The Mists of Midnight

by MidnightMare

Chaos Potential

Her stomach hurt.

That was the one thing she knew, a constant knowing painful hunger. She only managed to sate it occasionally, there wasn’t enough food for anyone, what little there was was given to the weak and infirm. The way her wings where, she qualified, crippled as she was, but, how could she take food when others needed it.

She accepted her rations, and then gave them to others. She ate a little every so often, but she always made sure the foals where fed.

Now as she lay in the darkness of the night, too weak to move or call out for help she found she couldn’t regret her decision. She’d been conned yes, but not by all of them. Yes there where Ponies out there who took advantage of others, Yes, she’d fallen afoul to one, and shortly would pay the price with her life. However, there were many others who weren’t like that, who had truly needed help.

She would not be the first to starve, and as death came to collect, her emaciated body was only one of many that would soon be collected and buried far away an unmarked mass grave.

In the years to come, negotiations with the Pegasus would finally bring a mutual peace, rain would return and crops and grass would grow fresh and healthy, the famine would end. Too late for many.

---

Chapter 5
Chaos Potential

Evening fell and As Twilight Stepped into the dining room of the castle she smiled at Misty who glanced around curious, but nervous. Everyone else was already there chattering amongst one another, to twilight quiet delight Flash Sentry stood head of guard closest to the head of the table where she sat.

“Misty Darling, what do you think of the castle?” Rarity asked the quiet Pegasus, Misty smiled taking a seat as Twilight took hers

“O-oh it’s, lovely, very different from home, but just as… mmm… bright, it’s hard to explain, it has the same feel to it?” she managed, Rarity nodded and Apple jack smiled “Yeah a welcome feeling?” she suggested Misty nodded

“Yes that’s it, it’s pleasant.” She said glancing at Twilight nervously, She wasn’t sure how to approach this, she’d never been in this sort of situation. After a while she’d learned it was easier to stay away from other ponies, but, strangely there was something comforting being with the six that surrounded her.

“Girls, Part of the reason I invited you to dinner, other than a chance to get to know our new friend misty, but also to let you know that Princess Celestia will be coming tomorrow.” Twilight explained drawing mixed reactions from the ponies around her.

“Why is Celestia coming here, I thought we were going to go see her?” Pinkie Pie asked curiously Twilight Shrugged “I’m not sure, I got her letter through spike a little while ago, She did mention the trip must have been tiring, so Maybe she wants to come to us so we’re not traveling again right after coming home.” She suggested thoughtfully

“That’s very considerate of her, Celestia always thinks of us.” Rarity said delighted. The meal passed with small talk and laughter, important things where passed over as the mares simply enjoyed being home. Misty answered questions when asked but didn’t volunteer much information. They didn’t learn much more then twilight had the afternoon they had spent in the small garden.

Misty was an orphan raised in the palace, she’d had no close friends and preferred it that way. She’d chosen to stay at the palace in saddle Arabia for no other reason then there was nowhere else she particularly wanted to be.

And she couldn’t fly.

“Wow, I can’t even imagine what that would be like.” Rainbowdash said running a hoof down her own feathers. Flying was her life, not just her joy but a deep part of her, as important as breathing the idea of not being able to fly, it made her shiver.

“Is there any reason why? Where you hurt?” Fluttershy asked softly worried Misty paused before shifting it was weird having other ponies worry about her in such a way.

“I was born this way.” she said finally, there was a reason, but there was no need to discuss it with these ponies. Her wings shifted fluttering on her back the feathers fluffing out the dark blue plumage was soft and clean.

“They move and stretch, so at least they are not immobile, I don’t mind so much.” She said “They are pretty and soft, so even if I can’t fly I’m happy with them.” She assured, offering a rare genuine smile. So often her eyes seemed flat and dead even when she smiled, but occasionally the grey warmed molten silver with deep feeling.

“On that note, I’m rather exhausted, I have never traveled so far and am still sleepy, do you mind if I retire?” Misty asked looking to twilight, her request very much a maid to her mistress, Twilight figured Misty needed time to get around to the idea that she didn’t need to be so formal. She nodded her, and the others, wishing the dark pegasus a good night. As the door closed and the sound of her hooves faded the fruit at the center of the table shivered, rolling together to take the shape of Discord.

“Phew, I didn’t think I’d get a chance to talk to you all without her around.” He said dramatically as the fruit fell away revealing his proper form.

“What a mean thing to say Discord, She seems like a very lonely Pony.” Fluttershy said falling quiet as Twilight shook her head, in an unusual show of support for discords words.

“Have you figured anything out?” Twilight asked him he’d been determined to find something, it was easy to reason that he had only come back because he had discovered something crucial. Discord nodded Twilight was quick, now they were friends he often found himself approving of her quick mind, and understanding just why Celestia had picked the pony to be her student.

“I have, actually she gave me the clue, probably not realizing. The reason I’m unnerved around her is because she is surrounded by chaos.” He said simply, Pinkie frowned

“I don’t get it, you’re the lord of chaos, why would that bother you?” she asked confused. Discord grinned “Quiet right Pinkie but, think about it, I am a lord of chaos this way.” with a snap of his fingers chocolate rain fell on Pinkie pie who squealed with delight.

“My chaos is fun, admittedly you may not all see the fun in it, but while I enjoy chaos it’s not out of a desire to hurt Anypony. My chaos is all for my own enjoyment and entertainment. I’m not malicious or harmful this way, More thoughtless, and you showed me that.” He said, the Ponies smiling at his honest sentiment touched to have made that difference in his life.

“But, There’s more to chaos then upside down houses and chocolate rain.” He began sitting in the air her crossed on leg over the other and was suddenly garbed in a tweed jacket one might expect of an older professor.

“The fact of the matter is there are many types of chaos, and many who have control over these types. While my chaos is harmless, mostly, fun, there is other chaos that not like that. The chaos of a stampede. The chaos of uncontrollable weather, The chaos of a monster like Tirek or Sombra.” He explained. The ponies falling silent, even Pinkie pie realizing the seriousness of what he was saying fell silent.

“I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but at some point your new friend Misty, has gone afoul of another chaos lord, one who doesn’t think of fun.” He said simply

“The chaos surrounding Misty Midnight is, simply, a chaos, of total cruelty and malice. This is the kind of chaos that causes famine, the kind that kills slowly.” The very idea of it had the ponies exchanging fearful looks they had never faced Such violence.

“But that seems like a lot. I mean, not even you could do that sort of thing Discord.” Apple Jack reasoned “Causing droughts and killin’ ponies and that sort of thing. That would take a lot of powerful magic I might not be a unicorn, but even I know that much.”

“That’s true as well AJ, any normal Pony would never gain that kind of power, remember even Tirek struggled and even after he stole the powers of even all the alicorns he was beaten by something bigger, what granted you power.” He explained. Twilight frowned, she wasn’t sure Tirek hadn’t killed any pony… none of their enemies had, Yes Nightmare moons endless night would have caused problems but they had beaten her. Then again she hadn’t been what Discord was inferring, hadn’t had the power.

“What Misty has done… has earned the wrath of a God.” Discord said quietly

---

Later that evening Sitting on the balcony of her room twilight watched the moon Hooves on the rail her chin resting on them as she watched the silvery glow, the stars twinkling around it. The night was just as beautiful here as it had been in Saddle Arabia.

The sounds where different but the feel was the same, soft calm and quiet. She’d never really thought about it before but it was pretty nice.

“Thank you Twilight Sparkle, It is unusual to see you out at night.” The voice was firm and regal, but Princess Luna had learned well to lower her tone. The princess of the night stood on the other end of the Balcony watching the new princess in her contemplation.

“Does something disturb you?” she asked, Twilight sighed stepping away from the rail

“Maybe, I just. Me and my friends returned from Saddle Arabia today, it was wonderful, we made a lot of new friends. One even came back with us.” She said hedging Princess Luna stepped forward gently nuzzling the younger pony

“You may confide in me, I may not be You teacher as My sister was, but I shall do my best to ease your worries.” She said gently Twilight smiled nodding The fact was she felt like she could confide in Luna, perhaps it was because Luna had known deeper struggles, Yes Celestia had made mistakes, but she’d never delved into darker places.

“You know that Discord is with us now, He came with us to Saddle Arabia, to help me Identify something Princess Celestia wanted me to bring back with me, that something I thought was a treasure like a jewel, but it was a Pony. Now, Discord has told us that She’s surrounded by ‘the chaos of Cruelty’ and is cursed by a god.” She said softly looking down it was so confusing, so hard to wrap her head around! Luna stepped back giving twilight her space as she tried to think. Luna herself had to admit, it was an interesting situation it was rare to hear of gods spoken here.

“A god hmm? I don’t know, I can’t tell you much, as I don’t know much about it. I do know there where powers here before me and my sister, strong creatures lived on this planet, not just Ponies either. Some of these creatures became so strong they , well sister once said they transcended existence.” She said thoughtfully seeing twilights confused expression she sighed frowning, how could she properly describe it?

“The night you became a princess, it wasn’t just earning a crown, Your power, your magic Expanded so beyond what a unicorn body could naturally handle that you became an Alicorn.” Luna explained “It was the same with Cadence.” She said shifting lifting a hoof

“From what me and my sister do know of this world, an Alicorn is the peak of evolution for ponies whose magical core expand past it’s natural potential. However Celestia and I were born Alicorn, given time, it’s possible we could evolve in the same way, and that would be transcending.” She said hoping that made sense.

“Now take that a step further, Even when I became nightmare Moon, I remained and alicorn, though the fight with my sister weakened me, had I somehow won, and gained in power, and reached that point of evolution, It would have been an evil power, not a good one.”

“It’s reasonable that if creatures who possessed good power could transcend like this, then Creatures of Evil could as well. It’s possible a creature like that, could be considered a god, But if that is the case, and they have transcended then why would such a powerful creature bother with cursing a single pony?” Luna reasoned finally, Twilight looked up smiling “That’s true I suppose…” she said Luna smiled

“I’m not saying your new friend is not special, but you are all special in your own way. Perhaps my sister merely wanted to meet this pony for some special reason, maybe she knows her somehow I don’t know, I was in the moon of course.” Luna explained softly, glad to have eased Twilights mind. Stepping back she looked up at her beloved moon and smiled softly

“My sister will be coming to see you, she has already told me so. Be at ease Twilight Sparkle tell her of your worries and she will reassure you, of that I am certain.” She said gently wings flapping as she leaped off the balcony soaring through the air her dark main flowing with stardust.

“Sleep well young Twilight, rest and be at ease, leave worries for tomorrows dawn.” She said granting the new princess gentle dreams for the evening to ease her mind. Twilight watched long after the princess of the night vanished among the stars, a yawn drew her from her thoughts and she turned heading for bed, yes, rest.

Princess Luna had made a very good point, Why would a god, any god Bother with one single pony. If this creature was as powerful as Discord seemed to think, why on earth focus on one pony and not a bunch? Ah yes, She felt a lot better now, when she had the chance she’d look through the books Celestia had given her and see if she could find anything more about ‘gods’

---

While Luna and Twilight spoke, the guest they spoke about stood at her window looking up at the sky, it was beautiful here as well. That was what she loved, no matter where, no matter when, the night sky was a constant.

Alone she wondered why Princess Celestia would come to see her. She turned away from the window trotting across the room. No one long lived should be able to remember her, that was one condition of the punishment, as soon as the incarnation died all who knew her, forgot her.

Yes, that was true, those who knew her forgot her when she died, He had after all, She smiled faintly, there was no reason to think she was the reason the princess of the sun was coming here. It was egotistical and vain to think she was the reason… More than that, it was a hopeless dream.

To think she could be remembered, what foolishness.

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[MidnightMare]

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Oh, Thank you for your time in reviewing this :)

As for the awkward capitalization. When I write it all sort of comes out in fragments, so I capitalize when a new thought starts. I try to remember to go through and edit but I seem to have forgotten this time sorry