//------------------------------// // Governor Crimson Lance // Story: Chaos Theory // by Marly Kaxon //------------------------------//         In which the ambassadors arrive from Pomphay.         "Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried. "What are you doing here? If I'd known you were coming, I'd've--"         "No need, Twilight. I'm here on official business. I've only come to pick you up - and, of course, tell you all what's going on," Celestia added, gazing at the nervous faces around the table.         Applejack waved her hoof courteously. "Please do!"         The six settled down into their thrones as the ruler of Equestria stepped regally about the room, to indicate how serious she was - or possibly just to help her think.         "Very soon, a group of emissaries will arrive in Ponyville from the village of Pomphay, which lies beyond the Everfree Forest. These ponies have not been in contact with the rest of Equestria for many moons now, and they are anxious to re-establish relations with its princesses - that's Luna, me, and you, Twilight."         Twilight looked terribly confused. "Me? But I've never been...a ruler...not like you, at least. What about Princess Cadance?"         "The ponies of Pomphay, I believe, are not ready yet to go beyond Ponyville and Canterlot. From what I've heard, they're barely keeping themselves together as it is."         "Pardon me, Princess," interrupted Applejack, respectfully, "but why haven't we heard about these ponies before?"         Celestia bowed her head. "I lost contact with Pomphay after a nearby volcano flooded the whole area with lava. Only now have they rebuilt enough to spare a group of ambassadors for these talks.         "Pomphay lies in the wake of the Everfree Forest's unnatural magic. The weather fights their pegasi, denying them the rain and sunshine they need for their crops. The earth is still recovering from the effects of Mount Ruin. Worse, the volcano has attracted a swarm of dragons looking to move in, which the ponies much constantly fend off. Despite all this, we believe the village is looking up. They will arrive from the Everfree Forest shortly, and Luna is on her way. We should be too, Twilight." The princess paced to Twilight's balcony and spread her magnificent wings to the forest.         "WAIT!! Aren't we coming? Can't we come?" yelled Pinkie Pie, bouncing onto the map-covered table.         "Hey," Spike muttered, pointing at Pinkie's hoof, "you stepped on us."         The two princesses nodded brightly, and everyone with a pair of wings leapt off the balcony; those without them seemed to prefer the stairs and the front door.         As she trotted alongside her dearest friends, it occurred to Twilight Sparkle that this would be her first real role in a diplomatic mission. Had she been looking forward particularly to this day? ...No, not really. Twilight had been totally content as the Princess of Friendship, being sent all over the world to solve friendship problems. Even she had to admit that diplomacy seemed rather less fun.         But why had the Cutie Map sent all six of them to meet these ponies? This wasn't a friendship problem. This was another kind of problem entirely.         The kind of problem that keeps ponies from communicating with the ruler of their whole country for moons upon moons. Twilight wondered what sort of ponies she'd be encountering. Would they be burned from lava and dragonfire? Would they be cold, overworked, hungry? Yes, she thought, they'd probably be hungry, if the ground and weather were both refusing to cooperate. Hungry, and tired - and disheartened by a disaster and a long time with no outside contact or help.         "It's too bad," she remarked to Applejack, walking beside her, "that Pinkie Pie didn't have time to plan anything for the Pomphay ponies' arrival." If anyone needed a party right now, she thought, they did.         Celestia paused about a furlong from the mouth of the Everfree Forest as her sister Luna alighted at her side. They spoke to one another with simple nods of their heads, glances and blinks. Sometimes, after thousands of years living together, words seemed simply inefficient.         Walking quickly to take her place at Celestia's left flank, Twilight cleared her throat. "Princess Celestia?"         "Yes?"         "What do I...what do I do when we get there?"         The princess laughed gently. "You know all the formalities, Twilight. Beyond that? Just be yourself. That is what you do best."         The ponies raised their heads, and slowed their steps to a patient halt. A glowing crimson light was now visible from deep within the forest.         Twilight glanced back to her friends for support. Four ponies smiled back. Pinkie Pie seemed to have disappeared.         "Pinkie?" she called, concerned, searching the landscape.         "Go on, Twilight," whispered Celestia. "I think you should greet them first. After all, Ponyville is your home."         A proud look came into the young alicorn's eyes, and she strode royally toward the three figures emerging from the shadows.         "Ambassadors of Pomphay!" she proclaimed.         "As the Princess of Friendship, and a local resident, may I be the first to say---"         "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!!!" shouted a voice, and the ambassadors leapt backwards in alarm as about a hundred party cannons went off in unison.         Pinkie Pie had appeared from absolutely nowhere with a heap of presents and a towering seven-layer cake. "And WELCOME to your WELCOME TO PONYVILLE party!! As you can see, we really hope you feel welcome! In Ponyville!"         "Pinkie! How did you manage this?" demanded a startled Rainbow Dash. "We only heard about this, like---"         "A few minutes ago! Pfft, that's plenty of time. C'mon, guys, let's mingle! Nice to meet you all! Most of the presents are balloons," she gleefully whispered to the unicorn at the head of the pack. "I wasn't sure what to get you, since I've never met you or even heard of you before. But I can't wait to get to know you!"         "Er...likewise," said the unicorn.         Now that the confetti had begun to clear, the Ponyville ponies got their first real look at the newcomers.         Their leader - she certainly looked like a leader, she stood like a leader, and she reacted to Pinkie's surprise party like the displeased and uncomfortable leader of an impressionable pack - was a tall, powerful-looking pony with narrow eyes and sharply curved features. Her body was alabaster pink and sheathed in silver armor. A neat, sharp crimson mane and tail gave her a strong military air, along with the magnificent red-and-white sword emblazoned on her flank. She pawed the ground with a steely hoof.         "Governor," said Princess Celestia, striding openly forward with her wings displayed. Luna and Twilight mirrored her.         The tall unicorn bowed respectfully. "Your Highness...we are most grateful."         She straightened, and looked grandly over three promised princesses and five extra ponies all craning their necks to see over one another. Something that wasn't really a smile but was probably her best attempt at one played over her face. "Good day to you," the governor said in a loud voice. "I am Governor Crimson Lance, commander of the Army of Pomphay...and your humble guest," she added.         "Pleased to meet you," Twilight said quickly.         Governor Crimson Lance, commander of the Army of Pomphay, took a few tense steps forward, looking as though she wanted to get as far away from the Everfree Forest as quickly as possible. A dutiful pegasus, done up in all shades of quiet blue, hovered at her shoulder, shaking streamers from her wings and tightly braided mane.         Pinkie was nosing around in a cluster of balloons, when suddenly her nose met another pony's nose and she smiled at the earth pony grinning back at her.         "Hello, You!"         "Hi!" the other pony whispered excitedly. She glanced side-to-side with her wide lime-green eyes. "What are these? They're so colorful! I love them," she breathed.         Pinkie giggled. "They're balloons, silly. I mean, come on, haven't you ever seen balloons before?"         The stranger shook her head. "We don't have anything colorful at home - except ourselves," she blushed, blinking at her hooves. Pinkie looked her up and down. She was a deep fuchsia color all over, wearing a faded tan vest; her shamrock mane and tail had been chopped very short. She kept glancing back nervously at Crimson Lance, looking as if she were breaking a rule, but her curiosity was too much for her. "My name's Berry Buzz. What's yours?"         "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie announced, bouncing in place. She stopped short when she noticed Berry Buzz gazing intently at the mark on her flank.         "More balloons? Did you paint those on?"         Pinkie's pink nose wrinkled in confusion. "What? No! Party planning is my special talent, that's all. And my super-duper favoritest thing to do!" she beamed. "Say, what's your special talent?"         "My…what?"         Twilight, Luna, and Celestia had meanwhile been introduced to the prim-looking pegasus and made the beginnings of an acquaintance with Crimson Lance. Now the governor seemed more anxious than ever to get into town, and she lifted her head so that her voice would sound more important. "Berry Buzz, come along. We're moving now."         "But, Governor!"         "Now, please," Crimson Lance intoned.         Berry Buzz's ears dropped and she gave Pinkie a sorry look. "I'm busy. Making friends, like we're supposed to."         "Petrichor, please ask Berry Buzz to join us."         The pegasus gave a salute, landed beside the earth pony, and began propelling her away from Pinkie and the forest with her head.         Twilight let her friends lead the ambassadors ahead to her castle, but as she walked behind she suddenly found Applejack at her shoulder. She pawed at the path awkwardly. "Um, Twi? I don't suppose you noticed anything…odd about that earth pony - and that pegasus?"         Twilight looked after them. At first she didn't see anything; then she realized that that was exactly the issue.         Berry Buzz didn't have a cutie mark. Neither did Petrichor, the pegasus. For that matter, neither did the small, shy-looking unicorn with the unkempt blue mane who had been hidden behind Crimson Lance the entire time.