Ethereal Chaos Chapter 19

Chapter 19

As Lord Xanatos looked over at his sister, he decided to make conversation to pass the time, their travel to the small town taking much more time than anticipated, though the corruptions slight recessing and stop was comforting to ease their journey.
"Is there something troubling you, sister?" he asked. She looked over at him with her dark plum eyes. If it weren't for the wind, he also would've heard her sniffling weakly.
"Why couldn't it have been you," she asked, almost starting to cry.
"What do you mean," he asked.
"You know exactly what I mean, Xan. Why couldn't you have been the Omni Trossel? You have more authority; you're more accustomed to being worshipped. I never wanted any of this responsibility. I never wanted these powers, and the only time anypony will go back to treating me like everypony else is when I'll be dead, and even then I'll still be revered with all the other past Omni Trossels. I don't want that when I'm gone, Xanatos." Paragontal's sobbing had become much more apparent over the wind to when she was actually starting to cry. The other accompanying Thought Trossels were too far behind to hear over the wind, however. Through their own telepathic communication, they began arguing about whether or not to try reading their minds to see what the two royal Trossel siblings were saying but the idea was quickly declined out of fear of how their queen would react. Judging from how Lord Xanatos was moving closer to her and placing a reassuring hood on her shoulder, it wasn't something they wanted to be involved with. Paragontal was now crying silently into her brother's chest, brushing her hair like he had when she was a filly and was upset. This, however, was on a much, much deeper level.
"Paragontal," he said reassuringly. "I know that you don't want these powers, but if I could take them, I would. You don't think that I wouldn't want to be in your position?" She looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know a good number of ponies that would kill to have your position of authority, though I'm under the suspicion they'd misuse said power as well."
"Y-you just called me Paragontal," she said, giving a weak smile. "You haven't called me Paragontal in years."
"It's your name," he said. It had been almost too long since he'd called her by her name, longer than he could remember. She remembered vividly the exact last time she was ever called Paragontal, though. It was the day she'd gotten her cutie mark, when--in her opinion, at least--everything changed for the worst. They finally landed, seeing the town just off in the distance. "We're close, aren't we?" she nodded, sensing the distinct aura closer than ever.
"We can walk the rest of the way," she said. "Where's Cornelius?" one of the Thought Trossels stepped forward and dropped the sleeping colt at her feet as he woke up.
"Are we there yet," he asked. Paragontal looked off in the distance.
"Almost," she said. "We can just walk the rest of the way." Cornelius looked at the Omni Trossel, perplexed.
"Couldn't we just teleport there," he asked. "In fact, why didn't we just teleport there from the start?"
"It's a bit more complicated than you might think it is, Cornelius," Xanatos explained. Cornelius was smart enough, even without his powers fully developed, to know not to question somepony like Xanatos and simply looked up at the other Thought Trossels.
"This is the place," one said.
"This is, without a doubt, the site of the Sixth Elements reincarnated forms," another confirmed.
"Most of them anyway," the third said. "The last one will be with us when we go." they all began their journey, Cornelius gliding to keep up.
***
Infernalo looked at himself in a small puddle on the ground, the image reflected back at him almost alien. It was the same face, eyes, mane, halo, everything he'd always seen every time before, but he just didn't look like the same Infernalo that had left Seldreinia to escape the Cursed Trossels. Then, he realized it wasn't. Infernalo wasn't the same Trossel who had dismissive of his baby sisters, sheltered himself from everypony except for Steelmind, and was in constant flux with Aquashine. Suddenly, a quick-moving rainbow streak swept him off his hooves and onto a cloud; Infernalo realizing it was Rainbow Dash. She was staring back at him eagerly, a wide smile spread across her face.
"You wanna see this awesome new trick I just learned," she asked. Before he could answer, he felt himself in a magical hold and dragged back to the ground by Rarity.
"Infernalo, you such a wonderful mane," she said. "You simply must let me do something with it."
"It's fine, Rarity," he assured her. "I like it this way." before realizing it, Applejack had dragged him away and brought him to an entire cart of apple pie.
"There's more where that came from if ya want, sugar cube," she said.
"It's a kind gesture, really," he said. "I just don't have any need for all this. Thank you, though." expecting Twilight or Fluttershy to swoop in and try poaching him again, Dash and Rarity started bargaining which quickly erupted into arguing. He thought something up, creating an illusion of himself with his heaven powers for the three to fight over before sneaking away and running into Fluttershy.
"Oh hi, Infernalo," she said.
"Fluttershy, good to see you," he said. "Everypony's lost their mind. At least you aren't going crazy like they are." she nodded, turning her face to the ground.
"You too, huh?" She squeaked in response, repelling back a bit as if he was about to strike her. Instead he just sighed, "Well, if I was going to choose anypony, it'd probably be you since you aren't going crazy like they are." he looked over at the three fighting over the illusion replica of himself, not noticing Fluttershy turn bright red by his comment. He retreated back to the library in one of his voids, sitting down from exhaustion, reading the last chapter of his book. Frostburn looked over his shoulder.
"Hi big brother." Infernalo jumped and spun around to her giggling.
"How did you get here," he demanded.
"Pinkie taught me that," she explained, "Shouldn't you be out helping Twilight's friends or something? She and Spike went to Canterlot, something about Princess Celestia. I wasn't listening." He chuckled a bit at his baby sister's adorable childlike naivety.
"I don't know. Everypony keeps trying to impress me. Rarity offered to style my mane, Dash wanted me to watch this new trick, and AJ gave this whole cart of pie." Frostburn's bright yellow eyes widened. "At least Fluttershy likes me and was subtle about it."
"You got pie and didn't take it?"
"I guess it's just hard to choose between them, especially when--of all of them--Twilight is the one who seems perfect to me: loyal, sweet, intelligent, and a really good friend."
"Somepony offered you an entire cart of pie AND a better mane, and you didn't do anything about it?!"
***
Leafwind and Apple Bloom sat by the bridge, just watching the still water.
"My daddy always used to do things like this with me," she said, "He said watching the calm unmoving water was very relaxing."
"Seems pretty boring, if ya ask me," Apple Bloom moaned. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came rushing toward the two hurriedly.
"Leafwind, there are these other Trossels that are looking for you," Scootaloo said, "They said it's important." Leafwind followed the two, Apple Bloom not far behind. She stopped upon seeing Zephyroak, Stonebolt, and Steelmind also there. Cornelius was also there, standing beside his brother.
"What's going on," Sweetie Belle asked.
"We've come a long distance to find the reincarnations of the Sixth Elements," Paragontal explained. "Now, we've found them."