//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Redeeming Chaos // by PabloTheDestr0yer71 //------------------------------// "GROOOOOOOOOO!" The monster's bellow seemed to shake the very mountainsides themselves as the alicorn streaked across the night sky. He suddenly wheeled to the side as a column of crackling amethyst flame roared past. The young demigod was a rather inexperienced flyer, and the enraged dragon could sense it's victim rapidly tiring. Perfect I can taste its fear, its very life essence already seeping right out with the fatigue. Time to kill Flapping furiously to stay aloft, the young alicorn barely evaded the dragon's assault as a second violet fireball blazed past its quarry. Willing himself to maintain top speed, he mustered the courage to quickly glance over one shoulder, and nearly wing-locked then and there; He was staring down the dragon's gullet, barely a meter away from its horrible, glistening fangs. And the gap was closing by the millisecond. With all the strength he had left, the alicorn spread his wings to their full span, and focused all his willpower towards his forehead. With a sound like a freshly lit fuse, his jet-black horn began to shimmer with a green aura. The dragon's eyes widened in surprise as a loud bang resonated across the valley and the alicorn vanished from sight and reappeared a split-second later. Directly atop the seething dragon's head! Curse you, teleportation spell! Immediately, the beast began to thrash about in the air, barrel-rolling like mad and flailing its claws about in an attempt to swat away its unwitting rider. The alicorn could feel his grip on the dragon's back-spines slipping, and spread his wings again in an attempt to dismount. But as he did, the monster's knife-like talons raked his outstretched left wing, cleaving the appendage right from his body. Mind and eyes clouded with the immense pain, the alicorn began his spiraling plummet to his death, when he felt his body seize up and freeze mid-fall. Shaking his head vigorously in confusion, the young pony found himself hovering in thin air, surrounded by a familiar electric blue aura and being whisked through the moonlit night behind one of Princess Luna's finest royal chariots. His splendorous wings were gone, as was his formidable adversary, the latter of which was replaced by an angered unicorn in Elvis Coltstello glasses, and with a simmering orange beaker emblazoned on his flank. "Cosmos Sagittarius Quark, how many times am I going to have to tell you?!" "I-I'm sorry, father! I didn't mean to! I was j-j-just playing pretend, y'know like I always do, and I slipped over the edg--" Quantum ignored him and continued: "The Princess of the Night was kind enough to provide for and personally oversee our transport to our new home. It would behoove you to display your gratitude for her by thanking her personally, instead of hopping off without so much as a farewell!" "Yes, father..." Cosmos looked down, feeling ashamed. Leave it to him to completely overlook the fact that I almost fell to my doom just now. It's like... Like he doesn't even care anymore... Not since... Cosmos's thoughts trailed off as his father whisked the little unicorn colt back into the safety of the chariot, just as it touched down on the outskirts of the town at the Quarks' new home. Quantum mechanically thanked the Princess and her guards, while the boy timidly murmured a barely audible "Thanks" as the charioteers turned and left for Canterlot. "Well... Here we are, son. Our new home; nice and far from all the hubbub, just how we like it." The cottage was of just the right size, Tudor-style and somewhat rustic, and right on the outskirts of Whitetail Wood. Taking a quick look around, the exhausted colt just hung his head and trudged inside. Just how you like it. It's like I'm asking to be a social pariah. "Good idea, Cosmos. Go inside and get some rest. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow, what with your new school and classmates and all. It's a good thing the Princesses had those movers arrange all of our belongings before we got here, or you'd be spending the rest of the night on the cold, cold ground." The little unicorn's pupils shrunk to pinpoints. "S-school!? T-t-tomorrow!?!?!?" His father nodded. "Yes indeed. And you have but a few hours until morning, so off to bed with you! If you need me, ring the bell by the basement door. But do not, and I repeat," his glasses flashed menacingly, and Cosmos cowered as Quantum's voice grew terrifyingly cold and stern "DO NOT. Go. Down. Those. Stairs. Are we clear?" Swallowing hard, Cosmos nodded his head in affirmation, still shaken and wrought with anxiety as he scampered upstairs to bed. The Next Morning Cosmos wanted to punch a hole through his alarm clock when he realized how much time he'd actually slept, but he settled with using what little magic he could to switch it off and drop it hard on the floor as he crawled out of bed. As he sluggishly prepared for school and slogged downstairs in a funk, he found the professor sitting at the dining room table a copy of the local paper and a cup of his signature French Roast. Without looking up from the news, he addressed his son dismissively. "School starts in approximately fifteen minutes, what took you so long to awaken?" "Ughmmmph..." Cosmos incoherently groaned, not actually listening. The colt telekinetically grabbed a golden delicious from the fridge and whipped himself up a dandelion sandwich, placing them in his school-saddlebag with a notepad and pencils, and trudged to the door. "The school is located on the other side of town, somewhat in the Everfree Forest area. Just travel in a straight line down the road, and you should make it straight through town and to the schoolhouse on the other side. But make haste!" His father's words finally inspired him to actually see what time it was: "TEN 'TILL 9:00?! I'M GONNA BE LATE!!!" Dust flew by in billowing clouds as the young unicorn tore through town, dodging past various townsfolk (and bumping into a few) as he made a beeline from his new home to the quaint little schoolhouse on the other side of town. Several fillies and colts on the playground turned their heads to the frantic Cosmo-bullet charged for the schoolhouse door. Unaware that it was still locked, he slammed full-force against it, collapsing in a dazed heap on the welcome mat, and prompting many of the foals on the playground to burst into laughing fits. Smooth move, Quarkface, Cosmos berated himself grimly. Haven't even gotten into school yet and I'm already a laughing stock. The klutzy colt picked himself up and dusted off, when he noticed a commotion coming from the other end of the playground. Trotting over, he noticed two little fillies dressed in maroon capes lined with gold. One of them was an earth pony with a yellow coat, her crimson mane adorned with a large pink bow. The other was a pegasus with an orange coat, magenta mane and tail, and a slightly frayed edge on her cape. Both seemed to be running away from... Something. Something in the grove of trees behind them. And whatever it was, they looked legitimately afraid. Oooh, this is a bad idea... Cosmos couldn't help but think to himself as he crept into the woods under the cover of some shrubs, but his curiosity got the better of him as he crept past the treeline and into the grove. The early-morning mist was still lingering above the forest floor, creating a mysterious feeling in the air. Cosmos swallowed hard, willing himself to be courageous, and continued to trek through the trees until an feminine scream pierced through the silence and scared timid Cosmos nearly out of his skin. Collecting himself, he took off in pursuit of the cry and found himself in a clearing. At its center was what he assumed to be a filly, bound, blindfolded, and gagged, continually repeating her muffled plea "Save me!" This fair young lady was in distress. Cosmos knew that much. And he was just the colt-knight to rescue her. But as the brave Sir Quark approached the immobilized damsel, he heard a branch snap in the fog behind him, and a fleeting shadow whisked by as he whipped his head around. Heart pumping, the young knight drew his dagger to cut the fair maiden free of her bonds. Just then, a low growl resonated through the eerie murk of the forest. Hearing this, the filly ceased her cries for help, and began to whimper in fright "It... It's too late... He's found me..." The knight whipped around just in time to see a pair of fiery, piercing eyes towering above, glaring down at him from amidst the branches. His heart about to burst from his chest, Sir Quark brandished his dagger and shield and braced himself for the worst. In a burst of flame the creature lunged at its opponent, and the knight felt himself falling as the world began to melt around him. The last thing he heard was the anguished shriek of the maiden and a bloodcurdling snarl, as everything descended into pitch darkness.