Light as a feather

-Chapter 20-

“You look worried.” A familiar ashen gray unicorn stallion pointed out as he met up with Amber once the contestants gathered for the briefing with Prism Shine. The colt had been hoping to avoid Mortar until after the event; he couldn’t afford to get any more distracted than he already was, as he found his thoughts trailing toward ways he could settle Fluttershy’s broken heart.

“What do you want?” The colt inquired with a harsh whisper his voice carrying an edge that brought a smile to Mortars face.

“Somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Mortar quipped happily, “Though I suppose to wake up you’d have to sleep. How is your little filly friend? Sore in all the right places I’d expect.”

“What do you mean by that?” Amber asked through clenched teeth even though he understood the implications just fine. His hooves were tingling and he fought to suppress the demon all to willing to beat the unicorn to a bloody pulp should he continue his ridicule. The unicorn’s laughter drew curious glances from the ponies nearest them, a few of them, those who had played audience to his unexpected lip lock with Vinyl, sniggering in understanding.

“You look tired is all,” Mortar said with a tinge of malice, throwing his hoof across Amber’s withers assuring the colt couldn’t escape. “I think that perhaps it would be in your best interest to say, sit this one out, if you catch my drift?”

Amber’s eyes narrowed, no attempt made to hide his suspicion. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with that ‘favor’ I owe you would it?”

“However did you guess?” Mortar feigned surprise poorly, his expression overly animated. Amber quickly decided he was either a very good actor or a very poor one.

“I can’t do that.” Amber explained heatedly. “I need the money for…reasons.”

“Reasons,” Mortar repeated intrigued by the vague reply. “We all have reasons. What pray tell makes your reasons better than my own?”

“I don’t give two kicks about yours!” Amber snapped his voice cutting into the dim of Prism Shines instruction of which he’d not begun to have even the slightest interest. The ebony mare scrutinized the pair with a keen eye, her lips drawn and tight. The expression in her gaze bordered on disdain and it made Amber rather uncomfortable as he felt she had again singled him out. “Is there a problem?”

“Not at all Mrs. Shine,” Mortar replied merrily, jostling a less than animated Amber in turn. “Please continue.”

After a long moment the mare turned her attention elsewhere. She thrust her black wings outward, the gesture creating a loud snapping sound that carried across the ever darkening sky. A low thrumming whistle broke the stillness that settled not long after rising in volume to an almost painful pitch as six jumpsuit clad ponies burst through the cloud layer just behind the makeshift stage. The clouds trailing behind them crackled with electricity drawing everyone’s eye upward as they coalesced into a tightly rotating ball of vibrant light mimicking the sun before bursting outwards creating a live pony version of a firework. After each demonstrating a variety of acrobatic feats the six featured members of the Wonderbolts, the three mares and three stallions, settled on either side of Prism Shine, notes of electricity flickering across their uniforms.

“With that captivating display of skill I would like to welcome you all to Cloud Nine,” The mare said loudly once the theatrics had concluded. “As well as congratulate each of you on making it to the Semi Finals!”

Three or four ponies cheered ecstatically and the mare offered them a condescending smile in response. “Yes, you have all done well to make it this far. I trust that you were all paying very close attention when I explained the rules; as such I will not be repeating myself!” The mare gave the ashen unicorn and the rusty colt still tucked beneath his leg a less than pleased visual reprimand, before a devious smile flickered across her lips. “Good luck my little ponies.”

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Mortar whispered his breath hot against Amber’s ear. The malicious glint in his eye was reflected by the smile on his face, as Prism Shine dismissed the contestants. Uneasiness crept into Amber’s stomach at Mortars next words. “It’s a long way down…”

--

The throne room stood empty as Lexis entered, the shadows within deep and foreboding, as if they contained more than simple darkness. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped, inhaling her courage and trying again, the waver still clear in her voice though she tried to hold it down. “I am here!”

After a moment the shadows shifted and a figure emerged, a semi corporeal pony making his presence known to the unicorn, a smile playing on his dark lips. “What news have you brought?”

“Only that she is resting,” The unicorn answered cautiously. “And recovering...”

There was a great exhale of breath from the dark figure as he made his grievance known. Lexis took a step backwards as the shadows shifted again, the form within not moving physically yet seeming to grow larger in essence alone. Were she not so afraid she may have been curious as to what kind of magic allowed such a being to exist for surely he was not a mere pony.

“I’ve done as you asked.” Lexis repeated casting a weary eye about the remainder of the room as she did so. “Now let me see them!”

A chuckle resounded from the darkness, after what felt a much longer time than that which had passed the sound sending shivers down the unicorn’s spine. She spun about, her eyes seeking his form among the gloom. “Do you think me a fool?” The voice inquired, the humor in his tone far outweighing the disappointment. “You’ll see them when I say so, no sooner.”

“You promised!” Lexis retorted angrily careful to keep her voice hushed.

“I did.” The voice acknowledged after a lengthy moment of contemplation. “So, I can only hope this will motivate you to try harder.”

The shadow shifted once more as moonlight emerged from a passing cloud. From within the darkness a figure walked, followed closely by a second, the pair mirror images of one another, in all but gender, for one was a filly, the other a colt. They were as white as freshly fallen snow, their manes pink and purple in the palest pastel, their flanks as blank as the day they were born. The colt moved his lips as if speaking but no sound came forth while the filly pressed against his side seeking the comfort her sibling’s presence gave. The unicorn rushed forward eager to embrace her foals but found they were nothing more than a fleeting illusion, their seemingly solid forms vanishing at the slightest touch.

“Where are they?” Lexis inquired in a hushed whisper as the pale shapes reassembled. “Where are my foals!?”

“They are quite safe I assure you.” They voice replied a teasing malice trailing his words. “And will remain as such so long as you continue to do as I ask.” The shadow stamped his hoof and the pale forms flinched as if hearing it themselves before vanishing in a shimmer of mist and moonlight. His parting words hung in the air, “Do not disappoint me again.”

“Lexis?” The voice was familiar, yet for a moment the unicorn was unaware of who had spoken so lost was she in her thoughts. Only when she saw the pale form of the solar princess step lightly into the room was she certain it was not her imagination. The traces of sweat buildup from her frantic pacing and anxious worry glistened in the pale moonlight falling through the narrow windows.

“Princess Celestia!” She said her voice echoing off the wide walls and high ceilings of the throne room. She cast her gaze quickly about the shadows lining the deepest recesses of the room but the dark presence to which she had been speaking not moments before was absent. “Forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you.”

“Do not worry about that.” Celestia answered casting her gaze around much as she had seen Lexis do. “Is somepony here with you?”

Lexis only just managed to conceal her surprise and relief at Celestia’s apparent inability to sense the dark soul to whom she had been speaking. “N…No my lady, I was merely conversing with myself.”

“Oh?” Celestia pondered her brow arched speculatively. After a length of tension that had Lexis near suffocating from holding her breath, the princess’s expression softened. “I find that speaking with oneself leads to naught but confusion. Perhaps I can lend an ear?”

“I’d rather not.” Lexis answered and after a moment of thought changed the conversation to a more comfortable topic. “The hour is late princess, should you not be sleeping?”

The princess smiled as, crossing the room, she approached a narrow window pushing it open with a hoof before gesturing for the white unicorn to join her. Together at the window the pair could observe the temporary cloud cover containing that evening’s event, bathed in the twilight’s fleeting glow. A small smile alighted on Celestia’s lips, while Lexis sported a pensive frown.

“I’m sorry,” The pale unicorn said quietly after a length of tranquil silence. Celestia glanced at her a moment her frail smile falling at the distant look in the unicorns eyes. “But they need me, more than you…”

Celestia fell to her knees, a throbbing pain in her head. She managed to hold on to consciousness long enough to see the shadows shift and a vaguely familiar form emerge from the darkness. Her eyes flew wide in shock as the dark figure smiled warmly at her.

“Sleep now Celestia.” It spoke. “We will talk again soon.”