//------------------------------//
// A Trifold System 
// Story: Chaos Theory 
// by Marly Kaxon 
//------------------------------//

        In which the ways of the Pomphayians are explained.





        As the ambassadors, flanked on all sides by princesses and friends alike, approached Twilight's glimmering castle, Spike was standing just inside the massive front door practicing looking important. This would be his first experience as a sort of sub-host to foreign leaders, and he intended to make a good impression. "I'll stand here, and when they get to the doorstep," he announced to no one in particular, "I'll swing open the doors and say something majestic, like, 'Come in!' Don't you think that'll be awful impressive?" He ran a clawed hand over the spikes on his head. Receiving no answer, he glared upwards.

        Owlicious was perched atop the door. In the time it took for Twilight to pick up Crimson Lance and her associates, he'd preened his feathers thoroughly and struggled into the bedazzled bow Rarity had made for him.

        "Uh, hello?" prompted Spike. "Don't you think that'll impress them?"

        "Who?" said Owlicious.

        "Don't try that with me," the little dragon sniffed. "You just say that to everything! I caught on a long time ago, you know. I was just humoring you."

        "Who," retorted the owl cattily.

        Spike clambered onto the windowsill and grabbed a fold of heavy royal curtain. "Of course, maybe I could say more..." he continued, pressing his purple snout against the glass (which fogged up the window and made it quite difficult to see) - "I probably should. Right? I wanna make a good impression - for Twilight's sake. Oh, hey! There they are now."

        The stark alabaster figure of Crimson Lance crested the hill before the castle. She strode down the path, her steel horseshoes clinking against pebbles in the dirt. Twilight watched her carefully and - she admitted to herself - a little suspiciously. For all her gracious humility, the governor walked as though she owned Ponyville. And what kind of pony leads a town of blank flanks anyway?

        She glanced to her side and found someone staring at her: the fourth ambassador, the unicorn, whose eyes quickly darted away. Twilight awkwardly tried to get as much information as she could from a single glance. She wasn't much too look at. Her fur was a pale green, her face marred with a rather unfortunate spray of freckles, and her eyes were violet and sad-looking. As for her mane - more of a lion's mane than a pony's, really - it was striped blue, very long, and looked as though it had never been brushed or tamed and didn't much intend to be; the same went for her tail. She walked as noiselessly as a cat with her gaze downcast, as if she were afraid the ground might disappear if she looked away.

        Twilight looked back up at Crimson Lance, flanked by Berry Buzz on her left and the pegasus Petrichor on her right. Her final attendant was behind her - far behind her. It struck Twilight that the governor might be ignoring her on purpose. Then she decided she didn't particularly care.

        "Hi," she said to the unicorn with a big smile.

        The unicorn flinched and looked up into Twilight's friendly face. A startled shudder ran through her body. "Hi," she said back, wondering whether she should add "Your Highness."

        Twilight gave the unicorn's hoof an encouraging tap. "Who are you?"

        "Sour Note," the unicorn responded shyly.

        "Sour Note, huh? That's cool. So, what brings you to Ponyville?" the princess continued, with an exaggerated wink to show that she was joking.

        The pony Sour Note kept her gaze fixed on the ground. "I wanted to come."

        "Well, then, it's lucky you were chosen as an emissary, right?"

        "No," mumbled Sour Note. "I just wasn't much of a loss back in Pomphay. So I came. I wanted to come. I thought it would be...um...exciting."

        She didn't look very excited.

        The shimmering magnificence of Twilight's Castle caught the light of the sun, and reflected it onto Crimson Lance's silver armor and milky fur. She looked down at herself, and for the first time a tiny smile played on her lips. The party had grown very close to the door. A tiny black figure in the foyer window leapt down to the floor, and Twilight was relieved to know that Spike was on top of things. She turned her mind back to puzzling out Sour Note's last response.

        A few feet from the door, the governor halted. Her scarlet glance flew back at Princess Celestia - then Luna - then Twilight. She offered an approving look, and Twilight saw a hungry gleam in her eyes and a thrilled open smile - a smile Crimson Lance quickly concealed from Petrichor and Berry Buzz.

        The massive door eeked slowly open, as if it were far too heavy for whoever was opening it. Then Berry Buzz, unable to contain her excitement, dashed straight ahead into the foyer; and screamed.

        "DRAGON!" she shrieked.

        "DRAGON!" howled Petrichor, and in terror shot up about five hundred feet at a speed which rivaled Rainbow Dash.

        Governor Crimson Lance made no sound, but leapt into the foyer, her imposing horn charged with angry red energy. She took a powerful stance, armor gleaming, every muscle tense, eyes flaming with murderous fury.

        "GAH! WAIT! DON'T!" squeaked Spike.

        Twilight materialized between her assistant and her guest and threw up her most powerful magic shield, but Crimson Lance was quick to react. She powered down. The red glow left her eyes. She focused hard on Twilight and the baby dragon with its arms around her neck, but she took a few steps back as well.

        "Wh-what are you doing?" she shivered. "With that dragon?"

        Rarity charged through the door, scooping up Spike in a flash of blue magic. "That dragon," Twilight said sternly, "is my friend! His name is Spike. What were you going to do, anyway? Hurt him?"

        Something clicked in Crimson's mind, and immediately she dipped her body to the ground in a penitent bow, ears back. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness. You must understand..." One eye slid open, watching the young lizard as the white unicorn fawned over his nervous self. "I have been fighting these creatures for moons upon moons. As a unicorn, it is my duty to protect my fellow citizens."

        "Oh." Twilight blushed, thinking perhaps she should have thought of that earlier. "It's okay. Just leave him alone from now on. I raised him from an egg, and he is a wonderful little helper."

        "As a...unicorn?" Applejack broke in. "What do you mean, as a unicorn?"

        Crimson Lance looked from face to face. No one looked particularly angry with her. She relaxed somewhat. "I shall be able to explain much better in your conference area - wherever that might be."

        "Of course," replied Luna, pointing her nose in Twilight's direction.

        Twilight gave the governor a smile, and trotted over to Rarity and her dragon. "Spike," she announced, "show our guests to the throne room, please."

        "B-but Twilight---"

        "It's all right, Spikey-Wikey," droned Rarity, nuzzling his cheek. "I won't let them hurt you." She stood beside Spike as the caravan caught up. Petrichor refused to acknowledge the little guy, but the governor gave him an apologetic nod, and Berry Buzz even went so far as to offer him her hoof to shake. They trotted down the hall.

        "As a unicorn, indeed," Rainbow hissed to Twilight.

        "Now, look, Rainbow Dash. There's no reason to get all huffy. I don't care if you find Crimson Lance a bit suspicious - even a bit imperious..."

        "What?" The pegasus looked confused. "No. I wasn't thinking anything like that."

        "Oh." The princess gave a nervous laugh, blushing slightly. "Oh...of...course not."

        Rainbow Dash continued. "I was talking about the other unicorn - she didn't seem to care so much about her duty."

        Twilight looked where Rainbow was pointing with her hoof. Princess Celestia was walking with one wing raised as a sort of shelter, beneath which paced a quiet Sour Note. When Berry Buzz shrieked, the unicorn had quickly sought out the strongest pony in the area, and hidden shamelessly behind her.


        As with everything else they'd seen since arriving in Ponyville, the throne room in Twilight's castle seemed to captivate every one of the ambassadors - all except Petrichor, the silent and somber pegasus, who hovered consistently at Crimson's side in a flutter of slate blue wings. Berry Buzz couldn't contain her excitement any longer - she capered about in circles around the Cutie Map, which was still lying open with six cutie marks hovering over the castle's icon. Crimson Lance gazed approvingly at the shimmering Map. And Sour Note stopped in her tracks and just stared, a kaleidoscope of crystal colors caught in her violet eyes.

        "Welcome, ponies, to…er, my home," Twilight said. She stepped up onto her throne; her friends took her signal to do the same. The princess tapped lightly on the table, and the map dissipated.

        "We are most honored, Your Highness," answered Crimson, so that her associates didn't have to.

        Twilight rolled her eyes as subtly as possible. She'd spent the entire walk insisting she be referred to as just "Twilight", but no one really seemed to care. That is, Crimson didn't seem to care, and no one else's opinion seemed to matter.

        There was a short silence about as relaxed as a barrel of dynamite, which Princess Celestia skillfully and effortlessly bridged with her most winning smile and a fine display of angelic white wings. "It has been so long since I've been able to speak with the leaders of Pomphay. I certainly look forward to working with you again. However, first I thought we might have some questions about each other...do we, girls?" She deferred to Twilight.

        Options raced through the young alicorn's mind. Why doesn't Petrichor say anything? Why is Sour Note so frightened? Why don't any of you have your cutie marks?

        But she was silent. The room was silent. Crimson Lance was looking as though she hadn't expected questions and didn't want to answer them.

        Then Applejack spoke up.

        "I have a question," she said. "What do y'all do back in Pomphay? For work, I mean."

        A wave of relief rippled through the governor's attendants. Finally, something they were prepared for. Crimson Lance took the floor.

        "Despite our best efforts, life in Pomphay is difficult. Everypony's help is required to sustain us. In response to the relentless magic of the Everfree Forest, we have developed a simple trifold system of labor. Pegasi," she began, motioning toward the expressionless Petrichor, "constantly and nobly battle the weather." She nodded her head toward Berry Buzz. "Earth ponies fight the soil to provide enough food for us." Finally the governor lifted her head proudly. "And unicorns make up the army to repel the dragon invaders who...er..." Crimson's explanation trailed off as she remembered Spike's existence.

        Spike gave a courteous wave of a claw. "No offense taken. Most dragons are total jerks."

        "But, Governor, are you saying that's all everypony does?" cried Rarity, who'd pulled off a quick costume change between the foyer and the throne room. "Who makes your clothes?"

        Crimson Lance seemed to want this question to end. "Nopony does. We do not require dresses for survival," she explained, eyeing Rarity's diamond-studded ensemble. Rarity was suddenly feeling rather overdressed.

        "I have a question," piped up Berry Buzz, ignoring the silent stare she got from Petrichor. "Where are we going to stay?"

        She looked the Princess of Friendship right in the eye. Twilight fought a sudden spasm of panic - this problem hadn't occurred to her.

        Once again, Governor Crimson Lance seemed prepared. "We have, of course, heard great things about you, Your Highness Twilight Sparkle, and about your magnificent friends. I would appreciate - with your permission, of course, Princess - if you would allow me to stay here, in your magnificent...home, and observe your magical techniques. I am certain I could learn powerful magic from you.

        "I would, again, with your permission, place Petrichor with Miss Rainbow Dash." Petrichor gave Rainbow a look that was a little too similar to Maud Pie for Rainbow's comfort. "Your skill in flight and weather management is notoriously unparalleled. And Berry Buzz here might stay with you, Miss Applejack." Berry Buzz was sitting next to Pinkie Pie, both whispering excitedly to one another; but Berry's head jerked up at the mention of her name, and her smile melted into wide-eyed obedience. "You run one of the most successful farms in Equestria, so I've heard. I'm sure Berry Buzz can learn a lot from helping you."

        She concluded. Applejack gazed at Berry Buzz. She said more with the droop of her ears and the disappointment in her eyes than she ever could with words. Her short, straight mane reminded Applejack of Pinkie's sisters back on the rock farm; she wasn't sure that what Berry needed was more time farming.

        Rainbow Dash gazed at Petrichor. She said absolutely nothing at all. Her strict and soundless attitude reminded Rainbow of Pinkie's sisters; she wasn't sure she could stand having Petrichor living with her.

        Twilight smiled. "I think that sounds like a great idea! And we'll make sure you all get a wonderful tour of Ponyville. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, I know you two don't mind," she coaxed.

        "Of...course...not," Dash lied.

        The princess appeared at her side. "Look, neither of us was expecting this. But what she's saying makes sense! Please, at least try to be courteous."

        Crimson Lance bowed, and the throne room cleared surprisingly quickly. Even Celestia and Luna disappeared as soon as they could - back to Canterlot, supposedly to check up on their duties before returning to speak with Crimson Lance the next day. Berry Buzz and the other ponies had swept out past the governor as though she were a statue. Then Twilight remembered the small green-and-blue unicorn sitting quietly in one corner.

        "Wait!" she called after Crimson, who had begun to leave with Petrichor. Crimson paused and waited respectfully.

        Twilight galloped toward her, wings raised; she barely came up to the governor's white shoulder. "What about Sour Note? Did you want her to stay here, too?"

        Crimson's eyes widened. She stared at the princess wonderingly, even going so far as to tilt her head to one side. It was as if she'd never heard the name in her life. Petrichor, on the other hand, flapped her wings a bit faster and looked - for the first time - furtive and upset, avoiding Twilight's gaze.

        Finally Crimson spoke:

        "You may ask whomever you wish to stay with you. It is your castle, after all."

        Then, with a look of by-your-leave, she walked out of the throne room.