head to where his halo would have been, unseen by mortals, if he still had it.

In a flash of anger Azrael hurled the cup at the floor where it shattered, spilling its contents.

"I saw our dearest brother today..." Abaddon said to the other occupants of the dark room.

"Define 'dearest brother'..." A gruff voice said with a hint of hostility in it.

"Azrael paid us a visit here in New Heaven, he even had a message from two goddesses apparently." Abaddon explained.

The other figures in the room snapped to attention and stared at the angel of destruction. A few of them started whispering to each other, but one of them kept silent and still as he stared at Abaddon.

"He... is free?" the once silent figure asked, confusion and wonder in his voice.

"Yes my lord, and if I am not mistaken he looks as powerful as he was all those millennia ago, his captivity in the garden has not taken a tole on him." Abaddon said with a smile.

The figure contemplated this briefly before running a hand through his hair, letting his fingers run along his horns.

"We will need to start planning then won't we?" Asked the figure.