Hasty Mix headed back to his home, the Mortar, and Pestle. Following behind him were his wife Morning Mist and his sister Zecora. His daughter Surprise Mix was on his back facing Zecora and peppering her with questions at a rapid pace. “How come you are a Zebra if dad is a unicorn? What does your cutie mark mean? Why do you speak in rhymes?”
“Now Surprise slow down and ask one question at a time and give Zecora time to answer.” Morning Mist said to her daughter. Zecora gave an appreciative look to Mist then turned back to Surprise.
“I will answer all your questions when all is said and done. But please for now make do with one.” Zecora replied. Surprise sat quietly for a second with a thoughtful look on her face.
“Why do you always speak in rhyme? Is it a zebra thing?” Surprise asked again. She tilted her head when the zebra laughed.
“No, not all Zebras rhyme, though it was so at one time. Where once every zebra rhymed in bygone days, Now only shamans practice the old ways.” Zecora answered. Surprise giggled at her aunt. The family was just passing by a building built like a carousel as a familiar lavender unicorn rushed out of it. She was quickly followed by the small purple and green dragon who was floating a couple of feet off the ground surrounded in a raspberry-colored aura. Soon a white-colored kirin mare came out of the building holding a bag in one of her clawed forehooves. The kirin had her purple-colored mane done in a bun that sat just behind her branchlike red horn as was usual when she was working. She then spotted the family and smiled as she made her way over.
“Well hello darlings, how are you today?” She asked in a posh sounding voice. At the sound of her voice Surprise let out an eep and jumped off her dad's back, then hid behind his back legs.
“Doing just fine Miss Belle just coming back from picking up my sister at the train station. Speaking of which.” Hasty greeted the mare then gestured to Zecora. “ Rarity this is my sister Zecora. Zecora, this is Miss Rarity Belle one of the most generous mares in Ponyville. I wouldn't have been able to start my shop if not for her.”
“Oh hush, I just like giving back to the community.” Rarity said as she blushed at the compliment. She then looked at Zecora. “Greetings Zecora it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“It is indeed a pleasure to meet you, Rarity Belle. May I ask, is this magnificent building where you dwell?” Zecora asked as she examined the unique building in interest.
“Why yes, this is my home as well as my store the Carousel Boutique. As you can see by the mannequins in the windows I make clothes for all creatures.” Rarity said as she waved a forehoof towards her home were just as she said there were mannequins of all different shapes and sizes dressed up in clothes in the windows. She then turned to Morning Mist. “So are you still available to watch over Sweetie Belle next weekend? I need to make a trip to get more gems and the area has become infested with diamond dogs and while I will have some paid help I fear that it just isn't safe to take her with me anymore,” she asked.
“Yes I am still available, just bring her over before you leave.” Mist replied in a chipper tone. “Besides I think our little Surprise is warming up to your daughter.”
“That is wonderful news darling. Now if you will excuse me I must track down a lavender unicorn that left before I could give her this outfit.” Rarity excused herself and headed off in the direction that the lavender unicorn fled in. Hasty turned to his daughter and picked her up in his magic. “ It's okay Surprise, she is gone,” he said as he put her back on his back. “Though I have told you that there is no reason to be scared of her.”
Surprise shook her head. “I am not scared. I just don't want her to put me in a dress again, last time I had to stand still for a whole hour,” she said to the bemusement of her parents. The family made their way back to the Mortar and Pestle but just as they were going ready to enter the building a pink unicorn mare came trotting up. Her pink fluffy mane and tail bouncing with every step. “Hello Hasty, Mist, Surprise, and zebra I never met before.”
“Aunt Pinkie!” Surprise yelled excitedly as she jumped off her father's back and using her wings hovered over to the mare. Once there Pinkie grabbed Surprise out of the air and pulled her into a hug.
“And how is my favorite apprentice doing today?” Pinkie asked with a big smile causing a Hasty grumble.
“I thought I made it clear that there will be no apprenticeships until she gets her cutie mark just like everypony else,” Hasty said sternly. If Pinkie was discouraged by this she didn't show it.
“Ah you say that now but I just know that she was born to be a party pony!” Pinkie said enthusiastically as she let Surprise out of the hug. “But that is not why I am here. I came by to invite you to a party that I am throwing for a new pony in town.” She said as she gave Hasty an invitation. “It is in the library in two hours.” Pinkie then looked over at Zecora. “Though now it looks like I will have to make the party for one more,” she said to herself then looked at Surprise then got an even bigger smile on her face as an idea came to her. She then leaned down and whispered into Surprise’s ear. Surprise got excited and turned to her father.
“ Hey dad can I go with aunt Pinkie please!” Surprise asked while giving him the biggest puppy eyes she could manage. Hasty looked between his daughter and the pink unicorn a couple of times trying to come up with a reason to deny the request when he felt a hoof on his shoulder.
“Honey, I think we should let Surprise go with her ‘aunt’.” Mist said to her husband. “It will give us time to talk alone with your sister.” Hasty let out a sigh as he knew that his wife had a point.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly which had both Surprise and Pinkie letting out a cheer. Before he could say anything else Pinkie grabbed Surprise in her hooves and then teleported away in a flash of pink light. With that Hasty opened the door to his house and let his wife and sister in. He then closed the door after entering, then followed the other two upstairs. Once all three were settled down on the couches in the living room he turned to his sister. “So what do you mean by saying that our daughter could be a Chaos born?”
Zecora looked gravely at her brother. "I read a warning that was written in a time of mourning." She said in a grim voice. "Betold is a time of reality grim, that is bent to one's whim. When order holds too much sway, Chaos soon be on its way. Beware a foal of mismatched limbs. They are a sign of Chaos's whims."
After Zecora got done reciting the warning silence filled the room as both parents did not know how to react to what Zecora had said.
Meanwhile, in the cave under Sugarcube Corner, a green light flashed as Pinkie and Surprise appeared in the middle of the cave. Surprise shook her head to clear it of dizziness caused by the sudden teleport. Once she was no longer dizzy she looked at her surroundings. The cave was lit up in a soft pink light that seemed to come from equally pink colored stones that lined the walls of the cave as if they were veins in a living creature's skin. One of the walls was lined with filing cabinets and containers of all shapes and sizes. On the opposite wall was a single desk, it was to this desk that Pinkie went to. “Okay let's see so we now have a zebra to add to the plans for the surprise party,” Pinkie muttered to herself as she took out a piece of paper and a quill in her pink magic and started to write down plans on the paper. She spent six minutes writing furiously, then stopped and put the quill down and read over the plans three times before deciding that they would work. “Okay Surprise are you ready to help make this the best welcome party ever?” she asked as she turned around only to see that Surprise had made her way to one of the containers and opened the lid.
“Why is this full of gummy worms?” Surprise asked as she looked closer in curiosity. She then let out a yelp and fell back onto her haunches in surprise as two reptilian eyes looked out at her from within the pile of gummies. Pinkie hopped over to the container and then looked inside.
“Gummy, what did I tell you about getting into your food stash?” Pinkie asked sternly as she levitated a small toothless alligator out of the container and held it in front of her face. The alligator just stared unblinkingly at Pinkie. Pinkie for her part kept on staring at the alligator until it blinked. “Don't give me that tone mister!” She said seriously. “Now go to your room and think about what you did.” With that, she then used her magic to teleport the alligator away. She turned her attention back to Surprise. “Now are you ready to make this the most special and most fun welcome party ever and maybe get your cutie mark in the process?”
“YES YES YES YES YES YES!” Surprise exclaimed in excitement as she hopped circles around Pinkie at the thought of getting her cutie mark.
“Then let's get this party started.” Pinkie said then pulled Surprise over to her with her magic so she could go over the plans with her.